From Friday's Globe and Mail Published on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

If something goes terribly wrong at a nuclear power plant, how much liability should the operator bear?

The federal government is introducing a new limit of $650-million for damages that can be claimed from nuclear companies after an accident at one of their stations.  The amount represents a massive leap from the previous $75-million ceiling, which anti-nuclear groups called a hidden subsidy.

Questions remain, however, as to whether the new amount would cover all the claims due to the psychological trauma of living through such a mishap, the health impacts of being showered with radiation and damage to property.

The compensation figure, contained in a bill now before Parliament, is much less than amounts in some other countries, including the United States, Japan and Germany.  Reactors in the U.S. have a call on about $10-billion to cover accidents, the Japanese have about $1.4-billion and the Germans have unlimited liability.

Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt is defending the new limit, telling a parliamentary committee hearing on the proposal earlier this month that the figure is in line with international standards and is a fair compromise balancing “the needs of victims with society's interest in nuclear development.”

Under the new legislation, once the $650-million is exhausted, Parliament has the option, but not the obligation, to vote to give additional funds to compensate victims.  If it did vote to give out money, it would potentially put taxpayers at risk of a huge bill for damages.

The limit, which applies to such companies as Ontario Power Generation, Hydro-Québec, and NB Power, has prompted controversy.  Greenpeace issued a report this week estimating there would be about $50-billion in health damages from a worst-case accident at just one of Ontario's Bruce stations, located on a relatively isolated section of Lake Huron.

Shawn-Patrick Stensil, a spokesman for the group, said the new compensation limit is “definitely not” adequate and would be quickly used up by those with claims from a major incident.  He said accidents at the Pickering or Darlington stations, which are closer to the densely populated region around Toronto, could have even larger impacts.

He contended that because nuclear plant operators have a relatively low limit on the amount of insurance they need to cover accidents, they are able to sell power at rates that do not reflect the true costs of generating it.  It is special treatment that isn't available to other industries.  “This is a huge hidden subsidy,” he said of the damage cap of $650-million.

The current $75-million compensation limit was established in 1976, before such nuclear accidents as the one at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union in 1986 and at Three Mile Island in the U.S. in 1979.

But the nuclear industry and the federal government say such worst-case, catastrophic accidents are extremely unlikely. George Christidis, director of regulatory affairs for the Canadian Nuclear Association, says the industry's safety record has been exemplary, with no accident claims to date, justifying a cap on damages well below the levels of a severe incident.

“There has never been an injury, a radiation-based injury” due to a nuclear power plant mishap in Canada, he said.

Natural Resources Canada, in an e-mailed response to questions, said that it based the liability limit in part on its estimates of the effects of the “worst case foreseeable nuclear incidents” likely to occur in Canada.

Mr. Christidis rejected claims the cap on damages amounts to a handout to the nuclear industry, which he says plays a major role in promoting exports and in generating power.  “In our view, it's not seen as a subsidy,” he said.

Under the proposed legislation, nuclear plant operators wouldn't be liable for damages if their plants had accidents resulting from war, civil war or insurrection, according to the Library of Parliament's summary of its contents.  However, payments will be made if a terrorist attack causes the damages.

At any given time more than 1,700 people in Ontario are on organ transplant awaiting lists. However, each year the number of donated organs and tissue falls short of the provinceâs waiting lists and many individuals die waiting for much needed transplants.

Most, if not all, of us know of someone in our community who has either received an organ transplant or is awaiting a transplant and a second chance to live to its fullest. It is my hope that increasing awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation will increase donations for transplantation, which will contribute to saving lives and improving the quality of life for many people.

Many people will spend months, and in many cases years waiting for a second chance to live, see and walk because the need for organs and tissue outweighs their availability. However, it doesn't have to be this way. Everyone is a potential donor, regardless of age.

So, give someone a second chance and join me and others in your community by signing a donor card and/or registering with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. You can do so when renewing your driver licence, or by updating your health card, or by obtaining a Gift of Life Donor Card. For more information, contact the Trillium Gift of Life Network at 1-800-263-2833 or www.giftoflife.on.ca

The City of Pickering has been recognized as one of Canada's best cities for growth companies in the June 2006 issue of Profit magazine.  Pickering is ranked eight best in Canada, just behind Waterloo and ahead of Mississauga and Oakville respectively.

The magazine cites several factors that make a city good for business: close proximity to major transportation hubs and post-secondary institutions; a large and thriving population of young, motivated knowledge workers; and easy access to big investors.  The magazine made special mention that Pickering is expected to lead the country in population growth over the next 10-to-15 years.

- From the June 14, 2006 edition of Novae Res Urbis.

Pickering's own Perdita Felicien shows Councillor Pickles her IAAF world champion gold medal won at Paris, France.

In September of 2003, the 20th anniversary celebration of the opening of the Pickering Recreation Centre and an event at the Pickering Town Centre attracked enthusiastic crowds for Pickering's own women's 100M hurdles 2003 IAAF World Track and Field world champion Perdita Felicien's homecoming.  The Pickering and Ward 3 resident impressed fans with her gracious appreciatation to Pickering and provided inspiration as well as the message to stay in school and earn a degree to our youth.

Council named Perdita as the City's Ambassador to the World in 2004, leading up to the Athen's Olympics.

Councillor Pickles welcomes Gary Riches of The Water Drop to the Pickering business community.

Our Corporate Promotions program involves activities and events directed at maintaining and enhancing the City of Pickering's image, and marketing the City as an excellent place to live, work, and invest.

Redevelopment of the Metro East Trade Centre is complete on Brock Road, which saw many new businesses open their doors including Sam's Club and Sobeys.  The Pickering Markets opened their new location (at the southwest corner of Bayly Street and Squires Beach Road).  New office space is growing with Ontario Power Generation moving many of its head office nuclear support staff to our community and to a new six storey 174,000 square foot facility at Brock and Clements Roads.

Many small businesses are also locating and growing in Pickering.  Such as The Water Drop, a new water purification and products business that recently opened at the plaza located at 1900 Dixie Road (and Finch Avenue).

Contact The Water Drop at 905-837-0793 or visit www.thewaterdrop.com

This is just some of the development news in our community.  For more business information, please contact our Corporate Promotions & Economic Development staff at 905-420-4625 or visit our web site www.cityofpickering.com for more information.

Former Mayor Wayne Arthurs and Councillor David Pickles review the City's 2001 Annual Report that received one of three awards the City won at the Council of Ontario Economic Development Awards of Excellence. Congratulations to City staff !

I am please to have supported the construction of a much-needed women's shelter to service the area of west Durham including Pickering and Ajax.  The 15,000 sq. ft. facility located in Ajax opened in the fall of 2003.

One of the prouder moments for me was that I, and the other six members of Pickering Council, attended the meeting of Ajax Council to support the establishment of this women's shelter in 2002.

The groundbreaking for the women's shelter, now named Herizon House, took place in Ajax in April of 2002.  Councillor Pickles and his wife Brenda were pleased to attend, with Janet Ecker, former M.P.P., former Pickering Mayor Wayne Arthurs and other officials, the May 2002 "a tasteful event" fundraiser for Herizon House.

For women in need of help, the organizations' crises line is 1-866-HERIZON.