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‘Major’ problem plagues reactor

‘Major’ problem plagues reactor

Former watchdog warns of looming crisis

Edmonton Sun PETER.ZIMONJIC 27th May 2009, – “…………………..Linda Keen, the former head of Canada’s nuclear watchdog. …..’We are in a situation that’s worse than in December 2007……’………………When she was president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Keen forced Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to extend a shutdown of the reactor at Chalk River until it could meet federal safety standards…………………….At the time, the federal government called an emergency sitting of parliament where all parties voted to unanimously to overrule Keen and restart the reactor regardless of whether AECL, the Crown corporation that owns and operates the reactor, had complied with safety regulations.

Then in January 2008 Keen was fired as president of the CNSC the night before she was to appear before the natural resources committee to give evidence about the crisis. Since then Keen has remained out of the public eye but this latest shutdown has prompted her to speak out.

HEAVY WATER LEAK

The reactor went down again May 14 and AECL said it wouldn’t be back up until mid-June at the earliest. Others have suggested it could take up to eight months to make the repairs if they’re even possible.

AECL is now trying to find and fix a heavy water leak in the reactor.

Keen called it a “major” problem because the container holding the heavy water is the main fail-safe device in case of a meltdown.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/05/27/9582931-sun.html

May 28, 2009 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Canada, safety | antinuclear, nuclear, radioactive