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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, FEBRUARY 14,2001 PAGE 5 Auditor general slams 'intuitive approach' of nuclear standards A federal auditor has slapped die Canadian Nuclear Nuclear Safety Commission - the regulator which oversees nuclear facilities including the Darlington Generating Station - with a Iess-than- flattering review. Tuesday, federal auditor- general Denis Desautels released released his annual report on federal government spending. spending. In his report, he staled i'the monitoring of nuclear reactors reactors in Canada is largely ^performed with an "intuitive ^approach" rather than a systematic systematic use of standards. - The auditor-general's ^comments were welcomed jby Durham Nuclear Aware- mess (DNA), an industry Kvatchdog group based in .^Durham. ' Î "The auditor general's report report is accurate for as far as it ■goes," says DNA spokesman /Irene Kock. There's a lack of [objectivity for how stations fare rated for safety." The report report "shows how subjective /staff are", she says. From a [public safety standpoint, "It -points to an issue of assurances assurances everything is OK in ;the short-term," she says. > In his report, Mr. Desau- ftels stated, the CNSC's "reg- i'ulatory activities are not Abased on a rigorous, well- documented system of risk Analysis and the ratings it assigns assigns for regulatory perfor- •imance are not clear. It can- dot adequately demonstrate "that it is achieving its safety ^objectives for the regulation iof power reactors." I The CNSC uses ratings ÿf 'acceptable', 'conditionally 'conditionally acceptable' and 'unacceptable'. 'unacceptable'. The Darlington facility facility has an 'acceptable' rating. | "The criteria for what is 'acceptable or unacceptable tare subjective, which can lead to lack of understanding and agreement, both within CNSC and between CNSC and licensees, on the adequacy adequacy of safety performance," Mr. Desautels stated. And, the rating of conditionally conditionally acceptable "does not clarify whether and to what degree safety is being managed managed properly and if the licensee's licensee's action plans and progress are satisfactory." Clarifying and possibly expanding the ratings would "improve the consistency of interpretation" and be clearer for the public, the CNSC and licensees, the report stated. In an action plan posted on the CNSC Web site, the commission "agrees with the recommendations of the office office of the auditor general" and is taking steps to address them. "As part of an improved improved reporting of safety, we will consider the use of quantifiable safety ratings in the overall risk assessment." The CNSC agreed the acceptable, acceptable, conditionally acceptable acceptable and unacceptable rankings "need to be clarified clarified to enable consistent application application and effective communication communication of licensees' overall safely performance. 1 A review of the use of these rankings has already been initiated" and should be finished finished by August of this year and in use by the end of the year. "The CNSC has exercised exercised effective regulatory oversight of its licensees-for many years," the site states. Ms. Kock suggests the auditor didn't go "far enough in dealing with the culture of the industry". She noted those working for the regulator regulator are recruited from the industry. industry. "The culture of the regulator, regulator, it has an aspect of not being arm's-length enough from the industry. It comes from being in the industry," she said. During recent hearings in Pickering on an environmental environmental assessment to restait the four shut down reactors, municipalities municipalities noted the regula tor and utilities are too close, she points out. "Who the regulator appoints is loo lax. There needs to be some adjustment adjustment so there's a better, more responsive relationship between the regulator and utility," Ms. Kock adds. The auditor also noted the CNSC is having difficulty filling vacancies because staff are reaching reaching retirement age and the commission commission can't match private-sector salaries. While saying "there's no easy solution" to filling vacancies. Ms. Kock says. "We don't want to see recruitment from the industry." Instead, the industry should contribute money to train people, she states. "There arc ways to ensure the funding goes through and it still re sults in an arm's-length relation-, ship," she says. "The money has to come from somewhere. 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