Linda Keen will be appearing in front of the House of Commons Standing Committing on Natural Resources. Keen appears as the recently fired president of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission and she is part of a what should be a very interesting three hours at this committee. Not only will Keen answer questions about her role and the Commission's role in the shutdown of the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratory, but the Committee will also hear from Auditor General Sheila Fraser about the overall shortcomings of AECL [PDF file of that report] and then will hear from Health Minister Tony Clement. He will likely get asked a few questions about the excellent piece that reporter Hélène Buzzetti had in Le Devoir aujourd'hui. Buzzetti tested the assumption that Parliament had to pass emergency legislation to start up the Chalk River reactor because no one else in the world could produce the medical isotopes that Chalk River could. Buzzetti found that French and Belgian operators of reactors in those countries were ready to step in and fill the isotope shortage. Buzzetti looked high and low but could find no evidence that Canada even asked for such help.
In other words, there were alternatives to solving the isotope shortage that did not involve starting up a reactor Canada's nuclear safety watchdog believed it didn't have to start up.
And in the meantime, let's remember that while Keen was fired as President of the CNSC, she remains a member of the commission, a job which pays, at the top end, nearly a quarter million dollars a year. (Gary Lunn, the Minister who recommended her firing earns about $225,000 a year.)
Here's the Order-in-Council sealing Keen's removal as President of the CNSC:
Whereas pursuant to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is responsible for regulating the production of nuclear substances as well as preventing unreasonable risk to the health and safety of Canadians associated with that production;
Whereas by Order in Council P.C. 2000-1563 of October 4, 2000, Linda Keen was appointed a permanent full-time member of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission;
Whereas by Order in Council P.C. 2000-1563 of October 4, 2000, Linda Keen was designated President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission;
Whereas the President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is the chief executive officer of the organization and has supervision over and direction of the work of the members and officers and employees of the Commission;
Whereas the position of President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission requires the utmost confidence of the Governor in Council;
Whereas the recent extended shutdown of the Nuclear Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River, Ontario and the interruption in the world supply of medical isotopes resulted in a serious threat to the health of Canadians and others;
Whereas, the President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission failed to take the necessary initiative to address the crisis in a timely fashion using the means at her disposal, and failed to demonstrate the leadership expected by the Governor in Council;
Whereas by letter dated December 27, 2007, the Minister of Natural Resources invited Linda Keen to comment, on or before January 10, 2008, on why her designation as President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission should not be terminated;
Whereas by submission dated January 8, 2008, Linda Keen responded to the invitation of the Minister of Natural Resources;
Whereas the Governor in Council has carefully considered the submission received from Linda Keen, and has concluded that Linda Keen no longer enjoys the confidence of the Governor in Council as President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission;
Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Natural Resources, pursuant to sections 10 and 13 of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, hereby
(a) terminates the designation of Linda Keen as President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission; and
(b) fixes her remuneration as a permanent member (full-time) of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission at the rate set out in the schedule hereto, which remuneration is within the range ($204,300 – $240,400).
Keen's replacement, incidentally, is Michael Binder, last seen as the bureaucrat most in charge of telecommunications policy at Industry Canada. The order-in-council naming Binder as president gives him his new title — and salary — for six months.