Nuclear Liability Act,Quebec

Nuclear Power in Quebec

The nuclear industry has always had a curious habit of operating in secrecy, and so it was in this case -- none of the thirteen mayors of the municipalities to be excluded from the evacuation zone were consulted or notified, nor was the CRD- 04, until a radio story on Dimanche Magazine by Danny Brown revealed the truth of the situation.

It is ironic that nuclear proponents try so hard to convince people that nuclear power is safe, when the nuclear industry is the only one in all of Canada that is protected by law from being financially liable, beyond a very minimal amount, in the event of a major industrial accident. The Nuclear Liability Act limits the liability of the owner of a nuclear plant to $75 millions, even though the actual damage from a major accident could be tens of billions.

Moreover, the suppliers of nuclear equipment are, under this law, completely exempt from liability even if faulty components supplied by them were a contributing cause of the accident. And on top of that, the insurance companies will not insure anybody against the consequences of radioactive contamination from a nuclear accident; there is a standard "nuclear exclusion clause" in every single insurance policy that says the insured has no coverage whatsoever in the case of radioactive contamination. The industry is sure that reactors are safe, but they don't want to bet any money on it.


Chronic Radiation Exposure