The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is scheduling hearings for tonight and tomorrow at the C-A-W Centre in Port Elgin.
Tomorrow’s hearing will deal with the licence renewal for Units A and B at Bruce Power in Tiverton.
Bruce Power’s Manager of Government Relations Ross Lamont says this is simply the renewal time for their unit licenses.
He doesn’t expect any changes in the process due to the recent news on the lack of electricity demand or the decision not to build nuclear reactors.
Lamont did say that the one change at the hearings will be for the allowance of Bruce Power to refuel units 1 and 2.
Lamont says he feels confident that they can meet the C-N-S-C’s requirements at the hearings.
He says C-N-S-C has staff at the Bruce site who work closely with Bruce Power staff to ensure that there is compliance and safe operations.
Lamont says it is important for the regulator to understand that they have the confidence from the community in the operation of the nuclear facility.
He says their workers are very knowledgeable and they talk to other people in the community who in turn feel safe about what is going on at Bruce Power.
Bruce Power Vice President of Corporate Affairs Murray Elston says their presentation will focus on what they’ve always maintained on the site — and that is safety for the workers and the area 24/7.
Tomorrow, interventions will be heard — both positive and negative.
Elston says they know there will be concerns voiced by groups — such as Greenpeace and the Saugeen Ojibway First Nation — and the company already has a sense of what will be discussed.
He says there will also be some positive interventions heard from groups such as Bruce County.
Elston says following the two days of hearings the CNSC will confer and he expects an answer to their request in two to three weeks.
Tonight’s meeting gets underway at 7 PM while tomorrow’s begins at 8:30 AM.
The proceedings are being webcast live on the CNSC website at www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca