Federal government will raise nuclear liability cap to $1B from $75M

TORONTO – Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver is increasing the liability ceiling for nuclear operators to $1 billion from the present limit of $75 million.

Speaking at a nuclear conference, the minister says he will bring in a bill in the fall to raise the 40-year-old limit for civil damages in the event of a nuclear accident.

The legislation will also broaden the number of categories for which compensation may be sought and improve the procedures for delivering compensation.

Oliver also says Canada intends to join the International Atomic Energy Agency’s convention on supplementary compensation for nuclear damage.

That would add another $450 million to the compensation pool.

The $75 million liability cap is seen as completely outdated, especially in the wake of Japan’s 2011 Fukushima disaster, which led to tens of billions of dollars in damage claims.