Let’s Talk About Nuclear Safety!

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) is making it easier, faster, and more efficient to comment on changes to CNSC’s regulatory framework. With the launch last August of the e-consultation platform Let’s Talk Nuclear Safety, anyone wishing to provide feedback or review the feedback already received can do so directly on the site.

This tool demonstrates our commitment to openness and engagement. Our public opinion research confirmed that more than 80% of Canadians want to be involved in nuclear-related decisions in their communities. This platform makes that easier and shows how we are working continuously to build and strengthen trust in our role as Canada’s nuclear regulator.
—Rumina Velshi, CNSC President

The platform makes consultation more visible and accessible and gives CNSC more flexibility in how it engages additional people in consultation—including host communities, Indigenous groups, civil society organizations, and industry. In addition to providing a single site for a range of consultations (from regulatory documents to environmental reviews and more), it allows for faster and easier feedback on comments—a long-standing CNSC practice—and saves time for CNSC by making it easier to provide a summary of each project’s entire consultation process.

Users can review comments anonymously but must register to provide their own feedback. The site is moderated to avoid hurtful, discriminatory, and spam messages.

The platform uses commercial software developed specifically for consultation undertaken by government bodies. Other Canadian departments and agencies using the software include Health Canada, Transport Canada, and Parks Canada.

The first project put up for review on CNSC’s platform was REGDOC-2.4.4, Safety Analysis for Class IB Nuclear Facilities—a highly technical document that is mostly of interest to members of the nuclear industry who are experienced at providing comments and feedback on draft regulatory documents. This approach allowed CNSC to gain experience using the software before engaging in projects that are expected to garner more significant public interest, such as the current consultation on REGDOC-2.5.2, Design of Reactor Facilities, Version 2, or the upcoming REGDOC-2.9.2, Environmental Protection: Controlling Releases to the Environment.

CRPA members are encouraged to use CNSC’s new e-consultation platform to submit comments on future draft documents and discussion papers that touch on regulatory areas of interest to them. CNSC received comments from some CRPA members on a recent e-consultation for REGDOC-2.5.6, Design of Rooms Where Unsealed Nuclear Substances are Handled.

CNSC encourages you to monitor the e-consultation page, view projects that are of interest, register, sign in, and submit new comments or provide feedback on existing comments.

CNSC has seen an increase in engagement through the platform compared to the existing channels on its website. They will continue to monitor the logistics and use the analytics tools to improve the e-consultation experience for stakeholders.

For more information, contact CNSC:

• Email: [email protected]
• Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
  P.O. Box 1046, Station B
  280 Slater Street
  Ottawa, ON
  K1P 5S9
• Phone: 1-800-668-5284 (Canada only)