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ARTICLE · 24 JULY 2013

Changes To Nuclear Liability In Canada

McCarthy Tétrault
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Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver, recently announced that the federal government intends to overhaul Canada’s Nuclear Liability Act.

CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
William Fyfe
William Fyfe
Saqib Butt
Saqib Butt
Adam Shedletzky
Adam Shedletzky
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Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, Joe Oliver (the "Minister"), recently announced that the federal government intends to overhaul Canada's Nuclear Liability Act (the "Act").

Passed nearly 40 years ago, the Act has been instrumental in facilitating the development of Canada's nuclear industry. It implemented, among other things, no-fault operator liability and a cap on operator liability. This approach is broadly consistent with other jurisdictions except that the cap on operator liability, fixed at $75 million in 1976, has been significantly outpaced in most other jurisdictions. This anachronistic limit has been a lightning rod for criticism as well as a significant impetus to amend the Act.

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