Ottawa, Ontario – Cheryl Gallant, MP Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, is pleased to highlight the role Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) technology plays in supporting international nuclear security.
“With the recent announcement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Seoul, South Korea that Canada was committing a further $367 million over five years to fund nuclear security, it is important to note that radiation detection equipment that is being used at border crossings, airports and harbours was developed by AECL,” stated Cheryl Gallant, MP.
Known as the Cerenkov Viewing Device, it allows the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to examine nuclear fuel to confirm it is not being diverted from civilian to military purposes. AECL Nuclear Laboratories recently patented a state-of-the-art advancement of this technology which allows for total automation of this task.
AECL, with its Canadian government partners, has recently patented a detection technology similar to existing CAT scan machines used in hospitals. Instead of producing an internal image of a patient, it indicates the presence of nuclear materials such as uranium and plutonium that may be hidden inside shipping containers.
Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, Conservative): Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister arrived in South Korea to lead Canada’s delegation to the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.
With countries like Iran and North Korea that continue to obfuscate their nuclear activities and ignore their international obligations, it is clear that no nation is immune to the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack.Will the parliamentary secretary please tell this House how Canada has played a leadership role in the global efforts to end and fight nuclear terrorism?
Mr. Deepak Obhrai (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Conservative): Mr. Speaker, our government believes that nuclear terrorism is one of the biggest threats to global security. Sadly, no country is immune from the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack. Canada has been a leader in the global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, and we are pleased to be delivering on one of our 2010 summit commitments. We are working in places like Mexico and Vietnam to keep nuclear materials safe and out of the hands of terrorists. Through our global partnership program, Canada has invested more than $85 million for nuclear security work in Russia. It is vital that we continue to work together with our allies.