Nuclear Risks NIAC Covers
In addition to insuring the nuclear power plants, NIAC also provides coverage to others involved in the nuclear industry that would otherwise be unable to obtain insurance coverage. Examples of these types of risks would be those who supply the nuclear industry other than the Operators and the mining and milling operations of Uranium mines.
Other Nuclear Risks
Risks involving radioisotopes away from a nuclear facility, which have reached the final stage of fabrication and usable in any scientific, medical, agricultural, commercial or industrial purpose are insured in the conventional marketplace.
Underwriting
NIAC underwrites and accepts nuclear risks located within Canadian territorial limits for Nuclear Liability and Physical Damage.
Nuclear Property Insurance
NIAC also provides nuclear property insurance coverage which may be purchased by licensed nuclear operators.
Nuclear Liability Insurance
Licensed nuclear operators purchase Nuclear Liability Insurance to satisfy the financial responsibility requirements under the Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act through NIAC.
The fundamental principles of the nuclear liability regimes are more or less common in almost all world jurisdictions that utilize nuclear power to generate electricity. First of all, strict liability or absolute liability as we use in Canada, channels all nuclear liability of a nuclear incident back to the operator regardless of the actual cause of the nuclear incident. In addition, there is no right of recourse on the part of the operator. This is the exclusivity of the regime.
Most of this information comes from the Exposé des Motifs of the Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy. This information may be accessed on the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency website.
The liability is limited in time and amount. This means victims must make their claims for damages arising from a nuclear incident within a specified time frame. Furthermore, the operator is responsible for a specified limit of liability. The operator must purchase appropriate insurance coverage to cover this liability. When this limit is exhausted, it is presumed that supplementary compensation will be provided by the jurisdiction’s government from public funds.
In Canada our regime is very similar to those of Paris Convention states. The Canadian legislation is called “Nuclear Liability and Compensation Act” or NLCA.
In Canada, the operator is absolutely and exclusively liable for nuclear damage arising from the nuclear installation they operate. The current limit that the large nuclear power operators must carry is $650 Million and will increase to $1 Billion in 2020. There is a 10 year limitation period in which persons injured must file their claim and, the operators must cover their liability by purchasing from NIAC an appropriate insurance policy.
Loss Control
Prevention and Protection
NIAC conducts on site inspections of the large nuclear power stations, which we insure to protect the interests of our members and provide a value added service to the overall risk management of these facilities.
Our engineers are guided by the International Guidelines, which have been established by the Nuclear Pooling System.
International Guidelines
- International NSO TPL Guidelines
- International Guidelines for Machinery Breakdown Prevention at Nuclear Power Plants
- International Guidelines for the Fire Protection of Nuclear Power Plants
Governance
NIAC is about celebrating the value of our leadership in domestic nuclear liability policy, claims management and good governance, collaborating with the world’s experts to focus on education, training, and creating a true Centre of Excellence in Canada.
