Disruptive, Innovative and Emerging Technology and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's Regulatory Framework

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Kevin W. Lee
Kenneth Jones
Kyle Cormier
Nhan Tran

Abstract

The past few years has witnessed growing interest in the impact disruptive, innovative and emerging technologies (DIET) may have on CNSC’s Regulatory Framework. While technology always advances, what has changed is the increasingly rapid rate at which industry is adopting and deploying DIET. Sectors developing advanced reactor technology have identified potential efficiencies through DIET and there is evidence all sectors of the nuclear industry are quickly adopting DIET [1].

To help the CNSC stay as far ahead of the DIET development and implementation curve as possible, the CNSC formed a DIET working group (WG) to explore the prospective impacts of DIET on CNSC’s Regulatory Framework and develop a strategy to ensure readiness. Meetings with the nuclear industry, other similar Canadian industries as well as other government departments helped the DIET working group establish criteria to determine if a DIET is:

  • likely to be implemented and requires updates to the regulatory framework
  • likely to be implemented but is sufficiently addressed in the regulatory framework
  • unlikely to be implemented in the foreseeable future

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