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Information and Privacy Commission upholds OPG’s decision to withhold from public source term data notwithstanding Fukushima arguments on safety. December 7, 2011 On December 7, 2011 a public advocacy group’s Notice of Appeal to the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario for the public release of OPG’s source term data (Ex-Plant Release categories) for the probabilistic risk assessment for Pickering and Darlington’s nuclear facilities came to an end after more than 3 years (Notice of inquiry October 23, 2008). Significantly, the appeal was rejected in spite of the advocacy group’s vigorous arguments that the events in Fukushima in 2011 called for a more informed public debate in relation to nuclear safety issues and the continuing need for nuclear energy. The Commission adjudicator upheld the exercise of OPG’s designated head to withhold disclosure of the information on the basis that the public interest in non-disclosure of information which had previously been found by the adjudicator to endanger the security of buildings and prejudice the security of Canada outweighed the public interest in open government, public debate and the proper functioning of government institutions, including the need for transparency and public accountability. Document |
