A recently retired public servant who headed up safety management for Canada’s nuclear regulator is now lobbying his former agency on behalf of the nuclear industry.

Brian Torrie left his post at the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) in October, according to a post on LinkedIn. He spent nearly 18 years at the commission, which regulates the use of nuclear energy and materials, most recently serving as the director general of the directorate of safety management, and then as an acting vice president.

Within months of Torrie’s retirement, the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) announced he’d signed on as director of regulatory affairs, noting that his role there involved close collaboration with the nuclear industry players that make up the CNA.

Torrie was added to an existing lobbying registration for the nuclear industry organization on June 16. At the same time, the registration was updated to say the CNA is "Advocating for federal support (financial, regulatory and policy) to develop and deploy small modular reactors in Canada."

The targets of this lobbying are numerous federal bodies, including the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are significantly smaller than traditional nuclear reactors, and proponents argue they are safer and faster to build. Planning is currently underway for SMRs in Ontario, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick.

SMRs have become a hot topic for lobbyists in recent months, with numerous companies and organizations pushing for wider adoption and government support, including GE Hitachi, Bruce Power, AtkinsRéalis, X-energy, GEPR Energy and Cameco.

The CNA’s lobbying registration says the industry group is also lobbying about international trade of nuclear technology, Canada’s commitments for emission trading under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the Environmental Assessment Act.

Torrie’s former role at the commission does not meet the definition of designated public office holder under the Lobbying Act, and he is not subject to a mandatory cooling-off period for former Canadian government officials who make the switch to lobbying.

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission told the IJF in an email that all of its employees are responsible for “identifying, preventing and resolving conflict of interest or conflict of duties situations, during their employment with the CNSC, and when they leave the CNSC on either a permanent or temporary basis.” That means they are prohibited from using information obtained during their work at the commission to give advice to new employers.

The email also said the commission’s process for licensing nuclear projects like SMRs is completely independent and “lobbying has no impact on the determination of issuing a licence.”

Torrie did not respond to a request for comment.

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