Monica Hornof, P.Eng.

Bruce Regulatory Program Division

Monica has worked for the CNSC since 2005. While her educational background is in chemical engineering, she has a keen interest in the legal aspects of nuclear regulation and an in-depth understanding and knowledge of the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, the CNSC regulatory framework and international nuclear regulation.

Monica’s current role is Regulatory Program Director. She previously worked as a senior regulatory program officer (SRPO), and before that, she headed up the Commission Technical Support team, which included leading the development and implementation of guidelines for virtual Commission proceedings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This work ensured that the Commission could continue to operate effectively and efficiently in virtual environments, helping to modernize the way it conducts its work.

Expertise and education

Monica is a licensed professional engineer, having earned her chemical engineering degree at the University of Ottawa. Monica also has a graduate diploma in international nuclear law from the Université de Montpellier, France. In addition to her studies, she was the lead author on the published paper Decontamination in the Event of a Chemical or Radiological Terrorist Attack (2006) and co-authored the published paper Emergency Management Education in Canada (2004).

Roles and responsibilities

Monica’s work is critical to the regulation of nuclear power plants, and involves leading a multi-disciplinary team that ensures that the licensee’s programs and activities remain within the scope of its licensing basis. As an SRPO, Monica managed the Bruce Power licence conditions handbook and was responsible for evaluating and monitoring facility performance in the management system and human performance management safety and control areas.

Other roles

Monica is an advocate for gender equity and, until recently, was the co-chair of the CNSC’s Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Network, a position she had held since its launch in 2020. Monica continues to support the CNSC’s inclusion, equity and diversity initiatives through mentorship activities and by supporting activities that allow CNSC staff to come together, share experiences, and empower and learn from each other.

Monica was a member of the Directorate of Power Reactor Regulation (DPRR) Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Working Group, tasked with ensuring the CNSC’s regulatory preparedness for the eventual operational licensing and compliance verification of SMRs. Monica also led a small team that reported on how DPRR met and learned from the challenges it faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.