Lessons learnt from the radiological measures performed by the Radiological Emergency Network of Extremadura in the International Emergency Exercise CURIEX 2013

Abstract

In late 2013 (5th–7th of November), the Cáceres Urgent Response International Exercise (CURIEX 2013) took place to test the Nuclear Emergency Plan of Cáceres (PENCA) with the collaboration of both national and international support teams. The theme of the exercise was the simulation of a nuclear accident at the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant located in Extremadura (Spain) with release of radioactive plume. From the point of view of radioactive contamination, the CURIEX exercise objective was to assess the capability of the different radiological teams to quantify the radioactive impact that would occur in this environment, a goal in which the Radiological Emergency Network of Extremadura (RARE) is directly implicated.The present paper analyses in detail the environmental radiological and dosimetrical results obtained by the Radiological Emergency Network of Extremadura during the CURIEX exercise. The rapid radioactivity measurement techniques on air and soil samples performed by the RARE’s mobile lab involves great uncertainties. However, the results show a relative good effectiveness both in dose rate car-borne measurements and gamma soil spectrometry with uncertainties over 40%. It also shows a good correlation between the dose rate values measured by car-borne apparatus and those calculated from gamma spectrometry measurements. The capability of the RARE’s facilities are evaluated in both the measurements, showing whether or not there is a radiological problem, and the transmission of that data to the decision centres in the shortest time. Although the results were highly satisfactory, some shortcomings were detected and therefore some improvements are proposed in the paper, in order to achieve a greater capacity in response to an event with the characteristics simulated in the CURIEX exercise.