Nuclear Emergency Plan Research Articles

Exploration and Thinking on Collective Protection System of Floating Nuclear Power Plant

Demand and development for nuclear emergency interventions and protective actions for floating nuclear power plants, Combining the collective protection systems and their functions of the monitoring system, the protection system, the washout system and the control system of the nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of large warships, To provide reasonable nuclear emergency facility support for the construction of floating nuclear power plant nuclear accident emergency plan. It provides a theoretical basis for the nuclear emergency plan of floating nuclear power plant at sea, as well as the collective protection system of floating nuclear power plant, to give full play to the functions of collective protection equipment.

Las Escalas de submarinos nucleares en Gibraltar y Rota, y los Planes de Emergencia Radiológica

When a British or North American nuclear-powered submarine docks at the southern dock of the port / naval Base of Gibraltar, it is usual for environmental groups in the neighbouring Spanish area to come to the fore protesting this scale and airing the dangers it entails that repeated presence. Regardless of the numbers and given the repetition of these visits, it is worth considering what is the relevance of the Gibraltar facilities, and also those of Rota, for the operation of these platforms and. Moreover, it is key to stress the importance of the submarines – nuclear or not – for the Navies of the countries that possess them, in the context of the current international strategic situation.This article evaluate what happened and what was done when in Gibraltar a submarine of the Royal Navy, the ‘HMS Tireless’, was docked for a year repairing a failure in the primary cooling circuit of its nuclear reactor. The security aspect of the population living a very short distance from the nuclear submarine berths is reflected in the nuclear emergency plan available to Gibraltar and the absence of it on the Spanish side of the Gate. The article will also review the internal nuclear emergency plan available to the US-Spain Rota Base and the absence, once again, of a civil emergency plan for the towns thatsurround it.

Discrete-Event Modeling and Simulation of Diffusion Processes in Multiplex Networks

A variety of phenomena (such as the spread of diseases, pollution in rivers, etc.) can be studied as diffusion processes over networks (i.e., the diffusion of the phenomenon over a set of interconnected entities). This research introduces a method to study such diffusion processes in multiplex dynamic networks. We use a formal Modeling and Simulation methodology (in our case, DEVS, Discrete-Event System Specification). We use DEVS formal models to integrate models defined using Agent-Based Modeling and Network Theory. We present (1) an Architecture to study Diffusion Processes in Multiplex dynamic networks (ADPM) and (2) a systematic Process to define, implement, and simulate diffusion processes over such networks. We show a theoretical definition and a concrete implementation of ADPM. We show how to use ADPM and the process in a case study based on a real nuclear emergency plan; this illustrates the application of the process, the architecture, and the developed software. Different scenarios are studied as Diffusion Processes to demonstrate the usability of ADPM.

Evaluation of Evacuation Strategies According to the Travel Demand: The Case of Nuclear Research Reactor HANARO’s EPZ

In the event of a nuclear accident, evacuation is the most effective protective action for the public. During the evacuation, total travel time is a key measure to protect the public because it is directly related to the public’s radiation exposure. Thus, strategies that reduce the total travel time are needed for a safer nuclear emergency plan. Many studies on evacuation strategies so far have suggested the methodology of effective routing decisions or delay management. Despite the application of those strategies during evacuation, the effectiveness of those strategies, in reality, varies depending on the level of travel demand. In this study, evacuation strategies based on travel demand levels were evaluated based on the case of the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of HANARO, the nuclear research reactor in the Republic of Korea. As a result, it was confirmed that effective evacuation strategies could be applied differently according to travel demand levels.

Radiological/Nuclear Human Monitoring Tabletop Exercise

Health Canada is the lead department for coordinating the federal response to a Canadian nuclear emergency event. The framework to manage a radiological consequence is outlined in the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (FNEP). In 2014, a full scale exercise (FSX) was held to test the capacity of the federal government to handle a nuclear facility emergency disaster in Canada. The FSX provided a means to demonstrate the integration of various departments and agencies in response to such an event, and although a number of task teams within FNEP were tested, the capacity to monitor humans for exposure post-event was not played out fully. To address this, a table top exercise (TTX) was held in 2015 that brought together experts from human monitoring groups (HMGs) in partnership with Provincial and Municipal emergency response organizations. The TTX took the form of a facilitated discussion centered around two types of radiological/nuclear (RN) emergency scenarios that commenced post-release. The purpose of the exercise was to integrate these communities and identify knowledge gaps in policies and concepts of operations pertaining to the human monitoring aspects of RN events including biodosimetry, bioassay, portal monitors, whole body counting, and the provision of personal dosimetry. It also tested the interoperability between first responders/receivers and Federal, Provincial, and Municipal emergency response organizations. The end outcome was the identification of clear knowledge gaps in existing and newly developed concepts of operation in the human population monitoring response to an RN emergency in Canada; these and possible recommendations are captured in this report.

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

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.

Estimation of radiation doses for transition from emergency to existing exposure situation

Abstract The transition from emergency to existing exposure situation is an important stage in the nuclear or radiological emergency plan. It requires arrangements to be put in place and to be implemented so as to ensure that the transition is made in a coordinated and orderly manner of guidelines for adjusting the undertaken protective actions and other response actions. The delivering radiation doses to public and environmental pollution are monitoring that measurements should be implemented according to certain plan of intervention and protective actions in the different stages of the N/R accident. In this study, a computer model (RASCAL) is used to calculate the effect of severe accident could have detected on an operating nuclear power reactor PWR and the possible impact on the public. Features for the decision to implement the transition from emergency to existing exposure situation are proposed depending on the estimation of the collection of deliver exposure doses to the public and environment due to monitoring the different radiation sources resulting from the N/R accident.

Model of Performance Indicators in Nuclear Energy Emergency Plan Assessment applied to Emergency Exercises

Abstract This paper presents a model of performance indicators applied to nuclear emergency exercises for the assessment of a nuclear energy plan. The model was designed from the relationship between the actions forecasted in a nuclear emergency plan and the objectives challenged in emergency exercises. The nuclear emergency plan comprises a protocol that addresses structures, actions and procedures aimed at controlling and minimizing the effects of a nuclear emergency. The emergency plan is the last level of defense in depth used to ensure nuclear safety. Thus, the emergency plan must be efficient in preparing and organizing current means in order to ensure and assure an adequate protection of the population in the case of accidents in nuclear power plants. The model of performance indicators developed is based on the functional dependence observed in several different nuclear emergency plans, which facilitates the analysis of the state of preparedness of nuclear emergency response organizations. The model allows comparing different stages of preparedness of a nuclear emergency plan as well as nuclear emergency plans for different facilities.

Applying Complex Network Theory to the Assessment of Organizational Resilience

Recent disasters reveal that crisis can no longer be considered rare events. In these circumstances, the study of those situations demonstrates that there is a need to test and improve organizational resilience. Complex network theory is a methodology that allows us to model organizations and test their resilience. In this work, we analyze the resilience of an organization applying complex network theory to a real case study: an external Nuclear Emergency Plan.

Comparison of the Belgian interventions levels and the new ICRP recommendations for emergency exposures

The new recommendations on emergency exposure situations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) advise a reference level for the residual dose in a range of between 20 and 100 mSv effective dose (acute or per year). At the same time, the protection strategy should account for the simultaneous consideration of all the exposure pathways, as well as all of the protective actions. Similarly to other countries, the actual Belgian nuclear emergency plan is based on individual projected doses (thyroid committed dose and total effective doses) and independent protective actions that mainly focus on the early phase of an emergency situation. The two approaches are compared in this study on the basis of the projected and residual dose calculations obtained using JRODOS and the Belgian Noodplan models for different radiological or nuclear accidental scenarios. The comparison has been made by considering separately the early and the late phase contributions. The ingestion dose has been investigated from the predicted deposition values and compared to the single level of the ICRP 109 recommendations.

NUCLEAR SECURITY AND RADIOLOGICAL PREPAREDNESS FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES, ATHENS 2004: LESSONS LEARNED FOR ORGANIZING MAJOR PUBLIC EVENTS

In light of the exceptional circumstances that arose from hosting the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004 and from recent terrorist events internationally, Greece attributes the highest priority to security issues. According to its statutory role, the Greek Atomic Energy Commission is responsible for emergency preparedness and response in case of nuclear and radiological events, and advises the Government on the measures and interventions necessary to protect the public. In this context, the Commission participated in the Nuclear, Radiological, Biological, and Chemical Threat National Emergency Plan, specially developed for the Olympic Games, and coordinated by the Olympic Games Security Division. The objective of this paper is to share the experience gained during the organization of the Olympic Games and to present the nuclear security program implemented prior to, during, and beyond the Games, in order to prevent, detect, assess, and respond to the threat of nuclear terrorism. This program adopted a multi-area coverage of nuclear security, including physical protection of nuclear and radiological facilities, prevention of smuggling of radioactive materials through borders, prevention of dispersion of these materials into the Olympic venues, enhancement of emergency preparedness and response to radiological events, upgrading of the technical infrastructure, establishment of new procedures for assessing the threat and responding to radiological incidents, and training personnel belonging to several organizations involved in the National Emergency Response Plan. Finally, the close cooperation of Greek Authorities with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, under the coordination of the Greek Atomic Energy Commission, is also discussed.

A Response Map for use with Nuclear Electric's Irradiated Fuel Transport Flask Emergency Plan

AbstractA response map to be used in the initial phase of Nuclear Electric's Emergency Plan for irradiated fuel transport has been produced. The Emergency Plan itself is outlined and the role of the map in identifying the most appropriate source of health physics expertise is described. With the recent change in Alert Centre the opportunity was taken to revise this map in order to improve its usefulness and confirm its accuracy. The revised map was prepared using route planning computer software to determine the boundaries of the response area of each Power Station and other agencies involved in the Emergency Plan. The potential for future development in emergency response is discussed, examining in particular the role of route finding and mapping software, including databases of specialist materials and equipment, and in-car systems to guide those attending the emergency.

Coastal dispersion conditions near the southwestern tip of Africa: a system for evaluation and prediction.

A system is presented to monitor the local meteorology and to predict the dispersion of effluents from a nuclear power station situated on the coast near the southwestern tip of Africa. A computerized weather station forms the basis of the system and provides spatial definition of wind profiles and dispersion indices near the coastal interface by interpolation between a sensor array. The meteorological system measures winds, temperature structure and turbulence indices at the 10-m level at five remote points and in the 10- to 80-m layer at the main coastal station. To provide a system for evaluation and prediction of effluent trajectories, a real-time three-dimensional puff dispersion model was developed. The meteorology input to the model is automatically verified and updated at 15-min intervals. Model results are presented under complex weather conditions to show how time and space changes in the local wind field are handled. To assist weather forecasters supporting the nuclear emergency plan, a simple tabular display enables a view of the dispersion climatology over 24-h (coastal) and 7-d (synoptic) cycles. These results are presented to contrast the different scales of circulation and for comparison within the nuclear industry to assist health physicists in deciding appropriate levels of meteorological support for emergency plans.