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The response to a worst-case scenario - the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents

Abstract

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 highlighted many deficiencies in the preparedness of countries to deal with a major accident. It demonstrated how vulnerable countries are to transboundary contamination. Ireland had no emergency plan at the time of the accident and only minimal facilities with which to assess the consequences of the accident. Nonetheless, the then Nuclear Energy Board with the assistance of Government Departments and the Civil Defence organisation reacted quickly to assess the situation despite the complete lack of information about the accident from the then USSR. Even countries with advanced nuclear technologies faced similar difficulties. It was quickly recognised by Government that the national laboratory facilities were totally inadequate. The Nuclear Energy Board was provided with additional resources to assist it to cope in the short term with the very large demand for monitoring. In the longer term a new national radiation laboratory was provided and the Board was formally replaced by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. It was given statutory responsibility to monitor radiation levels, to advise measures to be taken for the protection of the public and to provide information for the public. An emergency plan based on the Chernobyl experience was drafted in 1987,  More>>
Authors:
Cunningham D, John [1] 
  1. Radiological Protection Inst. of Ireland (Ireland)
Publication Date:
Oct 01, 1996
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
RPII-96/6; CONF-9604210-
Reference Number:
SCA: 990400; PA: AIX-28:038352; EDB-97:083957; SN: 97001796469
Resource Relation:
Conference: Conference on radiological protection and review of the health consequences of the Chernobyl accident, Dublin (Ireland), 30 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Chernobyl - 10 years on. Proceedings of a conference organised by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland; PB: 82 p.
Subject:
99 MATHEMATICS, COMPUTERS, INFORMATION SCIENCE, MANAGEMENT, LAW, MISCELLANEOUS; EMERGENCY PLANS; IRELAND; CENNA; PUBLIC INFORMATION; RADIATION ACCIDENTS; RADIATION MONITORING; REACTOR ACCIDENTS
OSTI ID:
483478
Research Organizations:
Radiological Protection Inst. of Ireland (Ireland)
Country of Origin:
Ireland
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ON: DE97624527; TRN: IE9700010038352
Availability:
INIS; OSTI as DE97624527
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
pp. 77-82
Announcement Date:
Jun 26, 1997

Citation Formats

Cunningham D, John. The response to a worst-case scenario - the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents. Ireland: N. p., 1996. Web.
Cunningham D, John. The response to a worst-case scenario - the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents. Ireland.
Cunningham D, John. 1996. "The response to a worst-case scenario - the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents." Ireland.
@misc{etde_483478,
title = {The response to a worst-case scenario - the national emergency plan for nuclear accidents}
author = {Cunningham D, John}
abstractNote = {The Chernobyl accident in 1986 highlighted many deficiencies in the preparedness of countries to deal with a major accident. It demonstrated how vulnerable countries are to transboundary contamination. Ireland had no emergency plan at the time of the accident and only minimal facilities with which to assess the consequences of the accident. Nonetheless, the then Nuclear Energy Board with the assistance of Government Departments and the Civil Defence organisation reacted quickly to assess the situation despite the complete lack of information about the accident from the then USSR. Even countries with advanced nuclear technologies faced similar difficulties. It was quickly recognised by Government that the national laboratory facilities were totally inadequate. The Nuclear Energy Board was provided with additional resources to assist it to cope in the short term with the very large demand for monitoring. In the longer term a new national radiation laboratory was provided and the Board was formally replaced by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. It was given statutory responsibility to monitor radiation levels, to advise measures to be taken for the protection of the public and to provide information for the public. An emergency plan based on the Chernobyl experience was drafted in 1987, amended and published in 1992. Certain features of this plan were implemented from 1987 onwards, notably the classification of responsibilities and the installation of a national continuous radiation monitoring system. The paper outlines the responsibilities of those who could be involved in a response to a nuclear incident, the procedures used to evaluate its consequences and the provision of information for the public. The plan provides an integrated management system which has sufficient flexibility to enable a rapid response to be made to a major or minor crisis, either foreseen or unforeseen and whatever its cause.}
place = {Ireland}
year = {1996}
month = {Oct}
}