IAEA for improvement in Finland's nuke, radiation emergency readiness

A team of experts of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has evaluated Finland’s preparedness for radiation emergency situations and identified areas where further improvement is needed, said Finland's Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) in a press release on Thursday.

The team on Wednesday concluded its ten-day mission to review Finland's preparedness and response framework for nuclear and radiological emergencies following the request of the Finnish government.

The team suggested to strengthen national coordination both at the preparedness stage by establishing a National Coordinating Mechanism and during the response to a nuclear or radiological emergency especially in the early and transition phases by developing a National Radiation Emergency Plan in accordance with IAEA Safety Standards, which integrates roles, responsibilities, and coordination arrangements at all levels and phases of response.

It also recommended to establish legislation for the management of radioactive waste generated from decontamination activities in case of a nuclear or radiological emergency, to further improve arrangements for the protection of the public, emergency workers and helpers, for public communication and for integrating international assistance with the national response and to enhance laboratory capacity for the analysis of environmental, food and water samples.

“The observations from the EPREV (Emergency Preparedness Review) mission bring important input to the development of Finnish arrangements in preparedness for nuclear and radiological emergencies, especially enhancing the coordination of all parties that participate in preparedness and response,” said Karim Peltonen, Director of STUK in the press release.

“The conduct of an EPREV review mission in Finland also demonstrates the commitment of the government to the rule-based world order and to the international framework for preparedness and response for nuclear and radiological emergencies,” Peltonen added.

Finland operates five nuclear power reactors at two sites- Loviisa nuclear power plant and Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and the Olkiluoto site also hosts the Onkalo spent fuel repository, the world’s first geological disposal facility for final disposal of nuclear waste.

Radiation sources are also used in Finland’s medical, industrial and research applications.

The EPREV team interviewed the main governmental authorities responsible for preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological emergencies, as well as the national and regional police and rescue services, and local public authorities.

The team visited the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant and reviewed the offsite response arrangements at the Loviisa nuclear power plant.

It also visited the Satasairaala hospital chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training centre as well as food safety laboratories and the Helsinki City Rescue Department and civil defence shelter.

Olivier Isnard, Deputy Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection, led the international review team, which included experts from Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Slovenia and South Africa.

“Finland has invested considerable effort and resources in preparing for nuclear and radiological emergencies, and we saw this reflected in the expertise and commitment of the organizations we met,” said Isnard, adding that “more systematic coordination at the national level, and across sectors and phases of an emergency, would help Finland draw even more effectively on these capabilities.”