Round table in Ukraine on nuclear emergency preparedness and response

25 years after the Chernobyl disaster, the 2011 Fukushima accident proved that no country which depends on the energy from nuclear reactors is immune to radiation accidents. While seeking to ensure a more secure energy future, we need to guarantee nuclear and radiation safety today. If there had been adequate emergency preparedness and competent response measures, the number of victims in both accidents could have been significantly smaller. For Ukraine, which will continue to suffer from the consequences of the Chernobyl accident for many decades more, nuclear emergency preparedness and response is a matter of the national level, and thus the interaction between the government and the public on this issue is very important to ensure effective security policy.

The responsibility for nuclear emergency preparedness and response in Ukraine is shared by different authorities and other bodies — “Energoatom”, which operates the nuclear power plants, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health and other central executive bodies, as well as regional and local authorities. Therefore the round table was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, representatives of central and local authorities, NGOs, the operator, research institutions, independent local and European experts, the media and others — 122 participants in total.

Representatives of “Energoatom” and the responsible authorities (the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health and others) reported about the action taken in their areas of competence to minimize public health and environmental risks in case of a radiation accident at an NPP. The public and journalists were able to express their critical comments and ask sharp questions about the main challenges in this area — how to enable effective implementation of evacuation plans; iodine prophylaxis; staffing and logistics needed to carry out the necessary work in case of accidents and so on. Participants discussed ways to improve the regulatory framework, interagency coordination and cooperation with local authorities, cross-border cooperation and other issues.

The foreign speakers, including representatives of the Nuclear Transparency Watch (NTW), which brings together civil society experts from nuclear EU countries and Ukraine, insisted on the importance of public control of the activities on emergency preparedness and response in order to ensure their effectiveness. NTW experts presented the results of the assessment of the situation with nuclear emergency preparedness and response in the EU, and described the practices of some European countries.

A particular attention of civil society experts was focused on the challenges of public information and participation relating to emergency preparedness and response action. Roundtable participants agreed on the necessity of systemic interaction to continuously inform citizens about the provision of effective emergency preparedness and response. The Roundtable findings will be disseminated among all stakeholders.

On January 27, 2015, Roundtable participants had an opportunity to visit the Emergency and Technical Center of “Energoatom” (ETC), located in Bilohorodka town near Kyiv. The Center, which has 270 employees (many of whom participated in the Chernobyl accident liquidation activities or have worked at a nuclear plant) is designed to ensure constant readiness of Ukraine to take rapid and effective action in case of a nuclear accident. Visitors, which included representatives of the public, authorities and media, listened to the presentation about the activities of the ETC and received answers to all their questions. They also were shown the equipment used by the ETC in its work.

Based on the summary of the findings of the International Roundtable and the study visit, “MAMA-86” will prepare a report to be published on the website, as well as the analysis, which will be included in the public assessment of the situation with emergency preparedness and response in Europe produced by NTW. In addition, the Roundtable conclusions and recommendations will be summarized and communicated to relevant actors.

Presentations delivered at the International Roundtable:

SESSION I. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN THE NUCLEAR SPHERE IN UKRAINE: LEGISLATION AND PRACTICE

The legislative and normative basis for nuclear emergency preparedness and response at NPPs — Svitlana CHUPRYNA, expert of the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety

The system of emergency preparedness of the State Enterprise “National Nuclear Energy Generating Company “Energoatom” — Oleh KRIKLIVETS, Deputy Head of Department of Emergency Preparedness and Response of NNEGC “Energoatom”

Comparative assessments of environmental consequences of accidents at the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants — Mark ZHELEZNYAK, Institute of the Problems of Mathematical Machines and Systems of the Ukraine National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University (Japan)

Improving the normative and legislative basis for nuclear emergency and response in case of nuclear and radioactive accidents — Sofia SHUTIAK, legal expert of the International Charitable Organization “Environment.People.Law”

SESSION II. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION, STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

The Unified State System of Civil Protection in Ukraine – Sergiy PALAHUTA, Chief Specialist of the Department of Civil Protection of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Ensuring iodine prophylaxis among the population and other countermeasures in case of an NPP radiation accident – Antonina MYSHKOVSKA, Head of Technogenic Safety and Medical Problems of the Chornobyl accident consequences,   Ministry of Health of Ukraine

Ensuring functions of the competent authority in accordance with the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident – Nataliya BIZHKO, Head of the Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response – State Inspector of the Department of Safety of Nuclear Installations of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine

Problems of emergency preparedness: Have the lessons of Chernobyl and Fukushima been taken into account? – Oleg NASVIT, Head of the Department of Energy, Transport and Communications, Environmental and Technological Safety of the National Institute for Strategic Studies

SESSION III: EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE, AS WELL AS RELEVANT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND RESPONSE, IN THE EU

Public assessment of the emergency preparedness and response in the nuclear field: an overview of the NTW analysis – Nadja ŽELEZNIK, Director of the Country Office of REC in Slovenia, chair of the NTW WG EP&R (Slovenia)

Emergency preparedness and response in the nuclear field: the French experience – Gilles HERIARD DUBREUIL, member of the ANCCLI and NTW Boards, Director of the MUTADIS research group (France)

Emergency preparedness and response in the Slovak Republic: view from the technical support organisation coordinating stakeholders engagement process – Tatiana DURANOVA, Emergency Planning Expert of the Nuclear Safety Department, VUJE Inc. (Slovak Republic)

Preliminary results of the PREPARE project regarding Aarhus Convention implementation in the context of nuclear emergency preparedness and response – Gilles HERIARD DUBREUIL, member of the ANCCLI and NTW Boards, Director of the MUTADIS research group (France)