Canada's response: 2019 International Atomic Energy Agency emergency preparedness review

Table of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Canada's Response
  • 2.1 Section 2.2: Roles and Responsibilities
    • 2.1.1 Good Practice 1
  • 2.2 Section 2.3: Hazard Assessment
    • 2.2.1 Suggestion 1
    • 2.2.2 Recommendation 1
  • 2.3 Section 2.4: Protection Strategy for an Emergency
    • 2.3.1 Recommendation 2
  • 2.4 Section 3.1: Managing Emergency Response Operations
    • 2.4.1 Suggestion 2
  • 2.5 Section 3.4: Taking Early Protective Actions
    • 2.5.1 Good Practice 2
  • 2.6 Section 3.5: Providing instructions, warnings and relevant information to the public
    • 2.6.1 Good Practice 3
  • 2.7 Section 3.6: Protecting emergency workers and helpers in an emergency
    • 2.7.1 Recommendation 3
  • 2.8 Section 3.7: Medical response
    • 2.8.1 Suggestion 3
  • 2.9 Section 3.8: Communicating with the public throughout an emergency
    • 2.9.1 Good Practice 4
  • 2.10 Section 3.9: Taking Early Protective Actions
    • 2.10.1 Recommendation 4
  • 2.11 Section 3.10: Managing Radioactive Waste in an Emergency
    • 2.11.1 Recommendation 5
  • 2.12 Section 3.13: Terminating an Emergency
    • 2.12.1 Recommendation 6
  • 2.13 Section 4.1: Authorities for Emergency Preparedness and Response
    • 2.13.1 Suggestion 4
    • 2.13.2 Suggestion 5
  • 2.14 Section 4.6: Training, Drills and Exercises
    • 2.14.1 Suggestion 6
  • 2.15 Section 4.7: Quality Management
    • 2.15.1 Good Practice 5
• 3. Conclusion

1. Introduction

On February 19, 2020, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published its report following an 11-day mission to review Canada's emergency preparedness and response (EPR) framework for nuclear emergencies. The Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) mission to Canada was conducted at the request of the Government of Canada, with the support of the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, as well as Durham Region, Ontario Power Generation, New Brunswick Power and Bruce Power. This is the first EPREV mission in Canada and the first for any G-7 country, demonstrating Canada's commitment towards global harmonization of nuclear emergency preparedness and response arrangements and encouragement for other countries to undertake their own reviews.

The EPREV mission, which took place from June 3 to 13, 2019, focused on preparedness for nuclear emergencies stemming from events at nuclear power plants. The mission provided valuable insight and commended Canada on its well developed and mature nuclear emergency preparedness and response system in place across all levels of government. The EPREV review team also acknowledged Canada's successful implementation of the IAEA Safety Standards throughout its emergency preparedness and response program, and for exceeding them in some cases. The mission identified several good practices, as well as some opportunities for improvement (suggestions and recommendations) to further strengthen Canada's ability to prepare for, and respond to, nuclear emergencies. The IAEA defines good practices, suggestions and recommendations as the following:

• A good practice goes beyond the fulfilment of current IAEA requirements or expectations. It is unique or noteworthy and worth bringing to the attention of other Member States as a model in the general drive for excellence.
• Suggestions address two types of observations: The requirement is partially met but the arrangements are not entirely consistent with the IAEA safety guides on EPR; or the requirement is met but it is deemed that tangible improvements could be made to the manner in which the arrangements implement the requirements. Suggestions contribute to improvements in emergency preparedness arrangements.
• Recommendations address aspects of the emergency preparedness arrangements that are not consistent with IAEA Safety Standards. Recommendations are required to be specific, realistic and designed to result in tangible improvements to emergency arrangements.

In the IAEA's 2019 report, Peer Appraisal of the Arrangements in Canada Regarding Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (2019 EPREV Mission to Canada Report), the IAEA review team highlighted five (5) good practices, and provided six (6) suggestions and six (6) recommendations.

Canada has developed an action plan in response to these findings. The action plan will help to further strengthen Canada's nuclear emergency preparedness and response system and to prepare for the IAEA's follow-up EPREV mission, planned for 2023.

This document acknowledges each good practice and summarizes the responses in Canada's action plan to address each suggestion and recommendation arising from the 2019 EPREV mission to Canada.

2. Canada's Response

In the 2019 EPREV Mission to Canada Report, the review team highlighted five good practices and provided six suggestions and six recommendations overall. The 2019 EPREV Mission to Canada Report is divided into sections. This document presents the EPREV mission findings, along with Canada's responses, according to the respective sections of the EPREV mission report.

2.1 Section 2.2: Roles and Responsibilities

2.1.1 Good Practice 1

Canada's response: Canada acknowledges this good practice.

2.2 Section 2.3: Hazard Assessment

2.2.1 Suggestion 1

Canada's response: The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization will continue to work with the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station and provincial departments and agencies to update the province's all-hazard risk assessment to include a more comprehensive hazard assessment that will inform emergency arrangements.

2.2.2 Recommendation 1

Canada's response: The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, in collaboration with Ontario Power Generation, New Brunswick Power and Bruce Power, will consider the onsite nuclear security threat assessments and communicate any potential impacts for offsite emergency arrangements to offsite emergency management authorities in Ontario and New Brunswick and at the federal level. The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick will review and update hazard assessments and nuclear emergency plans as necessary to reflect the considerations from the nuclear security threat assessments.

2.3 Section 2.4: Protection Strategy for an Emergency

2.3.1 Recommendation 2

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, with support from the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, commits to:

• documenting the benefits of protective actions under various situations to augment existing protection strategies
• updating Health Canada's guidance document "Generic Criteria and Operational Intervention Levels for Nuclear Emergency Planning and Response" to include the full set of protective actions as recommended by the IAEA
• updating nuclear emergency plans and procedures to align with the updated Health Canada guidelines

2.4 Section 3.1: Managing Emergency Response Operations

2.4.1 Suggestion 2

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick and nuclear power plant operators, will revise existing arrangements to coordinate the onsite and offsite response to nuclear emergencies initiated by nuclear security events and will conduct exercises to test those arrangements.

2.5 Section 3.4: Taking Early Protective Actions

2.5.1 Good Practice 2

Canada's response: Canada acknowledges this good practice.

2.6 Section 3.5: Providing instructions, warnings and relevant information to the public

2.6.1 Good Practice 3

Canada's response: Canada acknowledges this good practice.

2.7 Section 3.6: Protecting emergency workers and helpers in an emergency

2.7.1 Recommendation 3

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, commits to:

• reviewing the generic criteria and operational intervention levels to ensure consistency with IAEA standards
• reviewing and updating emergency response plans as necessary to clarify arrangements for the protection of emergency workers and helpers

2.8 Section 3.7: Medical response

2.8.1 Suggestion 3

Canada's response: The Government of Ontario will review current arrangements with stakeholders and consider this suggestion.

2.9 Section 3.8: Communicating with the public throughout an emergency

2.9.1 Good Practice 4

Canada's Response: Canada acknowledges this good practice.

2.10 Section 3.9: Taking Early Protective Actions

2.10.1 Recommendation 4

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, commits to:

• establishing a federal-provincial-territorial environmental monitoring working group to coordinate a national monitoring strategy
• reviewing program capacity and resources to ensure sufficient resources are available to implement the national monitoring strategy

2.11 Section 3.10: Managing Radioactive Waste in an Emergency

2.11.1 Recommendation 5

Canada's response: The Government of Canada is developing a national guidance document, Recovery After a Nuclear Emergency, that will recommend good practices and help in documenting the roles and responsibilities of organizations in the management of off-site radioactive waste resulting from a nuclear emergency. Additionally, the Government of Canada commits to establishing a
federal-provincial-territorial waste management working group to coordinate a national waste management strategy for offsite radioactive waste arising from an emergency.

2.12 Section 3.13: Terminating an Emergency

2.12.1 Recommendation 6

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, commits to documenting detailed arrangements to terminate a nuclear or radiological emergency, including criteria and procedures for making a formal decision.

2.13 Section 4.1: Authorities for Emergency Preparedness and Response

2.13.1 Suggestion 4

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick, will consider further strengthening nuclear emergency plans and arrangements, as required, in light of this review of the federal governance system.

2.13.2 Suggestion 5

Canada's response:

The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and the Government of New Brunswick commit to reviewing emergency response organization resources and program capacities, to ensure that sufficient resources and qualified, trained staff are available to respond in the event of a nuclear emergency.

2.14 Section 4.6: Training, Drills and Exercises

2.14.1 Suggestion 6

Canada's response: The Government of Canada, in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, commits to continue implementing the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Nuclear Emergency Management Committee radiological/nuclear exercise strategy and to continue pursuing senior management engagement in national priority nuclear emergency exercises.

2.15 Section 4.7: Quality Management

2.15.1 Good Practice 5

Canada's response: Canada acknowledges this good practice. The self-assessment was a thorough review of the EPR arrangements at all levels and their interconnectivity. It was a very useful exercise to all participating organizations and contributed to improving Canada's readiness to respond to a nuclear emergency even prior to the EPREV mission.

3. Conclusion

Canada recognizes the importance of international peer reviews and is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment. As a continued demonstration of this commitment, Canada hosted an EPREV mission in June 2019 to review arrangements for nuclear emergency preparedness and response.

The EPREV mission confirmed that Canada has a mature nuclear emergency preparedness and response system in place across all levels of government and is ready to respond to a domestic nuclear emergency. The mission to Canada provided valuable insights for Canada as well as the EPREV team members. Along with a number of good practices, the EPREV review team presented Canada with suggestions and recommendations to further strengthen its nuclear emergency preparedness and response system. Each of the findings has been carefully reviewed and considered and an action plan has been developed to respond to the suggestions and recommendations. Progress on the responses will be tracked by the responsible organizations to ensure that these are completed in a timely manner.

The full 2019 EPREV Mission to Canada Report can be found on the IAEA's Peer Review and Advisory Services Calendar Web page.