Japan Atomic Energy Agency

Nuclear Emergency Assistance
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The Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center's Study

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) takes on the responsibility of assistance to the national and local administrations in fields of nuclear and radiological technologies in the case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency.* The Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT) is a JAEA asset for the assistance. One of the tasks of the NEAT is to perform studies on emergency preparedness and response (EPR) against a nuclear or radiological incident and to publish the results.

Articles shown on another NEAT web page, "Articles on EPR", are digests of the results, while all of the articles are available only in Japanese at present. Reports of the survey conducted by NEAT are also published from the JAEA or sponsor organizations.  As these reports are written in Japanese, we provide the titles and the summaries of these reports in English below for the convenience of non-Japanese readers.

*Note: The JAEA is one of the designated public institutions under "The Basic Act on Disaster Control Measures" and "The Act on the Peace and Independence of Japan and Maintenance of the Nation and the People's Security in Armed Attack Situations etc."


FY2012

Basic concept of the nuclear emergency preparedness and response in Japan after the accident of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station; The Plain explanation for regional officials and emergency workers

After the accident of TEPCO's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station occurred on March 11, 2011, actions for controlling the accident and protective actions for the residents like evacuation were taken. In parallel with this, it has been developed to reform the nuclear regulatory systems and the emergency preparedness and response systems in Japan. Especially the Nuclear Regulation Authority's Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response Guidelines were adopted with the introducing the basic concepts and the criteria on the basis of the IAEA's safety standards and differed greatly from the prior guidelines. Thus the arrangement of emergency response systems, resources and the operational procedures will be developed complying with according to the guidelines in municipalities around the nuclear power station sites. This work attempts to provide a plain explanation as possible for the regional officials and emergency workers about the basic concepts of the new guidelines.

JAEA-Review-2013-015.pdf:14.79MB


FY2011

Lessons learned and recommendations according to nuclear disaster prevention based on the support activities to the accident at Fukushima Nuclear Power Stations

The Tohoku District-off the Pacific Ocean Earthquake occurred at 14:46 on March 11, 2011. Tsunami caused by the earthquake attacked the Fukushima Dai-ichi and Fukushima Dai-ni Nuclear Power Stations of Tokyo Electric Power Company and nuclear accidents involving release of radioactive material occurred. Since the earthquake, Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT) has served as a base of support activities conducted by Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). After nearly half a year has passed since the occurrence of the accident, we compiled the support activities of NEAT. NEAT's lessons learned and recommendations based on the experiences of support activities to the accident should be very helpful in considering the structure of nuclear emergency preparedness and response. We summarized them in this time. We hope that this report helps further developing nuclear emergency preparedness and response in the future.

JAEA-Review-2011-049.pdf:13.24MB


Report on the research through the U.S. DOE "The International Search and Consequence Management Workshop (ISCM-WS)" 

The International Search and Consequence Management Workshop (ISCM-WS) that was organized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) took place from May 17th to May 20th, 2010. The Aim of this Workshop is to build and enhance the global capacity to prevent and respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies, and it directly supports the aims of global initiative to combat nuclear terrorism. DOE brought together 92 officials from 26 countries and 3 officials from IAEA in this Workshop. DOE introduced two matters in USA, First is response against nuclear and radiological terrorisms and second is technology, systems, activity for consequence management. This review report summarized the observation in the ISCM-WS including activity of DOE/NNSA's Search Response Team and activity of consequence management.

JAEA-Review-2011-028.pdf:3.25MB


FY2010

Survey on the progress of the nuclear regulations in several specific countries; Part 1. Emergency preparedness and response / Part 2. Physical protection of nuclear materials 

Progresses of the nuclear regulations in several countries are reported.
This report focuses especially two fields of nuclear regulations, namely the emergency preparedness and response (EPR) and the physical protection of nuclear materials. This survey was conducted with literature on five countries operating nuclear power stations and eleven countries embarking upon nuclear power programs as well as oral survey in China, Jordan and Kazakhstan.

(This project was commissioned by the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency.)  

http://www.meti.go.jp/meti_lib/report/2011fy/E001816.pdf:5.2MB


Research on the method for the evaluation of effectiveness of emergency response against an accident in transportation of radioactive material 

For developing an emergency response plan against an accident in transportation of nuclear material, the influence of a hypothetical accident in nuclear material transportation was evaluated with various environmental conditions in referring to the existing researches in France and other countries. The results were applied to the protection measures considerations as well as the safety distance for public protection.

(This project was commissioned by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.) 


The Evaluation of "the drill of evacuation with family car" conducted in the Ibaraki Prefecture Comprehensive Nuclear Disaster Exercise 2010

This work evaluated the dynamic traffic flow of evacuees' cars during the evacuation drill with family car conducted in the Ibaraki Prefecture Comprehensive Nuclear Disaster Exercise 2010. The opinion survey was also conducted to participants to get the data of choice of measures for evacuation. Consideration based on the survey of this drill revealed important outcomes as follows. (1) The evacuation routes should be chosen more than one per one residential district from the roads including low capacity road to ease traffic congestion and to secure substitute route. (2) Taking into account traffic control and guiding at the intersections on the evacuation routes by policemen and staffs is very important to make the vehicles of evacuees running smoothly. (3) Considering of the capacity and the gate size of the parking of reception center is very important to make the stream of vehicles smooth when Reception centers are chosen. (4) Considering of the effect from experiments of participants is important for the opinion surveys to get the choice of measures of evacuation. (5) The opinion surveys about evacuation from nuclear disaster should be done in the wide area including the outside of the evacuation zone.

JAEA-Technology-2011-042.pdf:3.17MB


FY2009

Proposal of methods for the evaluation of nuclear emergency exercise in Japan

This report proposed methods for evaluation of a nuclear emergency exercise in Japan. The proposal was made by reference to the studies on the methods for the evaluation of non-nuclear emergency exercises and drills in Japan as well as nuclear emergency exercises and drills in several foreign countries.

(This project is commissioned by the Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency.)

http://www.meti.go.jp/meti_lib/report/2010fy01/E000803.pdf:3.3MB


Proposal of checklists for the assessment of conditions of the event termination in the case of an accident of a light-water nuclear power plant

Draft checklists were proposed to assess the emergency termination conditions in an accident of light-water nuclear power plant. The proposed checklists were intended to be applied by the Emergency Technical Advisory Body of the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan (at the time) after their further discussion. This proposal was made on the basis of the preceding research in FY2008 “Proposal of assessment flow charts of the termination of emergency in an accident of a light-water nuclear power plant.”

(This project was commissioned by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.)


Research on emergency response against an accident in transportation of radioactive materials, FY2009

Typical scenarios for hypothetical accidents of domestic transportation involving radioactive materials in Japan were given and functional activities of each response organizations were proposed on the basis of researches on recent emergency response against a transportation accident of radioactive material in Japan and several foreign countries.

(This project was commissioned by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.)


The Evaluation of the drill of evacuation with family car, the drill of evacuation for the disabled with family car and the evacuation drill from the large enclosure conducted in national comprehensive nuclear disaster exercise 2009

"Drill of evacuation with family car", "Drill of evacuation for the disabled with family car", and "Evacuation drill from the large enclosure" had been conducted in the National Comprehensive Nuclear Disaster Exercise on December 21st and 22nd, 2009 in Ibaraki Prefecture. This work evaluated the dynamic traffic flow of evacuees' cars during the evacuation drill using three kinds of data, i.e. questionnaire for the participants in the evacuation drill, GPS tracking data of vehicles of evacuees, and photographies shot from the air and ground. Fluctuations of traffic volume influenced by traffic controls for the outside of evacuation zone was evaluated using the traffic volume data which were provided by Ibaraki prefecture. The opinion survey was also conducted to participants of evacuation drill for three purposes, to get the data of choice of measures for evacuation, to find out problems of evacuation for the disabled, to find out problems of evacuation from the large enclosure.

JAEA-Technology-2010-024.pdf:3.88MB


FY2008

Proposal of assessment flow charts of the termination of emergency in an accident of a light-water nuclear power plant

A draft of assessment flow charts was proposed that the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan (at the time) could apply to the consideration on the termination of emergency in an accident of light-water nuclear power plant. The draft of the assessment flow charts was drawn up on the basis of the study on the precedents of emergency termination criteria adopted in the United States and France.

(This project is commissioned by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.)


Research on emergency response against an accident in transportation of radioactive materials, FY2008

Responses were proposed that should be taken immediately after transportation accident involving radioactive materials; they were based on researches on past experiences in several foreign countries.

(This project was commissioned by the Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan.)


The Evaluation of the "evacuation drill with family car" conducted in the Ibaraki Prefecture Comprehensive Nuclear Disaster Prevention Exercise 2008

The first "evacuation drill with family car" in Japan had been conducted by the Ibaraki Prefecture in the Ibaraki Prefecture Comprehensive Nuclear Disaster Prevention Exercise on September 30, 2008. In this work, dynamic traffic flow of vehicles of evacuees was analyzed using three kinds of data, that is, questionnaires for the participants of the evacuation drill, GPS tracking data of vehicles of evacuees, and an aerial video record by the Police of Ibaraki Prefecture. An opinion poll was also conducted to the participants of the evacuation drill to gain insight into how the residents respond in evacuation with their own cars in a nuclear disaster.

JAEA-Technology-2008-089.pdf:1.64MB


Report on the observation of IAEA international emergency response exercise ConvEx-3 (2008)

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carried out a large-scale international emergency response exercise under the designated name of ConvEx-3(2008), accompanying the national exercise of Mexico in July 2008. This review report summarizes two simultaneous observations of the exercises in Mexico and the IAEA headquarter during ConvEx-3(2008).

JAEA-Review-2008-065.pdf:8.46MB


Research on evacuation planning as nuclear emergency preparedness, 2; Reflex action phase and evacuation in France and examples of evacuation time estimation models

Reflex action phase introduced in France is a prompt sheltering in place is requested in the case of accidents liable to cause radioactive release within a short period. Subsequent evacuation is conducted after the passage of the radioactive plume. Pre-distribution of stable iodine tablets to the populations living in this area is a condition for this. Evacuees is transported to public reception centers by buses in France. The public reception center is selected from facilities where are outside of 10km radius from the plant. According to examples of evacuation time estimation (ETE) report in U.S., ETE have to be conduct for conditions, season, day of week, time of day, weather, and large events. It is very important for ETE to consider a portion of the population outside the impacted region will elect to voluntary evacuate. Traffic simulation technology development for large network of main and small roads is very important in Japan.

JAEA-Review-2008-027.pdf:0.82MB


Development of emergency information clearinghouse for nuclear emergency management

The larger the scale of an accident, the more closely cooperation is needed between concerned parties for appropriate and timely response, especially if they are located apart from each other. The past nuclear accidents revealed that they failed to share important information with each other and such a situation caused unnecessary confusion in public information. Based on lessons learned from accidents, JAEA developed the Emergency Information Clearinghouse (ECHO). Information is fed into a secured server from each PC. Unified information on the server can be chronologically listed through a web browser. This web-based system enables separately located parties to share proper information in a timely manner and minimize the load of managing a great deal of information. The ECHO has been in operation 24/7 on a network for nuclear emergency response and connects nationwide 22 off-site centers, and several authorities concerned. The system has been used during for training and drills.

JAEA-Technology-2008-025.pdf:2.71MB


Before FY2008

Research on evacuation planning as nuclear emergency preparedness

The International Atomic Energy Agency has introduced new concept of precautionary action zone (PAZ) in preparedness and response for nuclear emergency. Open literature based research was made to reveal problems on evacuation planning and the preparedness for nuclear emergencies arising from introduce of PAZ in Japan. The principal issue is implementation of evacuation of precautionary decided area within several hours. Evacuation planning for a nuclear emergency and the methods of advance public education and information in the U.S. are effective for even prompt evacuation to the outside of the EPZ. As concerns evacuation planning in Japan, several important issues to be considered were found, that is, the location and the unique correspondence of the public reception centers, public information of detailed evacuation plan in advance, and necessity of evacuation time estimates.

JAEA-Review-2007-035.pdf:6.6MB


Study on IAEA international emergency response exercise ConvEx-3

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) carried out a large-scale international emergency response exercise in 2005 under the designated name of ConvEx-3(2005), at Romania. This review report summarizes a study about ConvEx-3(2005) based on several related open literature. The study on the preparation, conduct and evaluation of ConvEx-3(2005) exercise is expected to provide very useful knowledge for development of drills and educational programs conducted by Nuclear Emergency Assistance and Training Center (NEAT). Especially, study on the exercise evaluations is instrumental in improving evaluations of drills planned by the national government and local governments. The lessons learned from this study of ConvEx-3(2005) are summarized in four chapters; methodology of exercises and educational programs, exercise evaluation process, amendments/verification of the emergency response plan of NEAT, and technical issues of systems for emergency response and assistance of NEAT relevant to interface for international emergency communication.

JAEA-Review-2007-021.pdf:9.99MB

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