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Re: Government Is Slow to Offer Safety Plans
This topic was discussed after the Tokamura incident, where officials
evacuated individuals where there wasn't the remotest possibility of
a public exposure. My opinion was that any govt. official who orders
an evacuation, knowing full well that there is no exposure, but does
it to make the public "feel good" is simply negligent, and, in the
long run, may actually cause more injuries, due to moving large
populations and the hysteria surrounding the order. Unfortunately,
there were many on this list who said that it would be OK to do this,
knowing that there is no risk, no exposure, simply to make the public
feel that something was being done.
And,, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot, promoting a risk
that is non-existent.
Dear colleagues,
We can understand Chernobyl errors in large spectrum, obsolete reactors, and
non-democratic country at that time, etc.
What we can't understand is so stupid mistakes in the Tokaimura Accident,
considering the Japanese high technology and elevated culture to follow
orders and procedures. These are our legacy on lack of credibility.
I'll not comment the USA capability or European Community, most of them high
rank countries, my comment is about countries that follow the IAEA
recommendations on Emergency. IAEA have published many Documents on Generic
procedures for assessment and response during a radiological or nuclear
emergency, if countries have or not capability to implement such
recommendations is another story. The fact is documents were written, and
also training was provided. IAEA has offered many Regional and International
training on Emergency to developing countries, many of them in USA held at
Argonne Nat. Lab. Division of Training.
About the Sandy's comment above, the protective measures on sheltering,
administration of stable iodine, evacuation, relocation need to be based on
the Generic Intervention Level (averted dose) and according with the IAEA
Intervention Criteria in a Nuclear or Radiation Emergency, Safety Series 109
is: Sheltering 10 mSv in two days, Evacuation 50 mSv in a week, Relocation
10 mSv in 1st month for six month and Permanent Resettlement 1 Sv in a
lifetime, all this is technical consideration, however, politically country
can consider approach like Sandy's remark. This has happened in the Goiania
Accident, were the dose criterion adopted was that the dose to the critical
group in the first year should not exceed 5 mSv. Actions levels were derived
from this criterion, and with value as follow:
a) Inside houses (external exposure) 1 mSv;
b) Outside houses (pathways from contaminated soil) 4 mSv, broken down into
3 mSv due to external irradiation and 1 mSv due to internal exposure, such
as via contaminated fruit and produce
On the other hand we have learned that mental distress and anxiety will be
associated with any accident, regardless of whether an actual dose has been
received or not, this is attributable to the perception of a risk to health,
and depends in part on whether people have confidence that the authorities
are competent and trustworthy and have taken prompt and effective action to
control radiation doses.
Finally we can understand by errors, Chernobyl, Tokaimura and many
radiological accidents that Communication with Public and Media and Social
and Psychological Attendance need more and more be implemented and these
past accidents have shown that failure to have adequate arrangements in
place and the commitment of resources at the time of the emergency can
seriously delay actions to bring the emergency under control.
I have learned a lot in Goiania dealing with the Radiological Accident in
the Center of the City, with many situations that I never have learned in
any emergency literature.
Jose Julio Rozental
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
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