INEX-2-FIN emergency preparedness exercise

[george.j.vargo@ccmail.pnl.gov (George J Vargo)]

" 27 countries participate in the INEX-2-FIN emergency preparedness exercise" 

AN EXTENSIVE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT EXERCISE ARRANGED IN FINLAND ON 17 APRIL 1997

An extensive international nuclear power plant accident exercise will be 
arranged in Finland on 17 April 1997 with 26 countries taking part in addition 
to Finland. Loviisa nuclear power plant will be the focus of the exercise. All 
countries will nationally arrange their exercises, following their own plans and
agreements on the basis of information provided by Finland during the exercise. 

This exercise is part of a series of nuclear power plant exercises arranged in 
1996 - 1998 by the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency. The previous corresponding 
exercise was arranged in Switzerland in the autumn of 1996.

The exercise is aimed at developing domestic and international information 
exchange between various organisations. Also the dissemination of information to
the public and the media will be tested and developed during this exercise. The 
course of events will be simulated by Loviisa power plant's simulator and the 
radiation situation by a simulator which is part of the Finnish radiation 
monitoring system. Accident management and dissemination of information during 
an accident will be rehearsed during this exercise which will be implemented in 
the emergency control centres of the various participating organisations in the 
first place. Journalists participating in the exercise will arrive in Finland.

The suitability of the Internet for providing information about a nuclear power 
plant accident will be tested among others. By means of the Internet, foreign 
participants to the exercise in particular will be able to read the 
English-language news bulletins made in Finland and follow the development of 
the situation. In order to avoid misunderstandings, a password is required to 
read the Internet pages providing information about the exercise. Basic 
information about the exercise can be found already at this stage at the address
http://www.intermin.fi/sm/pelastus .

Domestic organisations participating in the exercise will include the Prime 
Minister's Office, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for the 
Interior, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Agriculture
and Forestry, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the 
Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Finnish Centre for Radiation and 
Nuclear Safety, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the National Food 
Administration, the Uusimaa Provincial Government, the Loviisa Regional 
Authority, the Kymi Provincial Government, the Kotka Regional Authority and 
Imatran Voima Oy/Loviisa nuclear power plant.

During the exercise, media activities will be simulated i.a. by a team 
consisting of students and professionals in the field. The organisations 
participating in the exercise will send their news stories to the simulated team
of journalists who on the basis of the stories and other information about the 
exercise wYll make news bulletins of the imaginary accident. The directing team 
of the exercise will arrange a press conference about the exercise at a time to 
be announced later.

Enquiries regarding the exercise may be directed to: 

-    Senior Inspector Tarmo Kopare, Ministry of the Interior, 
     tel:(int.+358 9) 160 2981 
-    Senior Inspector Riitta Hänninen, Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear 
     Safety, tel:(int.+358 9) 7598 8312 
-    Information Manager Arto Henriksson, IVO Group, 
     tel: (int. +358 9) 856 16182 
-    Information Officer, Information Unit of the Council of State,   
     tel: (int. +358 9) 160 2082

INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ACCIDENT EXERCISE IN FINLAND, 17 APRIL 1997 

Participating countries: Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Estonia, 
Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, 
Republic of Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Romania, 
Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

International organizations: OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) European Union 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) World Health Organization (WHO) World 
Meteorological Organization (WMO)