an account of the planning, implementation, and mainte- nance of the emergency preparedness arrangements and describe the measures to be taken in an emergency response situation. The nuclear power plant emergency preparedness arrangements will be harmonized with the external rescue plan prepared by the authorities for eventual nuclear power plant accidents.
Events representing various accident scenarios will be analyzed in order to facilitate the planning of the emergency preparedness operations and the classification of emergency situations. The possibility of a severe accident shall be con- sidered, and the variation of the plant conditions, dura- tion of events, radioactive releases, discharge pathways, and weather conditions shall be taken into account.
The nuclear power plant will establish an emergency preparedness organization, consisting of persons trained for the tasks, to plan and implement the emergency prepared- ness arrangements. The emergency preparedness plan will define the duties and responsibilities of the organization personnel in the case of an emergency and determine how the plant operations will be harmonized with the rescue operations carried out by the authorities and the operations of the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK). The emergency preparedness organization will have at its disposal appropriate facilities and equipment, as well as adequate communication and alarm systems. The nuclear power plant will maintain a continuous state of prepared- ness for immediate emergency response operations when required. The emergency preparedness organization will have sufficient personnel for the management of even long- term emergency response situations.
The emergency preparedness organization will be alerted in emergency response situations, which include emergency situations and emergency standby situations. In emergency standby situations, the organization will assem- ble as required by the situation. In emergency situations, the organization will assemble in full force. The emergency preparedness plan will classify emergency situations into plant emergencies and general emergencies on the basis of their severity and manageability.
In an emergency standby situation, the aim is to ensure the safety level of the plant. STUK and the local emer- gency response center will be informed of any emergency standby situation. The latter will in turn inform the rescue authorities.
A plant emergency is a situation in which the safety of the nuclear power plant is compromised or is in danger of being significantly compromised. In the case of a plant emergency, STUK and the local emergency response center will be alerted immediately. The latter will in turn alert the rescue authorities.
A general emergency is a situation involving a risk of a release of radioactive substances potentially requiring the implementation of civil defense measures in the vicinity of the plant. In the case of a general emergency, STUK and the local emergency response center will be alerted immedi- ately. The latter will in turn alert the rescue authorities.
In emergency response situations, the nuclear power plant emergency preparedness manager will be responsi-
ble for the management of nuclear safety and radiation protection-related matters at the nuclear power plant. Fur- thermore, the nuclear power plant emergency preparedness manager will provide the director of the rescue operations with recommendations concerning civil defense measures until STUK assumes the responsibility for the provision of such recommendations. The nuclear power plant emer- gency preparedness manager will ensure that personnel skilled in nuclear technology and radiation protection is placed to assist the director of the rescue operations. The authorities will, in cooperation with the licensee, prepare detailed rescue plans for emergency situations. These plans will cover the area within a radius of approximately 20 kilo- meters from the plant (the emergency planning zone).
The implementation of the emergency preparedness plan will be practiced in co-operation with the emergency preparedness and rescue organizations of the relevant authorities even before the fuel is transferred into the reactor. During the operation of the nuclear power plant, emergency preparedness exercises will be organized at least once a year. In addition, joint exercises between the authorities and the nuclear power plant will be organized at least once every three years. The purpose of the emer- gency preparedness exercises is to verify the appropriate- ness of the emergency preparedness arrangements in var- ious accident situations. This is done to identify any need for change or improvement.
4.5.3.2 The protective zone and the emergency planning zone
According to the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Author- ity guideline on the location of the nuclear power plant (YVL Guide A.2), provision shall be made for the eventu- ality of a severe accident exceeding the plant design bases. This is done by preparing area use and civil defense plans. The Hanhikivi nuclear power plant will be located in a relatively sparsely populated area and at sufficient distance from population centers. The justification for the placement of the plant in a sparsely populated area is that the emer- gency preparedness measures are easier to implement for a smaller population group.
The nuclear power plant will be surrounded by a pro- tective zone extending to a distance of approximately five kilometers from the plant. According to the YVL Guide A.2, densely populated settlements, hospitals, or facilities inhabited or visited by a considerable number of people are not allowed within the protective zone. The number of permanent residents and holiday residences, as well as recreational activity, within the protective zone will be limited so that a general rescue plan enabling effective evacuation of the local population can be prepared and implemented.
The indicative five-kilometer radius for the protective zone was defined in the 1970s based on the existing Finnish nuclear power plants and their surrounding areas. At the time, the objective was to guide future land use planning around the plants, and no particular consideration was made for possible new nuclear power plant sites when the
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radius distance was defined. No other country has a strictly identical practice concerning protective zones, and, com- pared to Finland, the number of people living within a similar radius from a nuclear power plant is significantly higher elsewhere in the world. (STUK 2007)
The purpose of the protective zone is to simplify emer- gency preparedness planning and to ensure that, in case of a severe hazard, the population can be rapidly evacuated from the vicinity of the plant. In practice, the efficiency of the res- cue operations would be determined by many other factors beside the density of population, including the location of housing, traffic connections and routes, and the scope of the rescue actions.
STUK considers the five-kilometer radius to be an appropriate starting point for land use planning (STUK 2007). With regard to the radiation hazard, it is not possible to define a specific radius from the nuclear power plant beyond which the radiation caused by a severe accident would substantially decrease. When planning land use in the vicinity of new nuclear power plant sites, it is essential to highlight the possibility of fast evacuation in the event of an impending accident. Most importantly, the presence of
access routes and adequate transport equipment enabling rapid transportation must be ensured.
Figure 4-6 shows the protective zone and emergency planning zone of the nuclear power plant. According to STUK’s interpretation, any continuous residential area which extends, even in part, within the five-kilometer radius, will be considered to be located within the protec- tive zone. Thus, the zone covers the continuous residential area of the Parhalahti village in its entirety.
In accordance with the Government Decree (716/2013), the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant will be surrounded by an emergency planning zone extending approximately 20 kilometers from the plant. The authorities will, in coopera- tion with the licensee, prepare detailed rescue plans for pur- poses of civil defense for this area and assume responsibility for the implementation of the plans.
The nuclear power plant will maintain in its safety anal- ysis reports a current description of the area surrounding the power plant, its population, and industrial and com- mercial activities. The number of permanent residents in the vicinity of the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant and the sensitive sites located in the area are given in Section 7.10.
Figure 4-6. The nuclear power plant’s protective zone and emergency planning zone.
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