1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
The site selection, design, construction, operation and decommissioning of nuclear fuel cycle facilities must be carried out in strict accordance with nuclear safety regulations. After taking various preventive measures, the possibility that nuclear fuel cycle facilities enter the emergency status of nuclear accident due to mistakes or accidents is very small, but it cannot be completely ruled out. Nuclear accidents may result in unacceptable release of radioactive materials or unacceptable exposure to personnel. In order to strengthen and maintain the emergency response capability, thereby control the accident, once happening, quickly and effectively and mitigate its consequences, every nuclear fuel cycle facility operator shall have a thorough on-site nuclear accident emergency response plan (hereinafter referred to as emergency response plan) and adequate preparation for emergency.
This guide provides guidance to civil nuclear fuel cycle facility operators for developing emergency response plans and carrying out emergency preparation and response actions.
1.2 Scope
This guide is applicable to the nuclear accident emergency preparation and response of operators of civil nuclear fuel cycle facilities (including nuclear fuel production, processing, storage and post-processing facilities) except nuclear reactors as well as the supervision and administration of emergency preparation and response of operators by the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council and specifies the specific requirements on emergency preparation and response of nuclear fuel cycle facility operators at different stages.
For different types of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, there may be considerable differences in the nature of nuclear accidents and their radiation consequences as a result of the great differences in the quantity, physical and chemical forms, nuclide composition, radioactivity and characteristics of nuclear materials and other radioactive materials processed, treated or stored thereby and their respective characteristics in process technology, engineering safety facilities and operation mode. Therefore, the operator shall, when using this guide, develop emergency response plans and implementation procedures according to the nature and risk degree of nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
2 Development of emergency response plans and relevant documents
2.1 Requirements on emergency preparation and response at different stages
2.1.1 Siting stage
The feasibility of implementing the emergency response plan shall be assessed in the site area within the whole expected life when demonstrating the suitability of the nuclear fuel cycle facility site. The documents submitted to the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council at the site selection stage shall cover the content of feasibility analysis on the implementation of emergency response plan at the site.
2.1.2 Design and construction stage
In this stage, the operator shall analyze the accident status of nuclear fuel cycle facilities (including beyond design basis accident) and the consequences and arrange the emergency facilities, emergency equipment and emergency evacuation routes in the site.
In the chapter on operation management of preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR), the preliminary scheme of emergency response plan shall be put forward, covering the purpose of emergency response plan, the laws it complies with and the applicable scope, the framework of emergency organization to be set up by the operator and its responsibilities, the preliminary calculation and environmental (population, roads, traffic, etc.) profile of the scope of emergency planning zone (if any), the basic functions and locations of main emergency facilities and equipment, the evacuation routes, and the arrangement of on-site and off-site emergency organization, resources and interface.
If there are already nuclear fuel cycle facilities in running in or near the site area where nuclear fuel cycle facilities are under construction, the safety of the workers of the nuclear fuel cycle facility under construction shall be ensured. For the expansion of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, the operator shall add the content of newly-built facility conditions on the basis of its original emergency response plan; for newly-built nuclear fuel cycle facilities, the operator shall develop corresponding emergency response plans and make corresponding emergency preparations for potential accidents of nuclear fuel cycle facilities in operation nearby.
2.1.3 Operation stage
The operator shall develop an emergency response plan which, serving as one of the application materials for operation and together with the final safety analysis report, shall be submitted to the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council for review before first loading (charging). Before first loading (charging), the nuclear fuel cycle facility operator shall complete the emergency preparation, and conduct the on-site pre-loading (charging) comprehensive emergency exercises.
During the whole operation stage of the nuclear fuel cycle facility, the emergency preparation shall be kept constantly on the alert; facilities, equipment and communication systems used in emergency status must be properly maintained and available at any time. The emergency exercise as well as recheck and revision of emergency response plan shall be conducted periodically.
When the nuclear fuel cycle facility enters an emergency status, the emergency response shall be implemented effectively, the accident conditions shall be reported to the competent department of nuclear industry and the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council, and the departments designated by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the operator shall coordinate with the off-site nuclear emergency organization to ensure the safety of the workers, the public and the environment.
2.1.4 Decommissioning stage
The decommissioning report of nuclear fuel cycle facilities shall cover the contents of the emergency response plan, indicating the possible emergency status and its countermeasures during decommissioning, taking into account the possible radiation hazards of nuclear fuel cycle facilities to be decommissioned, and making arrangements for the organizations and emergency facilities of the operators responsible for controlling these hazards. In case of an accident during the decommissioning, the emergency response shall be effectively implemented to ensure the safety of workers, the public and the environment.
2.2 Development of emergency response plan
2.2.1 Accident considered in emergency response plan
The operators shall, when developing the emergency response plan, take into account not only the expected operating conditions and accident conditions, but also those accidents with low occurrence probability but more serious consequences, including the beyond design basis accident with the environmental consequences beyond the design basis accidents (including serious accidents). The emergency response plan shall also consider the emergency status formed by the simultaneous occurrence of non-nuclear hazards and nuclear hazards, such as the simultaneous occurrence of fire and serious radiation hazards or contamination and the coexistence of toxic gas or asphyxiating gas with radiation and contamination, and the specific site conditions.
The major reference accidents of nuclear fuel cycle facilities are given in Annex A, which can be used as a reference for the operator when developing the emergency response plan.
2.2.2 Content of the emergency response plan
The emergency response plan shall at least include the following basic contents: the purpose, basis and scope of emergency response plan; the nuclear fuel cycle facilities and the environmental profile; emergency planning zone (if any); emergency status classification and emergency action level; emergency organization and responsibilities; emergency facilities and equipment; emergency communication, report and notification; accident consequence assessment; emergency environmental monitoring; emergency protective measures, emergency exposure control; medical rescue; emergency remedial actions; emergency termination and restoration actions; public information communication and public opinion response; record and report; and maintenance of emergency response capability.
The emergency response plan, if submitted to the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council for recheck, shall include detailed revision note.
The emergency response plan submitted by the operator before the first loading (charging) shall also include the technical documents of the following special subjects: emergency action level, habitability of main emergency facilities, emergency environmental monitoring scheme and emergency planning zone (if any). In principle, the above technical documents are no longer required to be submitted for recheck, but the revised technical documents shall still be submitted when the relevant contents are affected by changes in the nuclear facilities themselves or in the environment.
See Annex B for the format and content of on-site nuclear accident emergency response plan of nuclear fuel cycle facility operator.
2.3 Emergency response plan implementation procedure
The operators shall develop corresponding emergency preparation and response implementation procedures according to their emergency response plans. The implementation procedure list shall be included in the emergency response plan. The nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council may inspect the texts of these procedures when reviewing the emergency response plans or conducting nuclear safety supervision and inspection.
The emergency response plan implementation procedures shall provide comprehensive and specific methods and steps for emergency workers to implement the emergency response plan, so as to ensure coordinated, timely and effective actions. The emergency response plan implementation procedures shall be revised in time according to the changes of the emergency response plan and other related factors to ensure its accuracy and operability.
See Annex C for examples for the implementation procedure list of emergency response plan of the operator.
2.4 Coordination of emergency response plans
For multi-facility sites, the same operator shall develop a unified emergency response plan covering all facilities, and the emergency response plans of different operators shall be coordinated with each other.
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The on-site nuclear accident emergency response plan shall be coordinated with other emergency response plans for other emergencies of the operator.
If the off-site emergency status is involved, the on-site and off-site nuclear accident emergency response plans shall be mutually complementary and coordinative. In case that the consequences of the accident may exceed the boundary of the site area, the operator shall estimate the possible release amount of radioactive materials, and provide corresponding suggestions on the contents and methods of implementing public protective measures to the off-site nuclear emergency organization.
3 Emergency organization
3.1 General
The operator shall list in the emergency response plan the emergency preparation responsibilities of the normal operation organization and the emergency response responsibilities of the on-site emergency organization.
3.2 Main responsibilities and basic organizational structure of emergency organization
3.2.1 The operator shall set up a unified on-site emergency organization, whose main responsibilities are:
(1) Implementing the national guidelines and policies on nuclear emergency response works;
(2) Developing, revising and implementing the on-site nuclear emergency response plan and the implementation procedure, and making good preparations for nuclear emergency;
(3) Specifying the tasks and interfaces of emergency action organizations;
(4) Taking timely measures to mitigate the consequences of the accident;
(5) Protecting the safety of personnel in the site and in the area controlled by the operator;
(6) Reporting the accident conditions to the competent department of nuclear industry and the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council, and the departments designated by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in a timely manner and coordinating with the off-site nuclear emergency organization.
3.2.2 The emergency organization of the operator shall include emergency headquarters and several emergency action groups. The emergency response plan of the operator shall clearly specify the responsibilities of the emergency headquarters and each emergency action group, set up corresponding emergency posts and provide nominated and authorized qualified personnel.
3.2.3 The emergency organization of the operator shall have the ability to start timely and work continuously under emergency status.
3.3 Emergency headquarters
3.3.1 The operator shall set up an emergency headquarters as its leading and commanding organization for emergency response under emergency status. The emergency headquarters shall consist of the chief commander and other members. The emergency chief commander shall be the legal representative of the operator or the agent designated by the legal representative. The emergency response plan shall clearly specify the replacement of emergency chief commander and the replacement sequence. The emergency chief commander and his replacement shall have more than 5 years of relevant management experience in the production of nuclear fuel cycle facilities.
3.3.2 The responsibilities of the emergency headquarters are as follows:
(1) The emergency chief commander shall be responsible for uniformly commanding the on-site response actions in the emergency status, approving the entry and terminating the emergency standby, plant emergency and on-site emergency status (in case of emergency, before the start of emergency headquarters, the person in charge on duty for operation shall act as the emergency chief commander);
(2) Reporting the accident conditions to the competent department of nuclear industry and the nuclear safety supervision and administration department of the State Council, and the departments designated by the people's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in a timely manner and maintaining close connection during the accident;
(3) Putting forward suggestions on entering the off-site emergency status and taking emergency protective measures off-site;
(4) Cooperating with and assist the nuclear emergency organizations of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government in doing well in nuclear emergency response;
(5) Requesting support from the off-site nuclear emergency organization when necessary.
3.4 Emergency action groups
3.4.1 The operator shall set up several emergency action groups according to the principle of active compatibility, and allocate appropriate personnel. The emergency action groups generally include technical support group, radiation protection group, accident rescue group, logistics support group and public information group. The operator may adopt different schemes when establishing emergency organizations, but they shall cover the following responsibilities: running and operation of various systems in the site; radiation measurement and consequence assessment; critical safety assessment, implementation of protective actions (taking cover, evacuating and personnel counting, missing persons searching and rescuing, etc.); medical rescue; emergency communication; emergency exposure control; fire protection and defense; transportation, equipment and material supply and logistics support, and public information and public opinion response. In case of emergency, each emergency action group shall keep smooth communication with emergency headquarters and other relevant emergency action groups.
3.4.2 The main responsibilities of the technical support group are:
(1) Making a preliminary assessment of the emergency status, and proposing the emergency status level to the emergency headquarters;
(2) Grasping the accident status, analyzing and assessing the accident, and providing the accident rescue group with suggestions and guidance on diagnosing the accident and taking countermeasures;
(3) Recommending feasible emergency response actions to the emergency headquarters, or putting forward suggestions on protective actions ought to be taken according to accident diagnosis and assessment.
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3.4.3 The main responsibilities of the radiation protection group are:
(1) Being responsible for on-site radiation and chemical monitoring, and investigating, assessing, classifying, marking and controlling the contaminated areas in the site;
(2) Carrying out necessary off-site radiation investigation, sampling, analysis and assessment;
(3) Putting forward suggestions on on-site and off-site radiation protection actions, and determining the requirements for workers taking stable iodine and stable iodine distribution;
(4) Organizing appropriate personnel and providing relevant equipment to support radiation protection emergency response actions, and supervising, assessing and controlling the exposure dose of emergency workers;
(5) Other radiation protection.
3.4.4 The main responsibilities of the accident rescue group are:
(1) Managing the emergency design, build, construction and engineering rescue works required under emergency status;
(2) Being responsible for professional maintenance, organizing teams, allocating enough professionals, timely inputting, supplementing and replacing personnel, maintaining and repairing systems and equipment, and troubleshooting.
3.4.5 The main responsibilities of the logistics support group are:
(1) Providing communication equipment to ensure smooth communication;
(2) Ensuring the office conditions of all emergency organizations and personnel, and providing office supplies and equipment;
(3) Being responsible for the accommodation and living arrangements and material supply of emergency workers and temporary contingent workers;
(4) Being responsible for on-site safety protection, fire control, traffic management and emergency medical rescue;
(5) Being responsible for purchasing and supplying equipment, materials, medical equipment and medicines;
(6) Being responsible for processing, archiving and saving the documents, data and correspondence;
(7) Being responsible for organizing personnel evacuation and personnel search and rescue.
3.4.6 The public information group, usually under the direct leadership of the emergency chief commander, manages the public information during the emergency. The main responsibilities of the public information group are:
(1) to know the accident information in time;
(2) Collecting the reflection from the public and society, so as to carry out proper communication;
(3) Preparing and providing relevant data;
(4) Making preparations for the press conference according to the authorization.
3.5 Interface to off-site nuclear emergency organization
3.5.1 The operator shall clearly specify in the emergency response plan the interface to the off-site nuclear emergency organization and relevant departments, and state the names and functions of the off-site nuclear emergency organization and relevant departments.
3.5.2 The operator shall coordinate the on-site emergency organization with the off-site nuclear emergency organization and backup organization, clarify the division of responsibilities and, if necessary, sign relevant written agreements.
4 Emergency status and emergency action level
4.1 Emergency status classification
The emergency status of nuclear facilities is generally divided into emergency standby, plant emergency, on-site emergency and off-site emergency. The operator shall determine the emergency status level according to the type and design characteristic of nuclear fuel cycle facilities, assumed accident types and severity of accident consequences.
For nuclear fuel cycle facilities where a large amount of UF6 is likely to be released, it is necessary to consider the hazard of chemical toxicity of HF generated by UF6 interacting with water or vapour in the air when determining the emergency status classification.
(1) For emergency standby, certain specific working conditions or incidents that may endanger the safety of facilities appear in, indicating that the safety level of facilities is uncertain or may be significantly reduced.
(2) For plant emergency, the safety level of facilities has actually or potentially been greatly reduced, but the consequences of the incident are limited to local areas of the plant or site area, and will not pose a threat to the off-site.
(3) For on-site emergency, the engineering safety facilities for the facilities in the site area may be seriously failed, with the safety level greatly reduced, and the consequences of the accident extended to the whole site area; except near the boundary of the site area, the off-site radioactive irradiation level will not exceed the intervention level of emergency protective actions or the hazard of chemical toxicity caused by nuclear accidents will not affect off-site; early information and assessment show that there is no need to take protective measures off-site.
(4) For off-site emergency, a large amount of radioactive materials or toxic materials may be released or likely to be released, and the accident consequences is beyond of the boundary of the site area, resulting in the off-site radioactive irradiation level beyond the intervention level of emergency protective actions or the hazard of chemical toxicity caused by nuclear accidents affecting off-site, thus it is necessary to take off-site protective measures.
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose
1.2 Scope
2 Development of emergency response plans and relevant documents
2.1 Requirements on emergency preparation and response at different stages
2.2 Development of emergency response plan
2.3 Emergency response plan implementation procedure
2.4 Coordination of emergency response plans
3 Emergency organization
3.1 General
3.2 Main responsibilities and basic organizational structure of emergency organization
3.3 Emergency headquarters
3.4 Emergency action groups
3.5 Interface to off-site nuclear emergency organization
4 Emergency status and emergency action level
4.1 Emergency status classification
4.2 Emergency action level
5 Emergency planning zone
5.1 Principles for determining emergency planning zone
5.2 Determination of emergency planning zone
6 Emergency facilities and equipment
6.1 General
6.2 Emergency control center
6.3 Control room
6.4 Communication system
6.5 Assessment facilities and equipment
6.6 Radiation monitoring facilities and equipment
6.7 Radiation protection facilities and equipment
6.8 First aid and medical facilities and equipment
6.9 Emergency evacuation routes and assembly points
6.10 Other emergency equipment and materials
6.11 Habitability requirements
7 Emergency response and protective measures
7.1 General
7.2 Intervention principles and intervention levels
7.3 Response actions in emergency status
7.4 Emergency notice
7.5 Emergency monitoring
7.6 Assessment activities
7.7 Remedial actions
7.8 Emergency protective measures
7.9 Control of emergency exposure
7.10 Medical rescue
8 Emergency termination and restoration actions
8.1 Termination of emergency status
8.2 Restoration actions
9 Maintenance of emergency response capability
9.1 Training
9.2 Exercises
9.3 Emergency facilities and maintenance of equipment
9.4 Recheck and revision of emergency response plan
10 Records and reports
10.1 Records
10.2 Reports
Terms and definitions
Annex A Reference accidents of nuclear fuel cycle facilities
Annex B Format and content of on-site nuclear accident emergency response plan of nuclear fuel cycle facilities operator
Annex C Examples for implementation procedure list of on-site nuclear accident emergency response plan of nuclear fuel cycle facilities operator
Annex D Example for initial conditions and emergency action level matrix
