IAEA conducts nuclear accident response exercise in Mexico
The UN's atomic watchdog said that it would conduct a major exercise to test the response to a simulated accident at a nuclear power plant in Mexico.
By Agencies |
VIENNA: The UN's atomic watchdog said on Tuesday it would conduct a major exercise to test the response to a simulated accident at a nuclear power plant in Mexico starting on Wednesday.
A total 74 IAEA member states and 10 international organisations are to take part in the 48-hour drill, a mock radiation emergency at the Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in Alta Lucero, Mexico, the Internatinal Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.
The aim is to evaluate national and international preparedness for a possible nuclear or radiological emergency.
The IAEA insisted, however, that there would only be a "virtual" nuclear accident and the exercise would not pose any risk to the public or the environment.
"This exercise will provide an opportunity to identify shortcomings in the national and international emergency response systems that might hamper the response to minimize the consequences of a nuclear accident," the statement said.
It will "assess the technical aspects of global response mechanisms and gauge the effectiveness of communications between possible crisis partners."
Similar tests have been carried out in the past, notably at the French Gravelines power plant in 2001 and at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant in May 2005.
Once the exercise is over, the IAEA will prepare and publish a report, summarising the major findings of the simulation and providing insight into possible shortcomings in national and international emergency response systems, it said.
In addition to the IAEA, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD/NEA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Commission (EC), the European Police Office (EUROPOL) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) are taking part in the exercise.
A total 74 IAEA member states and 10 international organisations are to take part in the 48-hour drill, a mock radiation emergency at the Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in Alta Lucero, Mexico, the Internatinal Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement.
The aim is to evaluate national and international preparedness for a possible nuclear or radiological emergency.
The IAEA insisted, however, that there would only be a "virtual" nuclear accident and the exercise would not pose any risk to the public or the environment.
"This exercise will provide an opportunity to identify shortcomings in the national and international emergency response systems that might hamper the response to minimize the consequences of a nuclear accident," the statement said.
It will "assess the technical aspects of global response mechanisms and gauge the effectiveness of communications between possible crisis partners."
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Similar tests have been carried out in the past, notably at the French Gravelines power plant in 2001 and at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant in May 2005.
Once the exercise is over, the IAEA will prepare and publish a report, summarising the major findings of the simulation and providing insight into possible shortcomings in national and international emergency response systems, it said.
In addition to the IAEA, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD/NEA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Commission (EC), the European Police Office (EUROPOL) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) are taking part in the exercise.
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