5.1 Protective action response strategy

5.1.1 During the response to a nuclear emergency, the PEOC shall implement a protective action response strategy to protect the public and responding emergency workers from the effects of a radioactive emission. Protective actions include:

  1. Precautionary measures
  2. Exposure control protective measures
  3. Ingestion control protective measures
  4. Additional measures to protect the public

5.1.2 The strategy for Fermi 2 protective action decision-making is based on the following considerations:

  1. The Michigan-based exposure control protective measures throughout the emergency response.
  2. The Michigan-based ingestion control protective measures in the early stage of the emergency, prior to the availability of Ontario environmental field monitoring data and analysis.
  3. PEOC Scientific Section analysis of Ontario environmental field monitoring data.
  4. The operational situation in Ontario within which protective actions are to be undertaken.
  5. The need for precautionary measures.

5.2 Precautionary measures

5.2.1 The PEOC commander shall direct as appropriate, any or all of the following precautionary measures in the DPZ and adjacent areas (e.g., CPZ). Consideration shall also be given to the most suitable timing for the measures (in the case of a delayed emission it may be appropriate to delay the application of some of them) and issue the necessary bulletin(s) and directions for their implementation. These measures are:

  1. Closing of beaches, recreation areas, etc.
  2. Closing of workplaces and schools
  3. Suspension of admissions of non-critical patients in hospitals (per Ministry of Health direction)
  4. Entry control (see Section 6.6)
  5. Clearing the milk storage of dairy farms
  6. Banning consumption of any item of food or water that may have been exposed outdoors
  7. Banning consumption and export of locally produced milk, meat, produce, milk-and meat-producing animals
  8. Removing milk- and meat-producing animals from outside pasture and exposed water sources
  9. Evacuating Bois Blanc (Boblo) Island (based on practical and logistical considerations)

5.3 Exposure control protective measures

5.3.1 Evacuation

  1. If available, evacuation time estimates (see Section 2.6.2) should be used by the PEOC Commander to inform decision-making regarding the implementation of evacuation strategies.
  2. Shadow evacuations may occur spontaneously in areas contiguous to the DPZ and are considered within the evacuation time estimates.
  3. Contamination
    1. In the event evacuations are necessary and are completed prior to an emission, evacuees are not expected to be contaminated nor require monitoring and decontamination.
    2. In the event of an ongoing or imminent emission, evacuees exposed to the radioactive emission can be expected to have varying levels of contamination.
    3. Contamination, where found, would be in the form of loose particulate on people, their belongings and vehicles.
    4. Internal contamination may be present in individuals exposed to a radioactive emission.
    5. Self-decontamination may be a means of decontamination, if required.
    6. Monitoring and decontamination facilities are required for evacuees who have been exposed to a plume, as well as for those who desire assurance monitoring.
  4. Transportation
    1. During a nuclear emergency, traffic density and volume on major arterial roads and highways are significantly increased and therefore, travel times in all directions are significantly longer than normal.
    2. To ensure that evacuations can proceed as smoothly as possible, integrated and multi-modal transportation management shall be coordinated by the UTCC (see Sections 6.6 and 6.7).
  5. Family reunification prior to evacuation
    1. Families will want to reunite and evacuate together, as far as practical.
    2. The feasibility of family reunification depends on the time of day at the onset of the emergency and on the urgency for evacuations to proceed (i.e., timing of the emission).
    3. Factors affecting family reunification include workplace location, school children, residents of hospitals, long-term care homes or other institutions, etc.
    4. If it is not safe for families to reunite before evacuating, reunification should be managed by the Host Municipality at the reception centre.
  6. Mass care
    1. The majority of evacuees will make their own arrangements for care and lodging. The Town of Essex and the City of Windsor, as the designated Host Municipalities, are responsible for making mass care arrangements for those evacuees without such resources.
  7. Protection and care of animals
    1. Pursuant to Section 7.0.2. (4), of the EMCPA, provincial evacuation orders can include animals under a declared provincial emergency. As such, municipal emergency response plans should make provisions for the protection and care of all animals, including those left behind during an evacuation.
    2. Designated municipalities should request assistance as necessary from the following to develop plans for the protection and care of animals:
      • Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General (mandate for Animal Welfare in Ontario)
      • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (provincial lead on farm animal disease (OIC 1157/2009))
      • Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Natural Resources and Forestry for issues pertaining to wildlife
    3. The PEOC should provide assistance to the stakeholders above as required for the protection and care of animals.
  8. Directing evacuations
    1. Directives to evacuate should include information detailing the boundaries of the evacuation area by readily identifiable roads or landmarks.
    2. Evacuees who may have been exposed to an emission shall be directed to proceed to a Monitoring and Decontamination Unit (MDU). Information on locations for monitoring shall be provided at the time of the emergency.
    3. Evacuees who are not at risk of being contaminated shall be instructed to leave the DPZ and not be directed to an MDU.
    4. Detailed information for the evacuating public will be included in the emergency bulletins issued by the PEOC.
    5. Responsibilities for the expeditious movement of evacuees via the transportation networks are identified in the Unified Transportation Management Plan.
    6. The Unified Transportation Coordination Centre shall monitor the transportation network utilized by evacuees and inform the PEOC commander of any issues impacting the evacuation.
  9. Evacuation arrangements
    1. Municipal plans for the Town of Amherstburg shall include arrangements for mass evacuation transportation.
    2. The evacuation of the affected public should be facilitated by the planning and preparedness undertaken in advance, including:
      • Transportation management (e.g., MTO)
      • Reception and evacuation centres (e.g., designated host municipalities)
      • Long-term housing (e.g., multi-ministry and multi-jurisdictional planning group)
      • Health issues and medical transfers (led by the local public health units and medical officers of health in conjunction with the MOH, Ontario health regions, and paramedic services as appropriate)
    3. Medical assistance required during an evacuation is the responsibility of the emergency medical services and hospitals in coordination with health partners and other evacuation efforts.
    4. Designated municipalities and designated host municipalities shall include provisions for the reception and care of evacuees in their emergency plans.
    5. Emergency plans of the schools in the DPZ, if any, should provide for the movement of staff and students to pre-arranged host schools and, if necessary, to Monitoring and Decontamination Units for prior monitoring and decontamination. Evacuated students are the responsibility of their school staff until collected from the host school by their guardians, or parents.
    6. Emergency plans of hospitals, long-term care homes, and other institutions in the DPZ, if any, should include provisions for the transfer of staff/residents/patients to an appropriate facility outside the DPZ, with which prior arrangements have been made per the Radiation Health Response Plan. Provisions should also be made to take staff/residents/patients to Monitoring and Decontamination Units, if necessary.
    7. As it may not be possible or desirable to evacuate some of these persons, special arrangements shall be made for the care of staff/residents/patients remaining behind, as identified in the organizational plans.

5.3.2 Temporary relocation

  1. Temporary relocation:
    1. Is the displacement of people from their homes for a period beyond one week and up to one year to avoid chronic exposure to radiation, usually from ground contamination. Beyond one-year, permanent resettlement should be considered.
    2. Can be directed post-release, during the intermediate response phase, based on actual measured contamination levels.
    3. Can be directed as a subsequent measure to evacuation, or sheltering-in-place, or as a separate measure.
    4. Is determined following analysis of environmental radiation monitoring results and assessment against Operational Intervention Levels (OILs; PNERP Master Plan Annex E, Appendix 2).
  2. The evacuation arrangements described in Section 5.3.1 i) above shall be considered and applied as appropriate for the implementation of temporary relocation.
  3. The PEOC should consider socioeconomic factors before recommending temporary relocation as the potential impacts of this action may not be justified in areas where the OIL for relocation is minimally exceeded.

5.3.3 Iodine Thyroid Blocking

  1. The Town of Amherstburg shall detail in their plan the means by which they and Windsor-Essex County Public Health Unit facilitate:
    1. The pre-distribution of KI pills together with instructions on KI administration to DPZ residences, businesses, institutions and for emergency centres (e.g., Emergency Worker, Reception and Evacuation Centres).
  2. Windsor-Essex County Public Health Unit and Chatham Kent Public Health Unit shall detail in their plans the means by which they will facilitate the following within their respective jurisdictions:
    1. Availability of KI pills for any resident of the CPZs and IPZs, including vulnerable populations who may wish to possess a supply in advance of an emergency.
  3. The MOH shall procure, in advance, adequate quantities of Potassium Iodide (KI) pill, for use by local authorities of the Fermi 2 DPZ, CPZ and IPZ populations during a nuclear emergency (PNERP Master Plan, Annex I, Appendix 7).
  4. The Ministry of Health shall provide support to local authorities for the Fermi 2 DPZ, CPZ and IPZ populations to ensure that the ITB related requirements of the PNERP and municipal plans are completed (PNERP Master Plan, Annex I, Appendix 7).
  5. The Town of Amherstburg and the local health units previously identified should perform periodic reviews of the local populations to assess the adequacy of their ITB distribution programs.
  6. Other operational responsibilities regarding iodine thyroid blocking (stocking, distribution and administration) are described in the Radiation Health Response Plan, as prepared by MOH.
  7. The Chief Medical Officer of Health shall decide when to administer KI in consultation with the PEOC Commander and affected local medical officer(s) of health.

5.3.4 Sheltering-in-place

The need for any future sheltering-in-place as a protective measure should be broadcast through the emergency bulletin as soon as that need is identified. The timing to actually issue an operational directive for sheltering-in-place (or, in the event of a declared emergency, advise that emergency orders have been made) shall be ultimately made by the PEOC commander (as a general guidance, however, the emergency bulletin to direct this protective measure should be issued at least 4 hours prior to the expected emission time) following escalation to a full activation response.

5.4 Ingestion control measures

5.4.1 Before an emission commences, appropriate ingestion control measures should be directed by the PEOC commander as a precaution within an area that matches ingestion control measures put in place by the State of Michigan.

5.4.2 After an emission commences, precautionary ingestion control measures should be reviewed by the PEOC Scientific Section and adjusted as necessary by the PEOC commander once environmental monitoring results become available.

5.4.3 If environmental monitoring indicates the need, appropriate ingestion control measures should be considered in areas known or suspected to be contaminated.

5.4.4 Based on the data produced by ground monitoring, additional ingestion control measures should be considered, where necessary, while the original precautionary measures may be lifted where appropriate.

5.5 Additional measures to protect the public

5.5.1 The PEOC commander may recommend other, practical dose reduction measures to the public. Such measures may be implemented in combination with the measures described above or, may simply be recommended to provide an additional level of protection against possible radionuclides present in the air or on the ground but which do not meet the generic criteria or OILs. Such measures include:

  1. Respiratory protection, such as covering of the nose and mouth with available material that can filter particulates when present in the air.
  2. Self-decontamination, including removing and bagging contaminated clothing, showering, and decontaminating surfaces of critical areas and objects.
  3. Staying indoors to the extent that it is practical, e.g., only conducting outdoor tasks when necessary (e.g., seeking medical attention, buying foodstuff and necessities).

5.5.2 Detailed advice regarding these measures shall be provided for in public awareness and education materials produced by The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM), in coordination with the Town of Amherstburg and other stakeholders (refer to the PNERP Master Plan Annex C).

5.5.3 Detailed instructions to the public for any of these measures directed shall be provided by the PEOC Commander in emergency bulletins.