6.1 General

6.1.1 Operational response strategies are employed during a nuclear emergency response in order to facilitate the implementation of protective measures against the effects of a radioactive emission.

6.1.2 Responsibility and strategies for operational response implemented during a Fermi 2 emergency are described below.

6.2 Public alerting

6.2.1 Public alerting system activation and responsibilities

  1. Whenever the public alerting system is to be activated, the PEOC commander shall concurrently issue an emergency bulletin (see Section 6.3) to the broadcast media. The bulletin shall contain specific instructions on what actions the public should take and where to get more information. Emergency bulletins should be consistently repeated.
  2. In case of a General Emergency initial notification from Fermi 2 stating that an emission is ongoing or imminent, the municipal contact points for the Town of Amherstburg should immediately activate the public alerting system. Reference to any other authority is not required.
  3. In all other cases, the PEOC commander shall decide when to activate the public alerting system and issue the necessary instructions to the Town of Amherstburg.
  4. The all-hazards municipal alerting system in place in the Town of Amherstburg may be used for a nuclear emergency.
  5. The provincial Alert Ready program shall also be used to alert all Canadian populations within and beyond the DPZfootnote 8.

6.2.2 Public alerting systems used to implement this PNERP shall conform to the following principles:

  1. The Town of Amherstburg and the province shall include provisions in their nuclear emergency response plans to coordinate the timing of public alerting, public direction and emergency information. This should ensure that the population receives timely and accurate information on what protective measures to take once they have been alerted of an emergency.
  2. The Town of Amherstburg's nuclear emergency response plan shall describe how the public alerting system has the capability to issue a public alert to the population in the DPZ.
  3. Regular integrated testing of existing public alerting systems shall be included as a component of municipal exercise programs.
  4. Such a public alerting system, coupled together with emergency bulletins, should ensure that the population within the DPZ is notified in an effective and timely manner.

6.3 Public direction - emergency bulletins

6.3.1 The responsibility for issuing emergency bulletins rests with the PEOC commander and may be delegated to the PEOC Operations chief.

6.3.2 The aim of public direction is to communicate, directly to the affected public through emergency bulletins, the direction and guidance regarding protective actions they should take in order to ensure their safety and welfare. Public direction principles are described in the PNERP Master Plan, Section 7.3.

6.3.3 Emergency bulletins issued during a partial activation response level should be informative and permissive, whereas emergency bulletins issued once a full activation response has been adopted should be increasingly directive.

6.3.4 While the need for future sheltering should be broadcast through emergency bulletins as soon as that need is identified, the actual sheltering directive should be made, via emergency bulletin, at least four hours prior to the expected emission time if known.

6.3.5 At a partial activation response, the emergency bulletin shall include the following information, as applicable:

  1. Date and time of expected emission, if known
  2. Sectors (by geographical description) which may be affected
  3. Applicable precautionary and protective measures for the affected sectors or area and applicable timings (if appropriate).

6.3.6 Once a full activation response level has been adopted an emergency bulletins should include directions regarding:

  1. Date and time of expected emission, if known
  2. Precautionary measures directed in the applicable zone(s)
  3. Protective measures and the affected sectors or zones
  4. Reception/Evacuation Centres which can receive evacuees who have no alternate accommodation.
  5. KI pill ingestion details and availability information, as applicable

6.3.7 Marine Notification and Public Direction

  1. The Canadian Coast Guard is notified whenever the PEOC receives a notification (partial or full activation) under this plan (see Paragraph 4.5.3) and they, in turn, shall notify the U.S. Coast Guard.
  2. In the case of a full activation response, the Canadian Coast Guard shall broadcast an emergency message through their radio stations to marine craft on the marine radio channel. The message should notify all marine craft in the vicinity of the emergency and direct them to remain clear of the DPZ.
  3. The Municipal Plan shall detail how notification and evacuation assistance will be provided to the marine craft (with and without radios) on the Ontario side of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Such detail shall include any arrangements with the local OPP detachment.

6.3.8 The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) shall provide advice and assistance regarding the nuclear content of the Town of Amherstburg's emergency public awareness and education programs and OFMEM shall coordinate with other stakeholders as appropriate (see PNERP Master Plan Annex C). The Town of Amherstburg's nuclear public awareness and education program shall include information regarding the means by which public direction will be communicated.

6.4 Emergency public information

6.4.1 For clarity, emergency bulletins issued to the public are issued by the PEOC commander as per Section 6.3. Emergency bulletins are not news releases.

6.4.2 Lower level response

When the off-site response adopted is Routine Monitoring or Enhanced Monitoring, (see Table 4.2), all news releases or posts for social media pertaining to the event and prepared on behalf of the province, shall be issued by the SOLGEN Communications Branch. The SOLGEN communications director acts as the PCEIO.

6.4.3 Higher level response

  1. When the off-site response adopted is partial activation or full activation, (see Table 4.2), the director of communications, SOLGEN, assumes their role as PCEIO, establishing the provincial Emergency Information Section, on behalf of the province.
  2. The Town of Amherstburg, and the federal governments each have their own emergency information operations.
  3. In order to ensure the coordination and consistency of all emergency information issued to the public, all stakeholders should inform the provincial Emergency Information Section if they plan to issue news releases or other emergency information materials.
  4. Stakeholders should coordinate the release and content of emergency information for public release with the provincial Emergency Information Section.
  5. Stakeholder emergency plans should include provisions for supporting the operation of a Joint Information Centre if established by the PCEIO (e.g., public affairs/spokesperson).

6.4.4 The Provincial Emergency Information Section (PEIS)

  1. The PEIS, located in Toronto or operating virtually as determined by the PEOC, shall ensure that the province's emergency information is coordinated with the emergency information produced and disseminated by the designated municipalities, nuclear operator, federal partners and other stakeholders to ensure consistent messaging.
  2. The PEIS shall deploy a liaison officer, either in-person or virtually, to the PEOC.
  3. Stakeholders should share emergency information prior to release wherever possible and practicable.
  4. The PEIS functions include:
    1. Coordinating all the provincial communications related to the nuclear emergency.
    2. Coordinating information and communication on behalf of the province with the State of Michigan and DTE Energy.
    3. Developing and issuing news releases and social media posts and arranging media briefings.
    4. Providing notices and public service announcements to broadcasters.
    5. Answering media and public inquiries.
    6. Monitoring media and social media, correcting inaccuracies and dispelling rumours.
    7. Providing communications advice to the PEOC commander and the Commissioner of Emergency Management.
    8. Providing information to the Premier's Office via Cabinet Office.
    9. Sharing and coordinating emergency information with Municipal EICs to ensure continuity and uniformity of messaging.
    10. Sharing copies of all news releases, fact sheets, and other public information materials with EICs prior to release to the public, if or when possible.
    11. Deploying (in-person or virtually) a liaison officer(s) to the municipal EICs, if so requested.

6.4.5 Municipal Emergency Information Centre (EIC)

  1. The Town of Amherstburg emergency plan shall describe how an EIC is established at a partial or full activation response.
  2. The EIC is responsible for the collection, dissemination and monitoring of local emergency information.
  3. The functions of the municipal EIC include:
    1. Issuing news releases and other public information documents to the local media and residents describing the emergency and response measures.
    2. Keeping the PEIS informed regarding the development and distribution of news releases and other public information documents to local residents and media.
    3. Keeping the EIS apprised of local public perceptions, rumours, and reactions.
    4. Monitoring local media to ensure that local news is being accurately transmitted to the public by the media and confirming this with the PEIS.
    5. Informing the PEIS about the development and distribution of news releases and other documents for the local media and residents and, as a courtesy, share such documents with the PEIS.
    6. Informing the PEIS about the context, tone and reaction of the media, the public and other major stakeholders.
    7. Assisting media covering the emergency.
    8. Arranging media briefings, as required, to communicate "key messages" to the public.
    9. The EIC operation will be amalgamated into a JIC if one is activated in the local area.

6.4.6 Public inquiries

  1. Provincial public inquiries shall be coordinated by the PEIS and include use of the Service Ontario Call Centre.
  2. The designated municipalities shall be responsible for establishing their own public inquiry operation.

6.5 Technical assessments - PEOC Scientific Section

6.5.1 The PEOC Scientific Section is responsible for assessing the radiological consequences of the nuclear emergency through the operations of its Nuclear Incident Group (NIG) and the Environmental Radiation Assurance and Monitoring Group (ERAMG).

6.5.2 In the early phase of the emergency the majority of the assessments are undertaken by the NIG (Section 4.6.5) for Ontario-based reactor facilities. Due to the difference in the boiling-water reactor technology of Fermi 2 compared to CANDU technology of Ontario-based reactors, the NIG does not undertake technical assessments from Fermi 2. The ERAMG shall be focused on ensuring the availability of baseline radiation information.

6.5.3 Once the emission has ceased, the ERAMG shall begin operations to determine the level and extent of radioactive contamination (Section 4.7.3).

6.6 Entry control

6.6.1 Entry control is the prevention of non-essential persons from entering a potentially dangerous area.

6.6.2 In the event of an ongoing emission or one that is imminent, the PEOC Commander should consider the following entry control measures and notify the proper authorities for implementation as appropriate:

  1. Suspension of through traffic on County Road 20 and Essex Terminal Railway.
  2. Suspension of marine traffic in Lake Erie and the Detroit River.
  3. Aircraft should be kept clear of the DPZ.

6.6.3 Management of the main transportation routes shall be coordinated by the Unified Transportation Coordination Centre (UTCC). Activities and operations required for effective entry control shall be described in the Unified Transportation Management Plan developed by MTO and OPP (see Section 6.7).

6.6.4 As part of protective measures

  1. Lake and River Sector

    Whenever it is likely that a radioactive emission will take place as the result of an emergency at Fermi 2, operational directives should be issued to evacuate Lake Sector F3 of vessels (or, in the event of a declared emergency, advise that such orders have been made), and entry control imposed on them through the Canadian Coast Guard and the local OPP Marine Unit.

  2. Evacuated sectors

    Entry control shall be implemented for sectors that have been evacuated. However, access will be allowed to emergency workers who have tasks to perform in such a sector. This entry control shall be the responsibility of the appropriate police service, under the Unified Transportation Management Plan.

  3. Sheltered sectors

    Entry control should be implemented for sectors where sheltering-in-place is ordered.

6.7 Transportation Management

6.7.1 A Unified Transportation Management Plan shall be developed for the DPZ as well as the arterial roads that provide access to this zone. During an emergency, the Unified Transportation Coordination Centre (see Paragraph 3.1.4) shall be responsible for implementing the Unified Transportation Management Plan.

6.7.2 The Unified Transportation Coordination Centre shall operate in coordination with the Municipal Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), and the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC).

6.7.3 The Unified Transportation Management Plan shall be designed to allow implementation in incremental stages consistent with the agreed upon evacuation time estimate data and the provincial emergency response levels. For example, a staged approach may include:

  1. Stage 1: The aim in this stage could be to keep traffic flowing smoothly on the main evacuation routes and ensure that these routes remain open.
  2. Stage 2: Unified Transportation Management Plans s could prevent traffic from entering the DPZ and divert traffic around it. However, access should be allowed for emergency workers who have tasks to perform in the DPZ. Stage 1 measures should continue.
  3. Stage 3: Could be initiated when it appears that particular sectors beyond the DPZ are likely to be evacuated. Additional resources should be deployed to ensure that evacuation proceeds smoothly beyond the DPZ boundary. Stages 1 and 2 measures should continue.

6.7.4 The timing and order of Ontario sector evacuations shall be determined by the PEOC commander, in coordination with the UTCC.

6.7.5 Operational directives implementing evacuations (or emergency orders issued in the event of a declared emergency) shall be accompanied by emergency bulletins issued by the PEOC commander.

6.8 Emergency worker safety

6.8.1 At the commencement of an emergency resulting in the activation of this plan, the DPZfootnote 9 shall be assumed to carry the following default safety status (PNERP Master Plan, Annex H), based on the category of the notification initiated by Fermi 2:

  1. General Emergency notification: Orange
  2. All other notification categories: Green

6.8.2 The PEOC Scientific Section chief shall make recommendations on sector safety status to the PEOC commander for approval and update recommendations as data becomes available.

6.8.3 The PEOC Commander shall reassign safety status to the DPZ and update it periodically as soon as relevant data is available.

6.8.4 During the course of an emission over land, safety sector status updates shall be done on an hourly basis and promptly communicated by the PEOC commander to all stakeholders.

6.8.5 It is the responsibility of each organization with emergency workers operating or required to operate in the DPZ to ensure that they are kept apprised of the current safety status of the DPZ.

6.8.6 The municipal plan shall provide for the setting up of Emergency Worker Centres (EWCs), as appropriate (PNERP Master Plan, Paragraph 7.10.3). This includes administrative responsibilities and location facility.

6.8.7 The PEOC will co-ordinate the monitoring and decontamination aspect of EWCs as soon as notification of a Site-Area or General Emergency at Fermi 2 is received by the PEOC Duty Office. The Province of Ontario is responsible for coordinating the resourcing and maintaining the monitoring and decontamination function of the EWC.

  1. The initial monitoring and decontamination support provided to the EWC will be provided by Windsor Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive (CBRNE) team, which operates under the City of Windsor Fire and Rescue Services. Additional provincial CBRNE teams will be deployed as required.
  2. The PEOC should enter into agreements with the Ontario-based reactor facilities and the federal government to support the deployment of additional monitoring and decontamination resources as required throughout the emergency.

6.8.8 Emergency workers who need to enter a sector shall first report to an EWC, where they will be provided with personal dosimeters and briefed on the health risks and precautions they should observe and any maximum time limit on their stay in the sector (see Paragraph 6.8.1 above).

6.8.9 If an emission is ongoing, emergency services (e.g., police, fire and paramedic services) required to operate in the impacted sectors (before an Emergency Worker Centre is functioning) should be equipped with the following:

  1. Personal protective equipment
  2. Dosimetry
  3. Potassium iodide tablets
  4. A card listing the default safety status of sectors (see Paragraph 6.8.1 above) and the precautions to be taken for each safety status (PNERP Master Plan, Annex H)

6.8.10 The Municipal plan shall detail how these emergency services obtain these items, appropriately store them, and maintain such equipment so that it is readily available when needed.

6.9 Monitoring and decontamination

6.9.1 OFMEM is responsible (PNERP Master Plan, Annex B Section 4.6) for coordinating, in advance of a Fermi 2 emergency, arrangements for monitoring and decontamination for evacuees and for emergency workers. This shall be accomplished through engagement and agreement with applicable stakeholders and other organizations, as required, with the appropriate expertise to resource and undertake the following:

  1. Selection of pre-designated sites (in coordination with designated municipalities)
  2. Resourcing fixed and/or mobile Monitoring and Decontamination Units (MDUs)
  3. Provision of core staff and resources
  4. Transport of staff and resources
  5. Staff training
  6. Drills and exercises

6.9.2 Fixed and mobile MDUs shall provide for those evacuees who either require or desire it upon evacuating the DPZ.

6.9.3 Mobile MDUs can also be deployed to support fixed MDUs if additional capacity is required at those locations.

6.9.4 During the early phase of an emergency at Fermi 2, the PEOC shall coordinate the implementation of the monitoring and decontamination arrangements as described in Section 6.9.1.

6.10 Population monitoring and medical management

6.10.1 The Ministry of Health (MOH) is responsible for leading and coordinating the health response and maintaining health services during nuclear and radiological emergencies. As such and per the Radiation Health Response Plan (RHRP), the MOH shall develop arrangements in coordination with hospitals, the Town of Amherstburg, the coordinator of the MDU(s) (refer to Section 6.9.1) and public health units, to track evacuees for the purposes of assessing contamination and dose (internal and external) and to provide follow up with those affected.

6.10.2 The RHRP shall be fully activated through the MOH EOC when it seems likely that the incident may result in high radiation exposures to some persons necessitating medical management.

6.11 Management of radioactive waste

6.11.1 For large waste volumes and high radioactive levels, existing disposal facilities may be insufficient or unsuitable, thereby necessitating alternative means of disposal, including the potential for construction of new facilities.

6.11.2 The following factors should be considered in the determination of waste disposal siting (existing or new):

  1. Proximity to the incident area
  2. Proximity to residential areas or commercial districts
  3. Proximity to transportation corridors
  4. For newly designated sites, the existing level of contamination and potential for remediation
  5. Consistency with national and international standards and practices for the management and control of radioactive waste; and
  6. Solutions to protect the health and safety of persons and the environment

6.11.3 When appropriate, the PEOC commander shall appoint a working group to implement a waste management plan, including representatives from:

  1. Provincial ministries (e.g., MECP, NDMNRF, MLTSD and MTO)
  2. Federal departments (e.g., CNSC and Health Canada)
  3. Municipal public works departments
  4. Reactor facility specialists as available
  5. Private sector organizations, as applicable

Footnotes

  • footnote[8] Back to paragraph The provincial Alert Ready program ensures that emergency bulletins are broadcast in a timely manner via radio, television and mobile devices.
  • footnote[9] Back to paragraph Sector Safety Status is only assigned to the DPZ. All other zones are green unless otherwise indicated by the PEOC Commander.