4.1 Overview of operations

4.1.1 Normally, a Routine Monitoring response would be adopted for:

  • Any Far Incident notification
  • A Near Incident, where the notification category was limited to either an Unusual Event/Alert (U.S.) or Area Alert/Station Alert (Quebec).

4.1.2 During this Routine Monitoring response, the PEOC will carry out ongoing assessments (as deemed appropriate) to determine whether there is a reasonable possibility of radioactive material from the incident reaching Ontario. Assistance in this regard will be obtained from federal and provincial meteorological agencies.

4.1.3 In the event that assessments indicate radioactive material is likely to reach Ontario, the PEOC should upgrade the response to Enhanced Monitoring (see Table 3.2) and the appropriate operations will be conducted (Chapter 5).

4.1.4 Otherwise, Routine Monitoring for this event should continue until the event is no longer considered a potential threat to the citizens of Ontario. The response to the incident should then be terminated.

4.1.5 Emergency Information

The PEOC will arrange for information on the incident, and the measures being taken to deal with it, to be issued to the media and the public, as deemed appropriate.

4.1.6 Restriction on Food Imports

  1. The Federal government may impose restrictions on the import of food items from abroad that may have been contaminated. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), may be required to assist in the implementation.
  2. If significant levels of contamination are known to have occurred in some part of Canada, the PEOC should consider whether any restrictions need to be applied on the import into the province of food items from that area, and discuss appropriate recommendations and actions with the following PEOC representatives:
    • MOL
    • MOE
    • OMAFRA
    • MTO
    • Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (MIA)
    • MOHLTC
    • OPP
    • Federal Representatives