7.1 General

7.1.1 This chapter provides an overview of the operational response strategies employed during a nuclear or radiological emergency to facilitate and complement the implementation of protective actions (Chapter 6) in a timely, appropriate and effective manner to ensure, as far as practical, public health and safety, and protection of the environment.

7.1.2 Detailed operational response strategies for mitigating the consequences of a nuclear emergency originating in Ontario are provided in the implementing plans for the Pickering, Darlington, Bruce Nuclear Generating Stations (NGS) and the Chalk River Laboratories research reactor.

7.1.3 Detailed operational response strategies for mitigating the consequences of a nuclear emergency originating outside of Ontario are provided in the Fermi 2 and Transborder Implementing Plans of this PNERP.

7.1.4 Detailed operational response strategies for a radiological emergency are provided in the Implementing Plan for Other Radiological Emergencies.

7.2 Guiding Principles for an Operational Response

7.2.1 In a nuclear or radiological emergency, the goals of an operational response are to:

  1. Mitigate radiological and non-radiological consequences.
  2. Ensure that designated municipal and affected federal government departments are kept apprised of the situation and, where time permits without threatening public health and safety, are consulted prior to any decisions being taken.
  3. Keep the public informed.
  4. Prepare for the resumption of normal social and economic activity.

7.2.2 The rest of this chapter is devoted to each of the operational response strategies employed during a nuclear or radiological emergency.

7.3 Public Direction

7.3.1 General

  1. The aim of public direction is to communicate, directly to the affected public, the direction and guidance regarding protective measures they should take in order to ensure their safety and welfare.
  2. Public direction shall be provided through the co-ordinated release of emergency bulletins issued from the PEOC and broadcast through the media and all other mechanisms normally available to provincial authorities.
  3. Every effort shall be made to consult with Emergency Response Organizations as to the bulletin content, if time and circumstance permit.
  4. Every effort shall be made to issue emergency bulletins in a timely manner to ensure that the affected public have the most up to date information as to the actions they may need to take.
  5. Emergency bulletins for nuclear emergencies shall be pre-scripted, as far as practical. However, depending on the nature and progress of the emergency, some emergency bulletins may need to be prepared or revised during the emergency.
  6. When a partial or full activation response is adopted (Section 5.5), the PEOC shall use the provincial public alerting system (Section 7.7), which includes the National Alert Aggregation and Dissemination System (NAADS), to issue an emergency bulletin informing the affected public of the following:
    1. that a problem exists
    2. the area affected
    3. to stay tuned to the media for further information
    4. precautionary and protective measures being directed
    5. precautionary and protective measures being rescinded
  7. The public awareness and education program for nuclear emergencies shall include information regarding the means by which public direction will be communicated.

7.3.2 Responsibility

  1. In a nuclear emergency, the province is responsible for issuing emergency bulletins which are prepared by the PEOC Operations Section (Section 4.8.4) and authorized by the PEOC Commander.
  2. In a radiological emergency, the province and the affected municipalities shall consult and decide on responsibilities for issuing emergency bulletins (Implementing Plan for Other Radiological Emergencies).
  3. Emergency bulletins shall be authorized by the PEOC Commander for issue through established systems, such as:
    1. radio and television
    2. social media

7.4 Emergency Public Information

7.4.1 General

  1. The emergency information function during an emergency shall be carried out in accordance with the Provincial Emergency Information Plan (PEIP).
  2. The PEIP describes the means by which prompt and co-ordinated information from the Ontario government is disseminated to the public, media, Members of the Provincial Parliament, other levels of government, Ontario ministries, Emergency Response Organizations and when appropriate, private sector organizations.
  3. The Provincial Chief Emergency Information Officer (PCEIO) shall ensure that emergency information on the status of the emergency, the measures being taken to mitigate it, and actions to be taken by the public in response is accurate and provided in a timely manner.
  4. Multiple jurisdictions (federal, provincial, municipal, other) are involved in the response and, as such, every effort shall be made to ensure that the information being developed is consistent in content and issued in a co-ordinated manner. In this regard, consideration shall be given to establishing a Joint Information Centre, co-ordinated by the Provincial Chief Information Officer, whenever the province adopts a partial or full activation response.
  5. The PEIP shall be activated by the Chief Emergency Information Section of the PEOC to support a partial or a full activation response. The PEOC Commander may consider releasing emergency information upon adoption of an enhanced monitoring response, in which case the PEIP should be activated.
  6. The PCEIO may dispatch provincial emergency information liaison officers to the local Emergency Information Centre as soon as the need for assistance arises or, when a partial or full activation response is implemented.

7.4.2 Responsibility

  1. A Provincial Emergency Information Plan shall be developed in advance by the Provincial Chief Emergency Information Officer (PCEIO) and shall be implemented by the Emergency Information Section of the PEOC during a nuclear or radiological emergency. It shall contain a communications strategy to achieve the principles stated above.
  2. Information relating to the emergency shall be issued through the Provincial Emergency Information Section (Section 4.7). Ministries of the province should channel emergency information related to their areas of responsibility, and information they wish to release to the public, through the Provincial Emergency Information Section.
  3. Federal agency representatives in the Emergency Information Section should ensure coordination and consistency of any information being released by any federal agency, including the federal spokesperson in Ottawa, with Provincial emergency information.
  4. The PCEIO may dispatch staff to the local Emergency Information Centre to provide assistance and to ensure that the information being issued locally remains consistent and co-ordinated with that being released by other jurisdictions.

7.5 Transportation Management

7.5.1 General

  1. A transportation management methodology and plans shall be developed in advance to manage evacuations, as well as the transportation impact in the surrounding areas, during a nuclear or radiological emergency response.
  2. The transportation management methodology shall provide the framework for the development of an overall, wide-ranging plan as well as for detailed site-specific Unified Transportation Management Plans (UTMP) developed for each nuclear area.
  3. A site-specific transportation management plan shall be developed for each of the following areas:
    1. Pickering NGS
    2. Darlington NGS
    3. Bruce NGS
    4. Chalk River Laboratories
    5. Fermi 2
  4. The transportation management methodology shall inform decisions on public direction and emergency public information (Sections 7.3 and 7.4).

7.5.2 Responsibility

  1. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is responsible for coordinating the development, maintenance, and implementation of all-hazards evacuation transportation management methodology and site-specific Unified Transportation Management Plans (UTMPs) for nuclear and radiological emergency response and recovery.
  2. Each site-specific UTMP, shall:
    1. Identify decision-making authorities.
    2. Identify the roles and responsibilities of each participating organization.
    3. Identify notification, communication, and reporting structures and procedures.
    4. Identify strategies and mechanism that may be utilized to manage transportation aspects of evacuation and the transportation impacts in surrounding areas.
    5. Ensure timely input to public direction and emergency information processes.
  3. A Unified Transportation Coordination Centre (UTCC), either physically or virtually, shall be resourced to provide overall coordination of the transportation management function and implementation of the UTMPs.
  4. A UTCC representative shall be tasked as the liaison between the UTCC and the MTO PEOC representatives within the PEOC Operations Section.

7.6 Environmental Radiation and Assurance Monitoring

7.6.1 General

  1. The Environmental Radiation and Assurance Monitoring Group (ERAMG) Plan shall describe the means by which the environment, water, milk and foodstuffs are sampled and analyzed during a nuclear or radiological emergency, to determine their safety.
  2. Environmental radiation and assurance monitoring shall be carried out by the ERAMG, a subgroup of the PEOC Scientific Section (see Paragraph 4.8.8 g)).
  3. The ERAMG is tasked with gathering and analyzing radiological data during a nuclear or radiological emergency and is composed of:
    1. a PEOC- based unit; and
    2. two field-based units

7.6.2 Responsibility

  1. The OFMEM is responsible for the development of the ERAMG Plan in coordination with the members described in c) below.
  2. Scientific and technical direction is provided by Ministry of Labour (MOL) and Health Canada (HC) whose representatives shall report directly to the Chief of the Scientific Section.
  3. The ERAMG includes representatives from the following organizations:
    1. Ministry of Labour (MOL)
    2. Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC)
    3. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
    4. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHTLC)
    5. Health Canada (HC)
    6. Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
    7. Reactor facility operators:
      • Bruce, Pickering and Darlington NGS
      • Chalk River Laboratories
  4. While Health Canada and the CFIA are the only federal organizations specifically named above, other federal departmentsmay be involved in accordance with the Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan.
  5. The ERAMG may also include additional supporting members such as the Dairy Farmers of Ontario.

7.7 Public Alerting

7.7.1 General

  1. Public alerting is undertaken using a sound signal system to inform the affected population that a nuclear emergency is about to occur.
  2. Public alerting shall be accomplished within 15 minutes of initiation of the system in order to alert the population in the affected emergency planning zone(s) that they may be required to undertake default or immediate protective measures. The PNERP site-specific implementing plans shall include details on the emergency planning zones that may be so affected.
  3. The timing of the public alerting sound signals should be co-ordinated with the public direction and emergency public information (Sections 7.3 and 7.4). 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.
  4. Municipalities shall ensure an initial evaluation of any new public alerting system is completed to verify that the requirements under this PNERP have been met. Further, regular integrated testing of existing public alerting systems shall be included as a component of municipal exercise programs.
  5. Populations requiring protective measures due to a transborder nuclear emergency or other radiological emergency may be alerted by community or Provincial public alerting systems, or both.

7.7.2 Responsibility

  1. The designated municipalities in Detailed Planning Zones (Annex A) shall have plans providing for public alerting systems meeting the requirements in Section 7.7.1 above.
  2. Pursuant to Section 5 of the EMCPA, plans of lower-tier municipalities whose populations reside within the required alerting area shall conform to the plans in a) above.
  3. The operators of the Pickering, Darlington and Bruce NGS and Chalk River Laboratories, pursuant to the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, shall provide resources and assistance to designated municipalities in their respective Detailed Planning Zones to establish and maintain a public alerting system in their Detailed Planning Zone.
  4. The all-hazards municipal alerting system in place in the Town of Amherstburg may be used for a nuclear emergency.
  5. OFMEM shall co-ordinate with appropriate stakeholders to establish public alerting arrangements for the Town of Amherstburg for a nuclear emergency at the Fermi 2 nuclear station.

7.8 Radiation Health Response Plan

7.8.1 General

  1. The Radiation Health Response Plan (RHRP) shall set out a comprehensive, province wide approach to health sector planning and response for nuclear and radiological emergencies of deliberate or accidental nature.
  2. The RHRP shall provide guidance to ensure the readiness, as far as practical, of the Ontario health sector to respond to a nuclear or radiological emergency so that the risk of illness and death is minimized, and health workers are protected.
  3. The RHRP shall:
    1. Establish health sector roles and responsibilities during the planning, response, and recovery phases of a nuclear or radiological emergency.
    2. Describe operational concepts and response principles.
    3. Cover co-ordination related to the entire health system for planning, response, and recovery phases.
    4. Describe the implementation of precautionary and protective measures for the health system.
    5. Provide public health response guidance for mitigating radiation exposure and contamination of the public.
    6. Provide public health response guidance for mitigating the psychosocial impacts that may occur as an indirect consequence of the emergency.

7.8.2 Responsibility

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is responsible for the development and maintenance of the RHRP to provide the necessary guidance to Ontario's health sector including:

  1. Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs)
  2. paramedic services
  3. hospitals
  4. cancer centres
  5. public health units

7.9 Personal Monitoring and Decontamination

7.9.1 General

  1. Personal monitoring determines the presence of contamination on members of the public, emergency workers, and their vehicles. If present, decontamination may reduce or remove contamination.
  2. Facilities and provisions for personal monitoring and decontamination for members of the public, emergency workers and their vehicles shall be established (Annex B) and resourced with specialized equipment and expertise to undertake this function (Section 7.9.2).

7.9.2 Responsibility

  1. Personal monitoring and decontamination of the public, emergency workers and their vehicles shall be accomplished as follows:
  2. The MOHLTC is responsible for coordinating the setup of monitoring and decontamination facilities whenever the province activates its Implementing Plan for Other Radiological Emergencies. Additional details on monitoring and decontamination facilities are provided in the RHRP.
  3. The incident reactor facility, pursuant to the Regulations of Class I Facilities under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act, has responsibility for the radiation monitoring and decontamination activities at centres established for the public and emergency workers (Annex B). This includes staffing, equipment, procedures, training and operation (Annex I, Appendices 13 and 16).
  4. Municipalities shall ensure that their municipal emergency plans include provisions for the establishment, administration and operation of the non-radiological components of centres housing the monitoring and decontamination facilities for the public and for emergency workers.
  5. OFMEM shall co-ordinate with appropriate stakeholders to establish monitoring and decontamination arrangements for the Town of Amherstburg for a nuclear emergency at the Fermi 2 nuclear station.

7.10 Emergency Workers

7.10.1 General

Annex H provides guidance for ensuring emergency worker safety in a nuclear emergency as well as dose limits for emergency workers during nuclear and radiological emergencies.

7.10.2 Responsibility

  1. Emergency worker organizations should ensure the provision of equipment and training to their personnel, as appropriate, to enable them to respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies. The equipment should include personal dosimeters, and other Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required.
  2. Emergency worker organizations may access the necessary equipment and training through mutual aid agreements or through the reactor facility, as necessary.

7.10.3 Emergency Worker Protective Action Strategy

  1. General
    1. Emergency organizations shall ensure that their emergency workers are equipped with the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to prevent contamination, including personal dosimeters as required.
    2. Generic criteria, administrative controls (e.g. turn-back limits, stay times) and PPE are detailed in Annex H and should be used to ensure emergency worker safety.
    3. One or more Emergency Worker Centre (Annex B) shall be established to monitor and decontaminate emergency workers and to maintain their radiation records. Emergency workers shall be provided, as necessary, with:
      • personal monitoring devices
      • protective equipment
    4. Emergency Worker Centre staff shall advise emergency workers registered with them to not incur any exposure that would cause them to exceed exposure limits.
    5. The Scientific Section in the PEOC shall periodically (as defined in Scientific Section Procedures) assign and communicate to all organizations, the safety status colour code of all sectors in which emergency workers may be required to operate.
    6. Dose rate criteria for determining safety status and the precautions associated with each status are described in Annex H, Appendix 1.
    7. Safety status shall be determined as follows:
      • Initially, as described in the relevant implementing plan.
      • If the release is imminent or ongoing, the assignment of safety status should be done immediately.
      • If the release is delayed, the assignment of safety status should be done approximately 2 hours prior to the release.
      • Thereafter, periodically by the PEOC Scientific Section.
    8. Emergency workers should observe the precautions appropriate to the safety status of the sector they are working in.
  2. Responsibility
    1. The Minister of Labour has the mandate to ensure that employers fulfil their obligations for worker safety under the Occupational Health and Safety Act during nuclear and radiological emergencies (Annex I, Appendix 8).
    2. During a nuclear emergency:
      • Designated municipalities shall include provisions in their municipal plans for the establishment of Emergency Worker Centres. Locations for these centres should ideally be able to accommodate the co-location of an ERAMG Command Post for field monitoring purposes.
      • Reactor facilities shall support Emergency Worker Centres as described in Annex I, Appendix 13 Reactor Facility Responsibilities and according to provisions in their emergency plans and procedures.
    3. During a radiological emergency monitoring and decontamination of emergency workers shall be conducted as described in the Radiation Health Response Plan (MOHLTC).

7.11 Venting of Containment

Requirements for venting radioactivity from reactor containment systems, following a Pickering, Darlington or Bruce NGS accident, are described in Annex G.

7.12 Reception and Care of Evacuees

7.12.1 General

  1. Reception Centres may be the first destination for evacuees who require assistance following evacuation from their homes and shall be set up to provide the following functions:
    1. registration & inquiry
    2. accommodation allocations at evacuation centres
    3. first-aid
    4. monitoring and decontamination (co-location optional)
  2. Evacuation Centres provide food, shelter and other services (e.g., family reunification and emergency social services) to people evacuated as a result of a nuclear or radiological emergency.
  3. Reception and Evacuation Centres may be co-located or separately located.

7.12.2 Responsibility

  1. In a nuclear emergency, emergency social service needs (e.g., reception, registration and inquiry, shelter, food, clothing and personal services) for members of the public who have been evacuated from their homes, shall be assessed and provided by:
    1. Host municipalities designated under this plan; or
    2. Municipalities directed to provide support or assistance under a provincial emergency declaration (Section 1.5).
  2. In a radiological emergency, emergency social service needs (e.g., reception, registration and inquiry, shelter, food, clothing and personal services) for members of the public who have been evacuated from their homes:
    1. May be provided under the provisions of existing municipal mutual assistance agreements; or
    2. Shall be provided by municipalities ordered to provide support or assistance under a provincial emergency declaration (Section 1.5).

7.12.3 Population Monitoring and Medical Management Protective Action Strategy

  1. General
    1. Population monitoring and medical management may be required in the event of a radioactive release. Monitoring may be conducted in the absence of a release to provide assurances to the public.
    2. Guidance for population monitoring is provided in Annex F to this plan as well as in the MOHLTC Radiation Health Response Plan.
    3. The MOHLTC Radiation Health Response Plan outlines the methods by which population monitoring, decontamination and medical management functions may be provided:
      • by CBRNE teams at the site of a radiological incident
      • at a hospital when there are contaminated casualties
      • at personally determined evacuation destinations by undertaking self-decontamination
      • at a Monitoring and Decontamination Unit (MDU)
    4. Operational Intervention Levels (OIL) for population monitoring and medical management are provided in Annex E, Appendix 2 of this plan.
  2. Responsibility
    1. The PEOC Commander, shall direct population monitoring, decontamination, and medical management as appropriate, in consultation with the affected designated municipalities.
    2. Population monitoring, decontamination and medical management should be implemented by activating the monitoring and decontamination facilities administered by the designated municipalities and resourced by the reactor facilities as well as under the provisions of the MOHLTC Radiation Health Response Plan.
    3. Population monitoring, decontamination and medical management shall be directed via emergency bulletins issued by the PEOC Commander to the affected public (see Section 7.3).

7.13 Protection and Care of Animals

7.13.1 General

  1. Pursuant to Section 7.0.2. (4) of the EMCPA, provincial evacuation orders can include animals under a declared provincial emergency.
  2. Any emergency that affects humans may affect their animals whether these are raised for foodstuff production, kept as companion or service animals or for other purposes, such as in zoos.

7.13.2 Responsibility

  1. Municipal emergency response plans should make provisions for the protection and care of all animals per 7.13.1 b) above, including those left behind during an evacuation.
  2. Designated municipalities should consult with the following for assistance in developing plans for the protection and care of animals:
    1. Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) (whose mandate is to protect all animals in Ontario)
    2. OMAFRA (provincial lead on farm animal disease (OIC 1492/2005))
    3. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR) for issues pertaining to wildlife
  3. During a nuclear or radiological emergency, the PEOC should provide assistance to the stakeholders above as required for the protection and care of animals.

7.14 Management of Radioactive Waste

7.14.1 General

  1. The amount of radioactive waste generated as a result of nuclear and radiological emergencies is dependent on the methods used for decontamination of persons, vehicles, structures and the environment.
  2. The management of radioactive waste resulting from the nuclear or radiological emergency depends on the magnitude of the waste's radioactivity, the availability of disposal sites and the level of waste they accept.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

7.14.2 Responsibility

  1. Planning for the management of radioactive waste generated by the emergency should preferably begin during the intermediate phase.
  2. When appropriate, the PEOC Commander shall appoint a working group to develop a waste management plan, comprised of representatives of:
    1. provincial ministries (e.g., MOECC, ENERGY, MOL and MTO)
    2. federal departments (e.g., CNSC, Environment, and NRC)
    3. municipal public works departments
    4. reactor facility environmental specialists
    5. private sector organizations, as applicable
  3. The above organizations should identify, at the preparedness stage, available resources which may aid in this endeavour.

7.15 Liquid Emission Response

7.15.1 General

  1. A liquid emission results from a release of radioisotopes to a water supply source such as a lake, river, groundwater, etc.
  2. The response to a liquid emission will depend on:
    1. Whether it is occurring in conjunction with an airborne emission
    2. The source of the liquid emission
  3. The following guidance should be used in determining the response mechanism to be followed in the event of a liquid emission:
    1. Where a liquid emission has occurred at a reactor facility and has not occurred in conjunction with an event that meets the notification category system as detailed in the Implementing Plans (Pickering, Darlington, Bruce Power, CRL), it shall be dealt with under the Liquid Emission Response Procedure for the applicable reactor facility.
    2. Where a liquid emission has occurred at a reactor facility in conjunction with an event that meets the notification category system as detailed in the Implementing Plans (Pickering, Darlington, Bruce Power, CRL), it shall be dealt with under the applicable PNERP Implementing Plan.
    3. The Other Radiological Emergencies Implementing Plan to the PNERP shall be applied in the event of Liquid Emissions occurring as a result of:
      • Accidents or occurrences at nuclear establishments.
      • Accidents or occurrences during the transportation of radioactive material.
      • Radiological Dispersal Devices (RDD)/Radiological Exposure Devices (REDs)
      • Radiological Device (RD)
      • Lost/stolen/orphan sources
      • Satellite re-entry
      • Nuclear weapon detonation

7.15.2 Responsibility

  1. The Provincial Liquid Emission Response Plan (PLERP) shall be developed and maintained by the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) for each of the reactor facilities described under 7.15.1c).
  2. Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change legislation for spills and other discharges to the environment, including Part X of the Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, shall support the provincial response under the PLERP.