What measures have been taken to ensure efficient communication lines between all institutions related to emergency preparedness?

For the communications between the institutions related to the emergency preparedness the following diverse and independent communication means are provided:

• public telephone and facsimile lines,

• radio system between the civil protection units,

• Govermental radio system,

• e-mail communication,

• teletype machine (telex),

• mobile telephones.

In specific cases the communication is via specific lines dedicated to the communication in railway system or to the power distribution system.

There are the following computer network systems:

• CROSS: for the collection of gamma dose rate measurements from the probes located on the Slovenian territory,

• EIS: to provide meteorological data in the Krsko area and radiation measurements from the power plant radiation monitors,

• ERDS: to provide the on line readings of the specific power plant parameters during the accident.

When will the remaining non-conformances identified by the RS Administration for Rescue and Disaster Relief regarding emergency preparedness at the Krsko nuclear power plant be eliminated?

The question should be further clarified. In the report related to the Nuclear Safety Convention, the non-conformances are not mentioned. If the question is related to the Report on Nuclear and Radiation Safety in 1997, it should be added, that the non-conformances which were mentioned to be corrected after the inspection of the Inspectorate for the Protection against Natural and Other Disasters, were related to the organisational aspects and not to the nuclear safety.

In assessing the radiological release due to a nuclear accident, have "worst case scenario" assumptions been applied?

Yes. The assessment of radiological release comprises the core melt with the catastrophic failure of the containment in the stable weather conditions.

What kind of on-site emergency exercises is performed at the Krsko NPP?

What is the frequency of these exercises?

NPP Krsko performs three types of emergency exercises:

• Tabletop exercises once per 2 years;

• Onsite integrated exercises once per 2 years;

• Onsite - offsite full-scale exercises once per 5 to 6 years.

Additionally NPP Krsko conducts the following partial emergency drills on annual basis:

• Emergency response organisation and facility activation;

• Evacuation and accountability;

• Radiation monitoring and dose assessment (3 to 5 times per year);

• Medical response;

• Communications;

Fire protection (monthly).

What is the estimated evacuation time of the population inside the 3 Km radius around the Krsko plant?

The evacuation time for the population inside the 3-km radius was estimated in the study "Evacuation Time Estimates for the Plume Exposure Pathway in the Emergency Planning Zone of the Krsko NPP". The result varies from 160 min for fair weather to 200 min for the adverse weather.

What are the means used for alarming the population in the situation of Site Emergency and General Emergency?

In the situation of the Site Emergency or General Emergency the sirens are used for alarming the population. The instructions and notifications are given through the local and national media.

How is Iodine prophylactics applied? What are the criteria for distribution of Iodine tablets? Who keeps the tablets and who distribute them?

The criterion for the distribution of KI tablets is in accordance with the latest IAEA recommendations (IAEA-SS 109, 1994) - the avertable dose 100 mGy to the thyroid in two days. The tablets are kept in three places: in the NPP for the NPP personnel and in the warehouses of the two civil protection headquarters of the nearby municipal communitie. The non-professional members of the civil protection perform distribution of the tablets and a plan for distribution of KI tablets had been devised.

At which level of the INES scale do the events taken into consideration for the emergency planning correspond? What releases in terms of I-131 equivalent do those events involve?

INES scale was designed only for informing the general public about the safety relevance of the events and is not intended for the emergency planning. The NPP Krsko adopted the NUREG-0654 classification methodology. Assumed I-131 equivalent releases asumed during emergency situation are:

• 0 Bq for anusual event clasification,

• 3.7 x 1011 Bq for alert,

• less than 3.7 x 1013 Bq for site emergency, and

• more than 3.7 x 1013 Bq for general emergency.

Which are the reference dose levels adopted for the implementation of the various countermeasures?

Intervention levels and countermeasures follow IAEA SS 109, 1994.

Which are the modes established to inform the public during the emergency?

During the emergency the public is informed through the local and the state public media - radio and TV.

16.1. On-site and off-site emergency plans

The report indicates that evacuation is planned if the projected dose in one hour is higher than 10mSv. The international recommendation requires evacuation if the projected dose is between 100 and 500 mSv. Could Slovenia comment on its approach?

During General Emergency evacuation is recommended in the radius of 3 km if the projected whole body dose at 500 m (based on actual measured release) is 10 mSv in 1 hour or 50 mSv in one hour to thyroid. In general new intervention criteria used in Slovenia follow the recommendations of the IAEA SS-109 (Intervention Criteria in a Nuclear or Radiation Emergency).

Are there computerised support systems to understand the status of the installation, to predict accident progression and the doses around the plant?

There are computerised support systems to understand the status of the installation such as:

• critical functions display monitor, 

• software for real time core activity calculation, real time evaluation of the in-containment release, and for dose projection around the plant based on some main indicators of the plant status,

• ERDS available to SNSA,

• on-line gamma monitoring network in the vicinity of the plant available to the NPP and SNSA,

• on-line aerosol monitoring stations (Ljubljana, NPP Krsko site - operational this year).

16.2. Information

Is the population living in the vicinity of the plant informed of the emergency planning measures?

Yes.

Due to the proximity of Krsko NPP to the Croatian border, have specific arrangements being established to be applied during radiation emergencies?

The zone of long term countermeasures covers also a part of Croatia. In case of nuclear emergency Croatia would be notified as it is requested by the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident and also a bilateral agreement between Croatia and Slovenia on the early exchange of information in case of a nuclear or radiation emergency, and bilateral agreement on protection against natural and other disasters. Based on the agreement on exchange of information the two radiation warning systems of both countries shall be connected by the end of 2001.

How is the joint ownership and the closeness to Croatia accounted for in emergency planning? How will information be passed on to Croatia in an emergency situation? How does Croatia participate in exercises?

The above mentioned bilateral agreements form a sound basis to achieve prompt notification of the Croatian authorities. For the time being there has not been a joint international exercise with Croatia yet though the experts from the Croatian regulatory body participated in emergency drills at SNSA. Through the participation in the Nuclear Safety Expert Commission the Croatian experts are also familiar with the new National Emergency Plan. The co-operation between Croatia and Slovenia in the emergency preparedness shall be further enhanced. So far the close proximity of the Croatian border has not been enough accounted for in the emergency planning.

Please provide an overview of the on-site emergency response organisation and the accident management principles at Krsko. Who decides on emergency classification and alarming? Which training and exercises are carried out annually?

The first level of the emergency or initial response in case of the higher level of the emergency is managed by the on-shift emergency response organisation. Immediate responses also assure off-site support organisations - for medical and fire emergency handling. The shift supervisor assumes the function of the emergency director.

Emergency director is responsible for the classification of the emergency, for the assessment of the radiological consequences of the accident and recommendation of the protective actions for the public and notifications of the off-site authorities about the status of the emergency.

The full-scope on-site emergency response organisation is activated in case of the second or higher level of the emergency. The emergency response organisation is composed of the main control room, technical support centre (TSC) and operations support centre (OSC) emergency response organisation. 

The TSC is the on-site emergency response facility organised for the overall managing and co-ordination NPP Krsko's emergency response. When the TSC is activated the shift supervisor is relieved from the function of the emergency director and the technical director or his alternate assumes the function of the emergency director. He has the responsibility and authority for the overall NPP Krsko emergency management. He is supported by the radiation protection co-ordinator, operations support co-ordinator, engineering support co-ordinator, maintenance co-ordinators, dose assessment co-ordinator, security co-ordinator, administration and logistic support co-ordinator, chemistry co-ordinator and core damage assessment co-ordinator. They are also located in TSC. The shift supervisor in main control room is directly responsible to the emergency director.

The OSC is the on-site emergency response facility. From the OSC the emergency response teams are dispatched. The following emergency response teams are located in the OSC: radiation protection team, maintenance teams, chemistry team, first aid team, fire protection team and reserve team of the operators. The OSC co-ordinator co-ordinates the OSC. He is responsible to the emergency director. 

Additional to the radiological emergency response plan (RERP) and RERP implementing procedures (EIPs) the abnormal operating procedures (AOPs), emergency operating procedures (EOPs), severe accident management guidelines (SAMGs), radiation protection and other site specific procedures are developed for the on-site emergency management.

Now, the NPP Krsko is establishing the Off-site emergency operational facility (EOF) as the part of the on-site emergency response organisation. The EOF will be activated at the third or the fourth level of the emergency. 

The following type of the training and exercises are carried out annually for the members of the NPP Krsko's emergency response organisation and off-site support organisations:

• Initial emergency preparedness training for the new members of the emergency response organisation;

• Re-qualification emergency preparedness training which consists of the general and special emergency preparedness training like a dose assessment, emergency classification, notifications, use of the respiratory protection etc.;

• the emergency response organisation and facilities activation drill (once per year);

• the evacuation and accountability drill (once per year);

• the radiation monitoring and dose assessment drill (3 to 5 times per year);

• the medical response drill (once per year);

• the fire protection drill (once per month);

• the tabletop exercises (once per 2 years);

• the onsite integrated exercises (once per 2 years);

• the onsite-offsite full-scale exercises (once per 5 to 6 years).

Who and when will inform Croatian authority in case of an emergency in NPP Krsko?

Is there certain notification form with important information regarding emergency that would be forwarded to the authorities of neighbouring countries?

The Croatian authorities will be promptly informed in accordance with bilateral agreement between Croatia and Slovenia on the early exchange of information in case of a nuclear or radiation emergency and with the Convention on Early Notification in case of a Nuclear or Radiation Emergency. Initial notification and susequent additional information will be received from the SNSA and also through the IAEA. The form will be as it is foreseen for the IAEA Convention i.e. form on Notification of the Accident?.

Bilateral agreements are also in force with Hungary and Austria. All the bilateral agreements are based on the IAEA Convention and on the EU Council Decision of 1987.