Valahia 2016 Exercise

Presentation of the Valahia 2016 exercise (Film)

Official launch of the Valahia 2016 Exercise

On Monday, 19 September this year, starting at 11.00, at the Sheraton Hotel in Bucharest, the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) organized the launch event of the Valahia 2016 national exercise. The main purpose of this event was to inform the participants about how the Valahia 2016 national exercise would be conducted. During this event, the organizers presented the objectives of the exercise and answered questions from the representatives of all the national and local institutions involved in conducting this exercise.

The Valahia 2016 Exercise is supported through the Norway Grants programme of the Norwegian Government, in cooperation with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority, and its main purpose is to test the nuclear emergency response capability of the central and local public authorities by simulating a nuclear emergency situation at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The exercise will verify and confirm the integration of the nuclear emergency response plans and procedures into the national emergency management system. At the same time, it will seek to test the participating organizations' understanding of their emergency response roles, responsibilities and capabilities, as well as to identify best practices and the areas where improvements are required, following the evaluation of the exercise.

Through our involvement in preparing the conduct of this exercise, we aim to demonstrate to the local community, to the international community and to the public that we are fully aware of and attentive to compliance with the requirements for safety, security and the protection of the population and the environment.

The institutions involved in conducting the Valahia 2016 Exercise are: CNCAN, Cernavodă NPP, Cernavodă Town Hall, the Constanța Prefecture, Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Government Operational Command Centre and the Bucharest Emergency Hospital.

This type of exercise is standard practice in the nuclear field, aimed at constantly improving the response capability and at ensuring a prompt and effective response to nuclear and radiological emergencies.

„In the event of a nuclear emergency, the role of CNCAN, as regulatory authority, is to ensure the control of nuclear activities in any context and to implement the related measures in accordance with the institution's responsibilities and with the legislation. Organizing the Valahia 2016 exercise is a natural process of directly testing CNCAN's capabilities, of observing the degree of coordination and functionality of the integrated response at national level, of evaluating all the tested parameters during and after the exercise, and of proposing corrective measures, where appropriate. This is a way of working specific to all regulators and an effective measure of proactive control and evaluation. We are interested in obtaining relevant and objective data on the basis of which we can improve continuously. The effectiveness of the regulator lies in correct diagnosis in a proactive manner”, Gabril PETRE, President of the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (“CNCAN”).

From 4 to 6 October 2016, CNCAN, together with the governmental authorities involved in the management of emergency situations and Societatea Naţională Nuclearelectrica SA (“SNN”), is organizing the national nuclear emergency response exercise Valahia 2016.

The objectives of the Valahia 2016 exercise are:

• testing the nuclear and radiological emergency response plans and the interfaces between the emergency response organizations;
• testing the cooperation relationships and instruments of the participating organizations, as well as the way in which they are implemented;
• testing the duties, responsibilities and capabilities of the participating organizations, as well as their integration into the National Emergency Management System;
• identifying current best practices, deficiencies and areas requiring improvement.

During the Valahia 2016 exercise, a nuclear emergency situation will be simulated at the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant, on the basis of a confidential scenario, in order to test the emergency response capability of all the participating organizations. The objectives relating to the response of the local and central authorities involved in conducting the Valahia 2016 exercise will be evaluated on the basis of evaluation criteria applicable nationally and internationally to this type of testing.

Organizing exercises for the response to a nuclear or radiological emergency is standard practice in the nuclear field. Such exercises are frequently carried out by the regulatory bodies in the field and by nuclear power plant operators, with the involvement of the responsible local and national authorities, for the purpose of continuously improving emergency response, informing the public correctly and ensuring all protective measures in the unlikely event of a nuclear emergency.

The following main response functions will be evaluated, functions for which inter-institutional coordination plays a major role in meeting the success criteria:

• the notification information flow and the operational flow;
• protection of the public and of workers;
• the exchange of scientific/technical data;
• ensuring the effectiveness of the medical response;
• coordination of the organizations in the public communication and information process.

The organizations involved in the Valahia 2016 exercise are: CNCAN, SNN, Cernavodă Town Hall, the Constanţa Prefecture, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Bucharest Emergency Hospital and the Government Operational Command Centre.

The Valahia 2016 Exercise is supported through the international Norway Grants programme of the Norwegian Government, in cooperation with the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.

Evaluator's Manual

Role and Responsibilities for Nuclear Emergency Response

Purpose, objectives and limitations of the Valahia 2016 exercise

Participant's guide

Evaluation Report of the Valahia 2016 Exercise

Photos of the Valahia 2016 national exercise