Incorporation of IAEA recommendations in the Spanish nuclear emergency plan

This paper describes the way in which the Spanish authorities have incorporated the IAEA recommendations on the planning of action to be taken in the event of a nuclear accident, taking into account the national organization's own approach to the problem of dealing with a radiation emergency. First, the criteria and principles applied in devising the emergency plans are described. The criteria are concerned with the radiation problem as such and the principles take into account the sum total of problems associated with an emergency. Organizational and operational aspects of the plan are then discussed. The extent to which these arrangements are brought into play is determined by the type of abnormal event which occurs in the facility; since the evolution of this event cannot be exactly predicted, there must be enough flexibility in the operational plan so that it can be adapted rapidly and effectively to the circumstances. Another section deals with protection measures as a function of intervention (or reference) levels. Although non-radiological considerations may affect the measures adopted, a knowledge of the risks associated with the various intervention levels gives the authority a better understanding of the situation. The Nuclear Safety Board has had to inform the civil protection authorities of the distances at which specific protection measures should be taken. Considerations and hypotheses are described which, when applied, lead to general evacuation for distances of up to 3 km from the plant, partial evacuation for up to 5 km, containment and prophylactic measures up to 10 km and water and food monitoring up to 30 km. Finally, details are given of the Training and Information Plan which is being applied at present in Spain. (author)