Plan for national nuclear energy preparedness

The responsibility for Denmark's preparedness for nuclear emergencies lies with the Ministry of the Interior and the Civil Defense administration. The latter is particularly responsible for the presented plan which clarifies the organization and the measures to be taken in order to protect the public where, in the event of such an emergency, it could be in danger of radiation from radioactive materials. The main specifications of the plan, the activation of which covers the whole country, are that daily monitoring should be carried out so that warnings of nuclear accidents can be immediately conveyed to the relevant parties and that immediate action can be taken. These actions should result in the best possible protection against nuclear radiation so that acute and chronic damage to the health of members of the public can be restricted. The public, and relevant authorities should be informed of the situation and it should be attempted to regulate the reactions of individuals and of the society in general in such a way that damage to health, or social and economical conditions, can be restricted as much as possible. Denmark has not itself any atomic power plants, but some are located in neighbour countries and there are other sources such as nuclear research reactors, passing nuclear-driven ships etc. The detailed plan also covers possible sources of radiation, the nature of related damage to health, international cooperation, legal aspects, and a very detailed description of the overall administration and of the responsibilities of the organizations involved. (AB)