Contradictions or even arbitrariness in nuclear disaster control? Recommendations from the Commission for Radiation Protection on the planning-zones for emergency management

At the beginning of 2014 the German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) has issued recommendations for the planning-zones for civil protection around German nuclear power plants. The SSK recommends a significant expansion of the planning areas (to quadruplicate up to sextuple) which relies on an assumption of radionuclide release similar to that of Fukushima. However, a scientific and technical reason for the now necessary inclusion of such release for the civil protection planning has not yet been provided by the SSK. Due to in-depth scientific-technical considerations, German nuclear disaster control should not be based on the SSK recommendations. Besides, any measures should be harmonised with the neighbouring countries and within the EU member states. (orig.)