IMO CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. Report of co-operation activities with the IAEA. Note by the Secretariat

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1 INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION E IMO TECHNICAL GROUP OF THE MEPC ON OPRC-HNS 4th session Agenda item 6 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1 14 February 2006 ENGLISH ONLY CO-OPERATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS Report of co-operation activities with the IAEA Note by the Secretariat Executive summary: Action to be taken: Paragraph 14 SUMMARY This document presents a summary of the discussions and activities being undertaken with IAEA to strengthen co-operation with regard to maritime nuclear/radiological incidents and provides a summary of information resources that can assist those who may possibly face nuclear/radiological incidents in better preparing for and responding to incidents of this kind Related documents: MEPC 53/WP.4, MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 3/8 General 1 At its third session, the OPRC-HNS Technical Group received a report on the Secretariat s initial discussions with IAEA on general co-operation and the possibility of developing specific activities to enhance future co-operation between the two organizations on issues related to nuclear/radiological emergencies at sea or in ports. The discussions that took place were only preliminary in nature with the intention that more detailed discussions would take place at a future meeting (MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 3/8). 2 Following TG 3, the Secretariat was advised that IAEA was undergoing some staffing and organizational changes and, as such, would need some additional preparation time to become familiar with the issues prior to a second meeting with IMO to follow-up on the items discussed at the first meeting. 3 The next meeting is expected to take place in March, possibly during the week of the OPRC-HNS Technical Group, where the aforementioned issues will be discussed. Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations 4 As reported at the last session, the Secretariat has committed to providing substantive input to the 2006 edition of the Joint Radiation Emergency Management Plan of the International Organizations managed by IAEA and will submit its information in time to meet the April 2006 deadline. For reasons of economy, this document is printed in a limited number. Delegates are kindly asked to bring their copies to meetings and not to request additional copies.

2 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1-2 - IMO instruments and guidance on nuclear/radiological cargoes and nuclear-powered ships 5 The topic of the risk from nuclear/radiological cargoes and nuclear-powered ships in ports has been raised and discussed at several meetings. During these discussions, the Group has expressed interest in accessing more information and guidance for preparedness and response to nuclear/radiological incidents at sea and, in particular, in port areas. One of the particular concerns raised by the observer from the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment (ROPME) is the risk that the Gulf States face from nuclear-powered ships arriving in their ports, but without the necessary level of preparedness in place to be able to manage these should they occur. 6 To respond to this concern and the associated lack of capacity, ROPME/MEMAC is proposing to conduct a workshop to address the preparedness and response issues related to the risk from incidents involving nuclear-powered ships and have asked IMO and IAEA to support. 7 Given the importance of the topic, it is the view of the Secretariat that this should be put forward for broader discussion by the OPRC-HNS Technical Group to address the issue and the inherent challenges and possible solutions to increase preparedness for potential incidents of this type. 8 The IMO has a two-pronged approach for maritime issues related to nuclear/radiological materials:.1 nuclear cargoes; and.2 nuclear-powered ships. 9 The matter of nuclear cargoes is covered by several instruments including:.1 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, chapter III, which gives basic requirements for nuclear-powered ships and is particularly concerned with radiation hazards. It refers to the detailed and comprehensive Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships which was adopted by the IMO Assembly in Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear (NUCLEAR), 1971, provides that a person otherwise liable for damage caused in a nuclear incident shall be exonerated for liability if the operator of the nuclear installation is also liable for such damage by virtue of the Paris Convention of 29 July 1960 on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy; or the Vienna Convention of 21 May 1963 on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage; or national law which is similar in the scope of protection given to the persons who suffer damage. 10 The IMO has also developed codes and other guidance for nuclear-powered ships, which are available through the IMO publications section, including:.1 Code of Safety for Nuclear Merchant Ships, This Code (resolution A.491(XII)) was developed as a guide for Administrations to internationally accepted safety standards for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, inspection, salvage and disposal of nuclear merchant ships.

3 - 3 - MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1.2 Safety Recommendations on the Use of Ports by Nuclear Merchant Ships, The purpose of this publication is to provide guidance to host government authorities and host port authorities on the recommended precautionary measures to be considered when assessing the suitability of a port to receive nuclear merchant ships fitted with pressurized water reactors. IAEA materials on safety and for preparedness and response to nuclear/radiological emergencies 11 At its third meeting, the Technical Group requested the Secretariat to bring forward to the Group at its fourth session any materials available from IAEA to guide contingency planning for radiological/nuclear incidents in general (MEPC 53/WP.4, paragraph 8.8). 12 In this connection, the Secretariat has consulted with IAEA on available guidance materials and was subsequently directed to several pages on the IAEA website, which reference the multitude of guidance available for preparedness and response to emergencies. Two documents of particular note, as recommended by IAEA, are:.1 Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (FAO, IAEA, ILO, OCHA, OECD/NEA, PAHO, WHO), safety requirement GS-R-2; and.2 Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency updating IAEA-953 (EPR Series). 13 While some of the references indicated are available for purchase, many are available to download free of charge from the IAEA website, including the two aforementioned documents. A summary of all the relevant resources, including URLs for accessing these, is set out in the annex. Action requested of the Technical Group 14 The Technical Group is invited to:.1 note the information provided by the Secretariat on its interactions with IAEA with a view to further strengthening co-operation;.2 note the instruments, guidance and resources available through IAEA on matters related to safety for nuclear cargoes and for nuclear-powered ships as well as information on preparedness and response to incidents involving nuclear/radiological incidents; and.3 provide comments as appropriate. ***

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5 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1 ANNEX IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES RELATED TO PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TO NUCLEAR/RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES The following information can be found on the IAEA website at Specific sections are referenced with more detailed URLs below. Published Safety Standards The most recent Safety standard relating to Emergency Preparedness and Response was approved for publication in March 2002 in the Safety Standards Series. Safety Requirements GS-R-2 Title Preparedness and Response for a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency (FAO, IAEA, ILO, OCHA, OECD/NEA, PAHO, WHO). These Requirements are also available in French Published 2002 Safety standards relating to Emergency Preparedness and Response published prior to 1995/96 were issued in the IAEA Safety Series, most of which are currently being revised and updated. Here is a selection of the most relevant: Safety Series No. Title Published International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (FAO, IAEA, ILO, OECD/NEA, PAHO, WHO) Intervention Criteria in a Nuclear or Radiation Emergency Techniques and Decision Making in the Assessment of Off-Site Consequences of an Accident in a Nuclear Facility

6 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1 ANNEX Page 2 Safety Standards under development Safety standards relating to Emergency Preparedness and Response are being developed to update, consolidate, streamline and where necessary expand on the standards published prior to 1995/96. The new standards will supersede some of the relevant Safety Series documents and will be published in the new IAEA Safety Standards Series. There will be only three Safety Standards in the area of Emergency Preparedness and Response, namely: Planned Safety Guides DS105 DS44 Proposed Title Preparedness for Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies Criteria for Use in Planning Response to Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies Expected Technical tools The IAEA is authorized under its statutes: to provide for the application of its standards for the protection of health, life and property to peaceful nuclear activities; and to foster the exchange of information relating to nuclear activities. Moreover, under the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, one of the Agency s functions is to collect and disseminate to States Parties and Member States information concerning relevant methodologies, techniques and available results of research relating to response to nuclear accidents or radiological emergencies; and to develop appropriate radiation monitoring programmes and procedures. The IAEA fulfills these functions in part through publication of, amongst others, Safety Reports (SR), Technical Reports (TR), Technical Documents (TECDOC), and Accident Reports. These publications are informational in nature. They may describe good practices and give practical examples and detailed methods that can be used to meet safety standards. They do not establish requirements or make recommendations. Associated with the practical manuals the IAEA has developed standardized training material that is used for supporting all its technical co-operation work. This material is not as yet published, but may be made available on request.

7 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1 ANNEX Page 3 Establishing Capabilities for Response Series Title Published EPR- METHOD Method for Developing Arrangements for Response to a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency updating IAEA- 953 material for developing a national capability for response to nuclear/radiological (E/R/S) 2003 Nuclear Emergencies 955 SS-73 INTERRAS Generic assessment procedures for determining protective actions during a reactor accident Emergency Preparedness Exercises for Nuclear Facilities: Preparation, Conduct and Evaluation (under revision) material for reactor accident assessment and response (E/R) A computer code for assessing the need for protective actions in the event of a nuclear accident; Version 1.3 (under revision) Radiological Emergencies 1162 Generic procedures for assessment and response during a radiological emergency (E/R) material for generic procedures for assessment and response during radiological emergencies (E/R/S) 2000 Emergency Monitoring 1092 Generic procedures for monitoring in a nuclear or radiological emergency material for emergency monitoring procedures (E/R) 1999

8 MEPC/OPRC-HNS/TG 4/6/1 ANNEX Page 4 Medical preparedness and Response SR-2 SR-4 Poster Leaflet Diagnosis and treatment of radiation injuries (IAEA/WHO) Planning the medical response to radiological accidents (IAEA/WHO) How to recognize and initially respond to an accidental radiation injury (IAEA/WHO) (E). Arabic; Chinese; French; Spanish; Russian How to recognize and initially respond to an accidental radiation injury (IAEA/WHO) (E). Arabic; Chinese; French; Spanish; Russian material for medical preparedness and response to a nuclear or radiological emergency (IAEA/WHO) (E) Past Accidents Publications on Accident Response Follow-up of Delayed Health Consequences of Acute Accidental Radiation Exposure. Lessons to be Learned from Their Medical Management Dosimetric and medical aspects of the radiological accident in Goiânia in 1987 Listing of past accidents with radiological consequences available for downloading Orders and requests for information may be addressed directly to: Sales and Promotion Unit International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramerstrasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria Telephone: (or 22530) Facsimile: sales.publications@iaea.org Website: