IAEA Completes Review of Finland's Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness

An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert team recently concluded a review of Finland's nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response framework. The Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV) was conducted at the request of the Finnish government, hosted by the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), with the mission taking place from August 24 to September 2.

The review team focused on assessing Finland's arrangements and capabilities for responding to nuclear and radiological emergencies, benchmarking them against IAEA safety standards. Finland currently operates five nuclear power reactor units at two sites: the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant and the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. The Loviisa plant is located approximately 90 kilometers northeast of Helsinki, while the Olkiluoto plant is situated approximately 270 kilometers northwest of Helsinki. The Olkiluoto site also hosts the Onkalo spent nuclear fuel geological repository, the world's first geological disposal facility for final disposal of spent fuel.

Beyond the nuclear power sector, radioactive sources are widely used in Finland in medical, industrial, and research applications. During the review, the EPREV team met with key government ministries, national and regional police and rescue authorities, and local public agencies responsible for nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response, and visited the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant and reviewed off-site emergency response arrangements for the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. The team also visited the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear training center at Satasairaala Hospital, a food safety laboratory, the Helsinki City Rescue Department, and civil defense shelters.

The international review team was led by Olivier Isnard, Deputy Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the French Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority (ASNR), and comprised members from Argentina, Austria, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and South Africa. Isnard stated that Finland has invested substantial resources in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness, and the relevant agencies have demonstrated strong professional competence; further strengthening systematic coordination at the national level and across different emergency phases and sectors will help more effectively leverage existing capabilities.

The review team found that Finland's nuclear and radiological emergency framework has several strengths, including the coordination of public institutions, industry organizations, and non-governmental organizations through national mechanisms to ensure the continuous functioning of critical societal functions during emergencies; the Satasairaala Hospital has also established training programs for managing potentially radioactively contaminated individuals in emergency situations.

The review team also made several recommendations for improvement. These include: establishing more robust national coordination mechanisms during the preparedness phase; developing a national radiation emergency plan in line with IAEA safety standards that clearly defines roles, responsibilities, and coordination arrangements for response at all levels and stages; establishing legal provisions for managing radioactive waste generated from decontamination activities following a nuclear or radiological accident; further improving arrangements for public protection, protection of emergency and rescue workers, public information communication, and the integration of international assistance into the national response system; and enhancing laboratory analytical capabilities for environmental, food, and water samples.

Karim Peltonen, Director General of the Finnish Nuclear Safety Authority, stated that the observations put forward by the EPREV mission will provide an important reference for Finland to improve its nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness arrangements, particularly in strengthening coordination among all parties involved in preparedness and response.