The scenario for the Arctic REIHN nuclear emergency exercise involved an accident aboard a nuclear-powered vessel in the Arctic Circle. (Photo: Raymond Engmark/DSB)
Hosted by the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA), the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA), and the Joint Rescue Coordination Center-Northern Norway (JRCC NN), the Arctic Reihn emergency exercise tests the local, regional, national and international response to a simulated maritime accident involving a nuclear-powered vessel.
As part of the exercise, three-person field team from the IAEA, together with teams from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Sweden, conducted radiation monitoring surveys to establish which areas may have been “contaminated” by the releases from the “damaged” ship. In addition, the IAEA International Radiation Monitoring Information system (IRMIS) was used to assess the radiological situation.
“With the assistance capabilities provided through the IAEA’s RANET, countries are able to ask for and provide assistance to each other, should such an accident ever occur,” Carlos Torres Vidal, Director of the IAEA’s Incident and Emergency Centre said. “It is of utmost importance that these capabilities are exercised. This Arctic Reihn exercise will provide lessons learned and much needed experience that will be valuable to enhance emergency preparedness development in the region and in Europe as a whole,” he said.
The IAEA’s RANET offers global support with radiological measurements, medical advice or treatment, and specialized equipment to help to mitigate the consequences of nuclear or radiological emergencies for human health, the environment, and societies. The EU Civil Protection Mechanism aims to strengthen cooperation between the EU countries and nine participating countries in civil protection to improve prevention, preparedness and response to disasters.
The field component of the exercise involved a number of international assistance mechanisms, including three emergency communication systems: the Common Emergency Communication and Information System (CECIS), SafeSeaNet and the European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange (ECURIE). The Unified System for Information Exchange (USIE), the secure website maintained by the IAEA to enable countries to exchange urgent notifications and follow-up information during an emergency, was also involved.
The Arctic Reihn, of which this exercise is a part, was launched on 25 April 2023, and will continue through June, to test, verify and further develop emergency preparedness and response in the case of a nuclear or radiological accident in the Arctic.
