Florescu - CNCAN’S EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNED IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT

International Atomic Energy Agency

CNCAN’S EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS CNCAN’S EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNED IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, AS A LEARNED IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENTCONSEQUENCE OF FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT

ROMANIAROMANIAMadalina Florescu and Petre MinMadalina Florescu and Petre Min

National Commission for Nuclear Activities ControlNational Commission for Nuclear Activities Control

International Expert’s Meeting on Enhancing Transparency and Communication International Expert’s Meeting on Enhancing Transparency and Communication Effectiveness in the event of a Nuclear or Radiological EmergencyEffectiveness in the event of a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency

Programme, 18-20 June 2010, Vienna, AustriaProgramme, 18-20 June 2010, Vienna, Austria


Romanian institutions involved in emergency situations – Romanian institutions involved in emergency situations – Roles and responsibilities in the management of Roles and responsibilities in the management of

emergency situations at national levelemergency situations at national level

• The The National System of Management for Emergency SituationsNational System of Management for Emergency Situations

includesincludes::

- committees for emergency situationscommittees for emergency situations

- the the General Inspectorate for Emergency SituationsGeneral Inspectorate for Emergency Situations

- professional public community services for emergency situationsprofessional public community services for emergency situations - operational centers for emergency situations- operational centers for emergency situations • •


CNCANCNCAN ‘s role in an emergency situation

• CNCAN represents the national contact point in relation with IAEA

• CNCAN participates in the intervention with its own emergency organisation and also with its designated representatives in the structures of the National System of Management for Emergency Situations

• CNCAN has an „Intervention plan for nuclear or radiological emergency” which applies in case of a nuclear accident or radiological emergency and also during the training process for emergency situations.

• To fulfil the specific functions, the emergency organisation of CNCAN is constituted and is functioning within the Emeregency Response Center.


Actions performed by CNCAN following FUKUSHIMA Actions performed by CNCAN following FUKUSHIMA Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

- CNCAN has been included in the National Crisis Cell created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

- the Emergency Organization of CNCAN has been partially activated, with the employees from the Radiological Emergency Department ;

- the first press release was posted by CNCAN on its website on March 12nd , 2011, and presented the state of emergency in Japan and the possible consequences abroad Japan.;

- daily reports have been produced at CNCAN Emergency Response

Centre for the use of authorities and for public communication;


Public communication and relation with mass-Public communication and relation with mass-mediamedia

- media has promptly reacted with information catched up from the international media channels

- CNCAN designated a second spokesperson for answering to particular media requests and interviews

- we tried through our messages to assure the concerned public that even if Fukushima Daichii was a serious accident, there are no issues of concern for the Romanian population and the Romanian territory

- informative reports have been published on CNCAN’s website, for public accessibility

- the information given to the public was in a language appropriate to the

audience, easy understandable by non-experts


Lessons learnedLessons learned

After Fukushima, it was identified the necessity to improve the communication skills by :

organising more exercises simulating a nuclear or radiological emergency (and during these exercises working close with our technical experts, and the representatives from the other authorities involved);

develop long-term coherent and consistent educational programmes for public and mass-media

investing in media relations so that in a crisis period it would trust in the regulatory information and advice;

providing media training to all technical experts who may be request to give interviews during an emergency situation,


Practical exercisePractical exercise

•Note:As an example of practical implementation of the international and regional cooperation, is the conducting of the exercise “NAUTILUS 2011”.

This was a joint exercise carried-out in the framework of the Excellenc Programme in the field of nuclear safety „Safe Nuclear Energy”, developed by CNCAN in partnership with the Government of Norway through Norway Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The exercise simulated a radiological incident during the shipment of spent nuclear fuel from Kozloduy nuclear power plant. The related actions took place in Bechet (Romania) and Oreahovo (Bulgaria).

•This exercise provided valuable experience for improving the communication capabilies, the coordination of the measures for intervention and protection of population in case of a radiological emergency with transboundary impact.


Key Communication ChallengesKey Communication Challenges

The main characteristics of the policy in the public relation fieldHonesty, transparency, promptness, trust and respectThe main targets:•to increase public acceptance related to nuclear power by winning people’s trust•to counterbalance activities with negative impact on the development of the national nuclear power programObjectives:•Proper education and information of the public and authorities on specific nuclear issues•Preserving a positive image of CNCAN as NRO inside the country as well as abroad•Developing and maintaining proper relationships with mass-media•Developing and maintaining good cooperation with professional and industrial associations that activate in the nuclear domain•Achieving a proper internal communication

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Florescu - CNCAN’S EXPERIENCE AND LESSONS LEARNED IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT