The risk of having a new Chernobyl is zero from all perspectives, the nuclear accident 40 years ago representing the turning point for the nuclear industry, which had a fantastic evolution from a technological perspective, but also from the perspective of communication and international cooperation, declared Petre Min, interim head of the Emergency Operations Service within the National Commission for the Control of Nuclear Activities (CNCAN).

“The risk of having a new Chernobyl is zero from all perspectives. (…) Chernobyl represented a turning point not only for the nuclear industry, where we had a fantastic evolution from a technological perspective, but also from the perspective of international communication and cooperation. (…) The foundations of international conventions were laid for what rapid notification means. It is likely that we will have another nuclear accident because we cannot speak of absolute zero. There is that unforeseen that we cannot anticipate. And then, the consequences, through the way in which the infrastructures have been developed, the way of cooperation, can be identified at the local level”, said Petre Min, quoted by Agerpres.

CNCAN President, Cantemir Marian Ciurea-Ercău, said that the Chernobyl accident left very useful lessons in order to improve public communication, the efficiency of regulatory authorities and the improvement of nuclear security measures for all facilities.

“A series of measures have been taken so that similar events and design errors, such as those at Chernobyl, will no longer occur at any nuclear facility, not only in Romania, but also internationally. Nuclear safety standards have been updated, emergency response procedures have been improved, response capabilities of regulatory authorities in crisis situations, conventions for rapid notification of potential events, consequences for other states. All of this has led to a better level of nuclear safety and to the protection of the population for such events, so that health consequences such as those that occurred 40 years ago at Chernobyl will no longer occur,” said the president of the institution.

Petre Min later stated that since the fall of 2022, the National Committee for Emergency Situations has approved the National Response Plan to Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies, within which there is also a communication strategy in crisis situations.

“In the event of a crisis situation, in the first phase, until the activation of the National System, CNCAN is in a position to communicate and ensure the coherence of messages in direct collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Interior, the local area, where the accident occurs”, explained the specialist.

According to him, CNCAN is part of the structure of the National Emergency Management System, managing everything that involves activities for managing emergency situations in the nuclear field. Since 2016, it has become the responsible authority and has implemented infrastructure development programs “of everything that means cooperation and collaboration at the national level and at the international level”.

“I would not like it to be understood that we are turning a disaster into an event, but it is very important to remember these things. Why? Because everything that our preparation entails is related to the lessons learned from major accidents,” said the head of the Operational Service, after making, during the workshop, a presentation of the communication during the 1986 nuclear accident and subsequently by the officials of the time.

“In 1986, the first signal about the nuclear accident was given by Sweden. Only after a few days, the Soviet Union recognized the accident itself,” added Min.