grobe -presentation for irsn conference in paris

7/31/2019 Grobe -Presentation for IRSN Conference in Paris

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v rvi w

Industrial accidents and consequences

The NRC and the public

Public information on Fukushima Risk communication enhancements

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D nv r Ink F r Ex l i n

22 November, 2006, Danvers, Massachusetts

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D nv r Ink F r Ex l i n

Explosion of solvent vapor at an ink factory

$30 million USD in damage, multiple injuries 300 residents evacuated, some for many months

Neighborhood rebuilding took over 4 years

The accident received local and regional mediaattention for several weeks

a e e g or oo s em ca n t at veresponse to enhance inspections

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2011: Similar chemical vapor explosion at facility inneighboring town

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Kin n Fl A h R l

22 December, 2008, Kingston, Tennessee

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Kin n Fl A h R l

Fly ash slurry storage pond failed releasing about 4

million cubic meters of ash slurry into theenvironment

Cleanup costs of $1.1 billion USD (to date)

3.6 square ometers o a ecte res ent a anpurchased and retained by the utility

. .issued an emergency order regarding cleanup

facilities in the next 10 years

The EPA received 400,000 comments on proposed

rules for regulation of ash as a hazardous waste6


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Al min Pr in R rv ir F il r

4 October, 2010, Ajka, Hungary

(2010/10/09, picture from Digitalglobe)

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h mi l Pl n Ex l i n

9 December, 2009, Seabrook, Texas

Explosion involving the industrial solvent toluene 2 plant workers injured

Residents ordered to shelter in place and roads

closed due to toxic nature of toluene 12 schools ordered to shelter students in place

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Thr Mil I l n N l r Pl n M l wn

March 1979, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Partial core melt resulting in radioactive release tothe containment

Some release to the environment

140,000 residents evacuated voluntarily due tomistrust of government information and actions

effects

Onsite cleanup cost approximately $1 billion USD

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Tri i m R l fr m B ri Pi

Several nuclear power plant sites in the U.S.

Tritium leaks from degraded buried pipes at nuclearpower plants to surface water and groundwater

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Tri i m R l fr m B ri Pi

Groundwater tritium levels typically below drinking

water standards (some measurements up to 125times the drinking water standard detected, but notin the water supply)

em ers o e pu c an awma ers move opermanently close the Vermont Yankee nuclear

NRC task force to investigate buried pipe issues

NRC holds 16 ublic meetin s over 4 ears andreceives 80 pages of public comments related to thetask force recommendations for NRC policy onburied pipes

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Some Majors Causes of Death in the United

a es

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

estimated 33,808 fatalities in 2010Of those 6,770 were passengers and 4,092 were pedestrians

Smoking causes 443,000 premature deaths per year

Cancer causes 563,000 deaths per year

,year

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The Risks We Tolerate

Annual Individual Occupational Risk of Death

All industries 7x10

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Police: 32x10-5

Fire Fighting: 40x10-5

Annual Public Risk of Death Total 870x10-5

Falling object 0.3x10-5

Gun 4x10-5

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All cancers 200x10-5

Heart Disease 271x10-5Source: Wilson & Crouch, Risk/Benefit Analysis, Harvard University Press, 2001.

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1975 Reactor Safet Stud

Approximate frequency of eventscausing 1000 deaths

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Fires 250x10-5

Chlorine Release 100x10-5

16Frequency of Fatalities Due to Man-Caused Events (RSS)


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What Are the Common Consequences of

cc en s

Personal

DeathInjury

Loss of property

Societal

Economic impact

Trust in governmentTrust in business

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P li R i n N n-N l r A i n

Substantial health consequences

,

Limited news coverage

Some policy action possible Limited national or international dialogue

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P li R i n N l r A i n

Limited health consequences

Protracted media attention and public dialogue

National and international public policy action Reaction based on perception of potential

consequences, not actual or realistically possibleconsequences

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. . NR : Wh W Ar

Independent regulator

4,000 employees in 5 locations

NRC inspectors located at all operating nuclearpower plant sites

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. . NR : Wh W D

:To license and regulate the nations civilian use of byproduct,

source and special nuclear materials to ensure adequateprotection of public health and safety, promote the commondefense and security, and protect the environment.

The NRCs objectives are:Safety: Ensure the protection of public health and safety andthe environment.

Security: Ensure the secure use and management ofradioactive material.

penness: nsure openness n our regu a ory process.

Effectiveness: Ensure our actions are effective, efficient,realistic and timely.

Management: Ensure excellence in agency management.

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P li n k h l r En m n

Publicly available information

Stakeholder comments

Petitions and hearings Congressional testimony

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P li M in

Goal: To promote public access to information and

engaging in the regulatory process Time and location facilitate public involvement

Meet with the operators public questions and answersduring the meetings

Meet with the public

Written comments and responses

ra ne ac tators en ance openness aneffectiveness

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P li l Av il l Inf rm i n

Public document room (physical and online)

stakeholders of NRC business

Public meeting calendar

Fact sheets Blog to engage stakeholders in dialogue

ress re eases an e era eg ster not ces

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P i i n n H rin

Formal legal process

Public etition for enforcement action or rulemakin

NRC processes may involve public hearing

License renewal

New reactor licensing Licensing actions

Enforcement actions

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n r i n l T im n

10 or more congressional hearings per year

testimony

Operators

Public

Academia / Experts

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nn in Pr i : F k him

Press releases

Inspection reports

International teleconference updates for regulatorsand industry

Congressional testimony

Public, televised Commission meetings

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Publicly available documentation regarding

decision-making and NRC findings athttp://www.nrc.gov/japan/japan-info.html

Generic communications

ar ers or e near erm an onger erm as orces

Inspection reports on U.S. nuclear plants follow up

Ins ection re orts on severe accident mana ement

Recommendations of the Near Term Task Force andCommission direction

Congressional testimony and correspondence

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Public input to decision-making

Public meetings on task force findingsPublic panels at Commission meetings

Stakeholder comments part of rulemaking activities

NRCs open treatment of information and decision-making may contribute to assuaging public anxiety

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Wh W Ar D in i n En h

Sound public policy decision-making requires

proper context of public risks Public engagement and dialogue must connect with

public perception of hazards

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Wh i ri k mm ni i n?

an interactive processused in talking orwriting about topics

that cause concernabout health, safety,security, or the

environment

-

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h r f Ar m n

Technica l Publ ic

Metaphor of trial orex eriment

Metaphor of publicaddress

Formality andexpertise important Only certain kinds

Communitydiscussion ofpriorities and

of evidence andreasoning permitted

problems Both collective

preference andconflict present

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Goodnight, 1981


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Create Shared Meaning Through

AccidentSequence

Initiating

Event

Historicalexperience

Earlyfatalities

n a

millionPersonal

experience LCF

Trust

response SourceTerm

Democraticvalues

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Economics


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D v l h r In r r

Educate the public and decision makers

Engage with the public

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grobe -presentation for irsn conference in paris

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