Communication Communication Concerning the Concerning the

Transportation of Transportation of Radioactive Material:Radioactive Material:

Routine and CrisisRoutine and Crisis

Paper prepared by Paper prepared by

Julian LudbrookJulian Ludbrook

Special Adviser on Special Adviser on Nuclear Safety IssuesNuclear Safety Issues

•New Zealand New Zealand

Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Ministry of Foreign Affairs & TradeTrade

OutlineOutline

• Concerns and interests of Coastal States Concerns and interests of Coastal States

• Relevant principles, rules and practiceRelevant principles, rules and practice

• Improved arrangements to serve the Improved arrangements to serve the

interests of Shipping and Coastal Statesinterests of Shipping and Coastal States

Concerns and Interests of Concerns and Interests of Coastal StatesCoastal States

• Face threat of very substantial (yet Face threat of very substantial (yet indeterminate) harmindeterminate) harm

• Compounded by perceived risk and Compounded by perceived risk and consequent economic lossesconsequent economic losses

• Yet many derive no benefitYet many derive no benefit

High Political High Political Sensitivity/Need for Quick Sensitivity/Need for Quick Response and InformationResponse and Information

• If an accident, political leaders need If an accident, political leaders need to be able to respond immediatelyto be able to respond immediately

• Social media have heightened the Social media have heightened the immediacy and pressureimmediacy and pressure

• Need to have information to hand Need to have information to hand about accident and responseabout accident and response

Communication of Communication of Information in AdvanceInformation in Advance

• So Coastal State needs to have lines of So Coastal State needs to have lines of communication in placecommunication in place

• And to have key information in advanceAnd to have key information in advance

• Can then respond in a reassuring and Can then respond in a reassuring and timely waytimely way

(Continued)(Continued)

Communication of Communication of Information in AdvanceInformation in Advance

(Continued)(Continued)

• Can coordinate over plans for rescue Can coordinate over plans for rescue of people and containment of of people and containment of damage/riskdamage/risk

• Serves interests of Shipping State as Serves interests of Shipping State as well as Coastal Statewell as Coastal State

Relevant Principles, Rules Relevant Principles, Rules and Practiceand Practice

PrinciplesPrinciples

Duty / responsibility of States to:Duty / responsibility of States to:

• protect environmentprotect environment

• ensure their activities don’t damage ensure their activities don’t damage environment of othersenvironment of others

• cooperate to prevent or minimise risk cooperate to prevent or minimise risk of causing significant transboundary of causing significant transboundary harmharm

Relevant Principles, Rules Relevant Principles, Rules and Practiceand Practice

RulesRules

Prior notification and consent required Prior notification and consent required for the transboundary movement of for the transboundary movement of hazardous wasteshazardous wastes

• non-radioactive hazardous wastes- non-radioactive hazardous wastes- Basel ConventionBasel Convention

• radioactive waste - radioactive waste - IAEA Code of IAEA Code of Practice on International Transboundary Practice on International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive WasteMovement of Radioactive Waste

Relevant Principles, Rules Relevant Principles, Rules and Practiceand Practice

Rules (continuedRules (continued))

• spent fuel and radioactive waste -spent fuel and radioactive waste -Joint Convention on Safety of Spent Fuel Joint Convention on Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Safety of Radioactive Management and Safety of Radioactive Waste ManagementWaste Management

Relevant Principles, Rules Relevant Principles, Rules and Practiceand Practice

Rules Rules (continued)(continued)

• Transport of nuclear material close Transport of nuclear material close by the territorial sea or EEZ poses by the territorial sea or EEZ poses similar riskssimilar risks

• Harm to fish stocks, beaches, Harm to fish stocks, beaches, tourism industrytourism industry

• Possibly also to people and Possibly also to people and economic activity on-shoreeconomic activity on-shore

• Similar case exists for sharing of Similar case exists for sharing of information in advanceinformation in advance

Information needed in Information needed in advanceadvance

• Name of vesselName of vessel

• Date of departure, planned route Date of departure, planned route and destinationand destination

• Type and volume of cargoType and volume of cargo

• Assurances concerning non-entry Assurances concerning non-entry into territorial sea and EEZinto territorial sea and EEZ

• Details of vessel’s emergency Details of vessel’s emergency response planningresponse planning

Information needed in Information needed in advanceadvance

Related issuesRelated issues

• Management of security Management of security considerationsconsiderations

• Some information (e.g. ERP) could be Some information (e.g. ERP) could be shared bilaterally shared bilaterally

Communication after Communication after AccidentAccident

• Need to notify information about Need to notify information about accident to Coastal Stateaccident to Coastal State

• Facilitated if pre-established lines of Facilitated if pre-established lines of communication and advance communication and advance knowledge of ERPknowledge of ERP

Need for :Need for :

• close collaboration close collaboration

• provision of accurate and timely provision of accurate and timely information to public/mediainformation to public/media

• monitoring of any release of radiationmonitoring of any release of radiation

ConclusionConclusion

• Great sensitivity around accidents Great sensitivity around accidents involving nuclear materialinvolving nuclear material

• Immense pressure on Coastal State to Immense pressure on Coastal State to respond quickly if an accidentrespond quickly if an accident

• So points of contact and key So points of contact and key information need to be exchanged in information need to be exchanged in advanceadvance

• Need to systematise best practice in Need to systematise best practice in set of guidelinesset of guidelines