Last September, in the framework of the EC FP7 “PREPARE” Project, the international training course on “Late Phase Nuclear Accident Preparedness and Management” was organised in Gomel (Belarus) by the Nuclear Protection Evaluation Centre (CEPN – France), together with the Research Institute of Radiology (RIR – Belarus) and NERIS.
The course offered a comprehensive overview of the various dimensions and challenges of the long-term rehabilitation process after a nuclear event, and also provides practical elements for the implementation of late phase countermeasures for dealing with rural and urban contaminated environment. A particular attention was given to “stakeholder engagement” approaches to initiate preparedness processes and to favour the implication of the inhabitants in their own protection as well as in decision making process related to the redeployment of social and economic activities in the affected areas in case of an accident.
The course was based on international recommendations and on the material produced and developed in several European and international projects: ETHOS, SAGE, FARMING, CORE, EURANOS, NERIS TP and PREPARE. It included lectures from professionals, practical working sessions and discussions with local and regional authority representatives as well as inhabitants who are engaged in long term recovery, in the Chechersk and Braguin districts affected by the Chernobyl accident. It also relied on the practical experience of Belarussian organisations in the management of the consequences of the accident as well as on the first lessons from the management of the consequences of the Fukushima accident.
17 trainees and 14 trainers from 12 countries (Belarus Rep., Belgium, Czech Rep., Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Poland, Slovak Rep., Switzerland) participated to this training course.
The organisers would like to specifically thank for their participation the Belarusian Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Gomel Regional Executive Committe (Department for Recovery from the Chernobyl Accident Consequences), the Russian-Belarusian Information Center on the problems linked with the catastrophe at Chernobyl NPP in Minsk, the Republican Research Centre for Radiation Medicine and Human Ecology in Gomel, the Stolyn Regional Hospital and the International Commission on Radiological Protection.
The next edition is foreseen on September 21-25, 2015 in Gomel. If you need further information, please contact Pascal Croüail or Sandra Lafage from CEPN.