The situation with nuclear energy facilities in Estonia is quite different from those in Lithuania and even in Latvia. Estonia has no nuclear reactors of her own. There are no nuclear reactors within less than 70 km from Estonian border. Therefore, preparedness for nearest vicinity is not necessary and there is at least 30-minutes time [21,22]. Thus, emergency preparedness planning comprises the following items:
6.4.1 Legal Basis and Responsibilities of Different Institutions
The legal basis for planning of emergency response actions in Estonia is as follows. The Parliament has passed laws that will operate in the case of emergency: Citizen Protection Act, Extraordinary Situation Act and Rescue Act. The citizen protection law lays for action in the case of emergency. According to this law the main tasks are to:
The National Resources Act determines the creation and order of use of the mobilization resources which are at the disposal of the National security, Municipal and Military authorities, in case of a national or transboundary emergency. According to the existing laws and regulations, the responsibilities are divided between authorities as follows. The information about an accident can come from the own early warning system. These are automatic g monitoring stations in the hydro-meteorological service system. The data are directed to the computer of the Radiation Protection Center and to the operative attendant of the Rescue Department. The international emergency information from IAEA and from neighbouring countries also is received there. These Estonian structures are cooperating with other early warning systems in the region, providing meteorological data and assessing the radiological situation in Estonia for the operational use and public information. The health protection system of the Ministry of Social Maintenance provides the control of food contamination, provides consulting in the rescue and decontamination activities, keeps records on overexposed or contaminated individuals, and distributes information on safe behavior in hazardous situations.
Fig. 6.4 Coordination between Estonian authorities in nuclear emergency [22]
The Ministry of Agriculture elaborates the strategy of agricultural production with regards to the existing radiological situation, establishes necessary restrictions on agricultural activities and organizes control of radio-activity in food and fodder. The Ministry of Social Maintenance organizes medical and psychological maintenance of evacuees. The Ministry of Transport and Communication organizes the transportation of evacuated people, as well as provides the emergency information and through the public TV and radio network. The Ministry of Internal Affairs organizes national crisis management center - a working body of National Crisis Commission. It also coordinates actions of it’s own structures - police, rescue services of all levels and border troops, assists The Ministry of Environment to observe radiation conditions and to predict its development, sets up it’s own operative center to the system of emergency management. The Ministry of Defence and the military defence forces would provide the personnel and material resources. Figure 6.4 provides a scheme of interaction between national authorities in case of emergency.
6.4.2 Emergency Management
All the activities in a nuclear emergency situation are divided into separate levels in accordance with relevant legal acts. Direct command is carried out by Emergency Operation Centers. These centers are supposed to operate according to a overall national emergency plan. Figure 6.5 gives an overview of the emergency management in Estonia. Under the command of National Crisis Commission there is the Emergency Operating Center, the structure of which include all necessary structures for management and organization of assistance, and which is activated when needed. Mobile centres of management on places can be formed, if they are needed there. The Commission is coordinated the activities of responsible ministries and offices on the national level. In the counties subcoordination reproduces the same scheme. The Chairman of the County Council is the head of respective local commission, while the head of local fire and rescue services is his deputy. The county rescue chief is formally empowered to lead and coordinate
Fig. 6.5 Overview of emergency management in Estonia [22]
people and groups that can be used for civil defence. In municipalities the local Chairman and the fire-brigade chief are obliged to lead fire-fighting, rescue and civil defence activities. All formations and groups possibly involved in the case of emergency, can be divided into:
In the case of the local emergency local forces are used in the first place. If the local forces are unable to put the disaster under their control, high levels can be involved. All the levels have their emergency response plans, which in case of an actual emergency are to be referred to and applied as exactly as possible. In case of an international or cross-border emergency necessary information will be available also from the regional early warning system. At the next stage the National Emergency Commission should activate the Emergency Operation Centers, while the local structures can start their work even earlier, to correct their action plans and instructions in accordance with current radiological data. The National Radiation Center is established under the authority of the Ministry of Environment, in order to coordinate more effectively the radiation protection activities of various bodies.