19.09.2007 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP/Press service of Rosenergoatom

Sept 19 was the first day of the complex emergency training at Leningrad NPP

According to the scenario, the trainees responded to the following situations: a crawler crane fell on a cable rack leaving the pump station of unit 1 without electricity — the reactor of the unit was stopped; the pipeline of the main condenser of unit 1 broke down — the automatic system stopped the unit’s diesel generator; unit 2 caught fire — the trainees tried to put it out; some fuel assemblies began to leak — the radiation background at the plant rose to 200 mSv/h, which was far above the norm; the water pipeline broke down — the trainees repaired it.

Leningrad NPP was put on alert and acted according to the plan of response to emergency situations.
 
According to the scenario, it was a 6-level accident on INES scale (Chernobyl was a 7-level accident).

76 people and 13 vehicles from Novovoronezh and St.Petersburg emergency centers and 50 rescuers and 6 vehicles from the Rescuer Center of the Emergency Ministry were involved in the response actions.

Experts say that such accidents require evacuation of people to a distance of 9km from the epicenter and iodine treatment of children.

Experts from nine countries: Germany, Korea, Norway, the United States, Finland, France, Sweden, Ukraine and Armenia are observing the event.

The head of the Radiation Safety Department of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority of Finland Olli Vilkamo was satisfied with the training. 

He said: “It is the third training I have observed in Russia. Such exercises are good for practicing emergency response actions. I am satisfied with what I have seen today. I think that your computer system is excellent: even in Moscow experts can watch what is going on at Leningrad NPP.”

Vilkamo pointed out that in the last years LNPP has made great progress in terms of safety. “You have made lots of technological improvements. And I am pleased to note that you have highly-qualified personnel.”

The training will last till Sept 21.