FREDERICTON – NB Power and the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NBEMO) will conduct a full-scale nuclear emergency exercise Oct. 6 and 7 for the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station.
The exercise, Synergy Challenge, will be supported by about 1,000 people representing more than 40 regional, provincial, federal and international agencies.
As part of a regulatory requirement from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, a full-scale exercise takes place every three years to demonstrate the overall preparedness for the highly unlikely event of a nuclear emergency. This is in addition to drills and exercises that are conducted on a regular basis.
The exercise is intended to validate the preparedness of the participating agencies to respond to a radiological emergency initiated by a cyber security breach. The coordination of the various agencies and the current on-site and off-site emergency response plans will be tested and assessed. Following the exercise, a joint evaluation report will be produced.
Synergy Challenge will incorporate knowledge gained from the province’s last full-scale nuclear emergency exercise in 2018. It will also consider operating experience from other nuclear power plant exercises and lessons learned from recent recovery efforts in New Brunswick.
The exercise will take place over two days at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station and other locations, including the NBEMO provincial emergency operations centre in Fredericton and regional emergency operations centres in Saint John and St. George.
04-10-21