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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Nuclear emergencies and natural disasters
Jean-Francois Lafortune1, Edward Waller2
1Vice-President Operations, International Safety Research Europe, France.
Abstract:
The Fukushima disaster following the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan demonstrates the complexity of responding to nuclear emergencies during a natural disaster. Current international safety standards and guidance do not specifically address this type of situation. The potential conflicts between the response to the conventional impacts and the radiological consequences, real and perceived, can impede the effectiveness of the overall emergency response. The present article discusses the strategic and operational challenges likely to be encountered in such a complex emergency, and draws conclusions on how countries should better plan for the low probability but high consequence impacts of natural disasters coincident with a nuclear accident at a nuclear power plant.
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