The CEEPRA project established a collaboration network on radiation protection and research
The CEEPRA project (Collaboration Network on EuroArctic Environmental Radiation Protection and Research) established a collaboration network between the national research institutions and authorities working with radioactivity-related issues in the arctic and sub-arctic areas of Europe. Finland, Russia and Norway participated in the three-year project that ended on 15 March 2014.
Project activities were divided in five interrelated Work Packages: Terrestrial Environment, Marine Environment, Atmosphere, Social Impacts and Public Awareness. The implementation of the activities required cooperation between experts from different organisations and countries as well as transitions of people, equipment and samples across national borders.
Emergency preparedness capabilities in the region improved
The CEEPRA project partners carried out region-specific risk assessments through modelling and investigation of long-term effects of potential nuclear accidents in the Euro-Arctic region and possible impacts on population, environment and industry. Atmospheric and marine models were compared between countries and capabilities improved for better preparedness in the region.
Social impacts of nuclear accidents assessed
For the first time the social impacts of nuclear accidents were assessed by the CEEPRA project. The assessment was based on a hypothetical accident scenario, where the most important residential and tourism centres as well as the reindeer herding areas in the Euro-Arctic region would be exposed to radioactive fallout. A probable spreading pattern in certain weather conditions was calculated for the radioactive plume released from the accident. The radiation doses caused by the plume were estimated, and protective measures for the population compiled.
The impacts of the fallout on tourism and on the image of the area were estimated by interviewing the tourism business entrepreneurs and other experts. According to the results of the assessment, the effects of the accidents on the image of the area would be much greater than the real physical effects. The recovery of the changed image would take much longer time than the physical recovery of the environment, as well.
The fears and anxieties of people could be reduced by e.g. delivering information on radiation protection and safety already before something has happened. Open and fast informing during possible emergencies would also be important.
Only low levels of artificial substances in natural environments
The project implementation included studies of the current state of radioactive contamination in terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the Euro-Arctic region by examining environmental samples collected from the Finnish Lapland, Finnmark and Troms in Norway, the Kola Peninsula and the Barents Sea. The current levels of man-made radioactive materials in the natural environments of the Euro-Arctic area are very low, near the level of background radiation. The accident on the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant caused the concentrations of radioactive caesium in biota samples from 2011-2012 to increase about six percent at the maximum when compared to the level before the accident. The maximum was measured in some beard lichen samples. In most of the samples, the average increase was about 0.1-1 percent. The accident did not cause any danger on the environment or population in the project area.
Information on environmental radioactivity to the public
During the CEEPRA project, several open seminars, public presentations and lectures were held where information on radiation safety and environmental radioactivity was delivered to the public. These events were arranged in each project country both in English and in national languages, and several tens of representatives of general public participated in each. Information brochures on the project and on radiation-related issues were prepared and delivered to general public, target groups and stakeholders. Project information was also delivered via mass media and presented on several web sites. The project web site was launched with an address www.ceepra.eu.
A final publication targeted to the general public was published in five languages (English, Finnish, Russian, Norwegian and Northern Sami) in summer 2014. The publication will give some background information on radioactivity in the environment and present the implementation and results of the project.
Cooperation will continue
The CEEPRA network is now proven to be functional, and the project participants will continue their cooperation also in the future. During the last project meeting in February 2014, themes for a new joint project and how it could be funded were discussed. It was planned that a Swedish partner and a Russian authority would be asked to join in the CEEPRA network and participate in the possibly forthcoming project. The new project would aim to further enhance the cooperation between local actors and e.g. to improve the infrastructures related to emergency preparedness.
CEEPRA project partners
The CEEPRA project partners from Finland were the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) and Pöyry Finland Oy. The Norwegian and Russian partners were the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA) and Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (MMBI), respectively. The network had two associates as well: the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET) and the Southern Scientific Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences (SSC RAS).
Coordination and Funding
The CEEPRA project was coordinated by the STUK’s Regional Laboratory of Northern Finland. The Norwegian part of the project was led by the Section High North of the NRPA.
The project was funded by the EU Kolarctic ENPI CBC Programme, administered by the Regional Council of Lapland, and the Norwegian Kolarctic programme.
More information is available on the project web site: www.ceepra.eu
