2.1 General

To ensure Ontarians are safe, practiced, and prepared, the province, through Emergency Management Ontario (EMO) as part of the Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response, maintains the PNERP. To this end, the requirements of the EMCPA, the guidance provided in CSA N1600 – General requirements for nuclear emergency management programs, and international best practices (including that of the IAEA) have been used to inform the policy for nuclear emergency response.

2.2 Policy Principles

The following principles underlie the province’s nuclear emergency response policy and guides all offsite nuclear and radiological emergency management within the province:

  1. The province, through its ministries, agencies, boards and commissions, has   responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of all inhabitants of the province, and the protection of property and the environment.
  2. As the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), the province shall direct, coordinate and/or support other organizations in offsite response to manage the offsite consequences of a nuclear emergency and may, where warranted and appropriate, issue operational directives as action taken under the emergency plan where an emergency exists but a provincial emergency has not yet been declared and, in the event of a declared provincial emergency, issue emergency orders under the EMCPA.
  3. In the event of a radiological emergency, other than one occurring at a nuclear reactor facility, the province’s role could vary from providing support to a local municipality, to direction regarding the conduct of response and recovery operations when the situation is beyond the capability of the municipality to address safely.
  4. Even though reactor facilities are designed and operated according to stringent safety standards, emergency preparedness and response must operate on the basis that mechanical failure, human error, extreme natural events, or hostile action could lead to nuclear emergencies.
  5. The province intends to maintain a capability to respond to Design Basis Accidents (DBA) solely through internal resources and without federal assistance (DBA are accident conditions against which a facility is designed according to established design criteria, and for which the damage to the fuel and the release of radioactive material are kept within authorized limits).
  6. Plans administered under this policy will be able to deal effectively with a broad range of possible emergencies, including severe reactor facility accidents.
  7. Timely and accurate information will be provided to the public and media.

2.3 Policy Objective

This policy aims to meet EMO’s nuclear emergency response mandate by delineating responsibility for management of the province’s nuclear emergency management program in order to enable a robust and versatile response in the unlikely event of a nuclear or radiological emergency. Under this policy, the province shall safeguard the health, safety, welfare, and property of the people in Ontario and ensure the protection of the environment.

The Province Shall:

  1. Be prepared to respond to a radiological or nuclear incident in Ontario.
  2. Protect people, the environment and infrastructure from increased levels of radiation exposure to the extent possible.
  3. Provide appropriate information, and proactively engage education regarding nuclear and radiological hazards.
  4. In the event of an emergency, provide timely and accurate information to the public regarding protective actions required.
  5. Ensure that those charged with the planning for, response to, and recovery from a radiological or nuclear emergency are properly trained and equipped to do so, ensuring appropriate capability and capacity.
  6. Ensure it is positioned to understand and adapt to new nuclear technologies as it relates to offsite preparedness, response, and recovery.

The province’s policy includes supporting impacted municipalities to mitigate local emergencies such that the response of local first responders is safe and effective.

2.4 Enabling Authority, Roles, and Responsibilities

The enabling authority for emergency response in Ontario is the EMCPA, which identifies the roles and responsibilities of provincial ministries and municipalities in preparing for and responding to emergencies that fall within their jurisdiction. Thus, the EMCPA authorizes and directs the province to take the actions necessary to meet their responsibilities under the EMCPA. Pursuant to Section 6 of the EMCPA, the Minister responsible for emergency management is assigned responsibility for nuclear and radiological emergencies while the development of a provincial emergency response plan for terrorism and civil disorder is assigned to SOLGEN. The primary responsibility for managing a terrorism and civil disorder emergency rests with the local police service of jurisdiction for the community/municipality in which the event occurs, supported by the associated municipal government.   In the event of a radiological or nuclear emergency caused by terrorism or civil disorder, the MEPR, through EMO, shall act in support of SOLGEN’s overall management of the incident, with EMO primarily focused on consequence management, beyond their capability and/or capacity, inclusive of any pre-existing mutual aid agreements.

A list of identified ministries and municipalities as specified in this PNERP, shall ensure effective fulfillment of their respective preparedness and response roles.  The federal government also has some roles and responsibilities when a nuclear emergency happens in Canada, or when Canada is affected by a nuclear emergency abroad. See Annex D for Federal Legislative Authority. Additional emergency response organization responsibilities for nuclear emergencies are described in:

  1. federal departments – Annex E
  2. provincial ministries – Annex F
  3. reactor facilities – Annex G
  4. designated municipalities – Annex I
  5. designated host municipalities – Annex J

The hierarchy of authorities related to nuclear emergency response is illustrated in Figure 2.

This diagram is for visual reference only. See the text below this figure for the full description.

Figure 2: Hierarchy Authority

The flowchart presents a top-down hierarchical structure of authorities involved in a nuclear emergency response in Ontario. The Lieutenant Governor in Council and the Premier have the highest authority, followed by the Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management. Below this is the Deputy Minister’s Steering Committee on Emergency Management. The next level is the Deputy Minister of Emergency Management Ontario, who also serves as the Commissioner of Emergency Management. This is followed by Emergency Management Ontario, then the Nuclear Emergency Management Coordinating Committee. At the base of the hierarchy are various subcommittees responsible for addressing specific action items. Downward-pointing arrows between each level illustrate the flow of authority throughout the structure.

2.4.1 Lieuenant Governor in Council and Premier

The LGIC and the Premier of Ontario provide overall direction to the management of the emergency response.

2.4.2 Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management / Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response

Appointed by the LGIC, the Cabinet Committee on Emergency Management (CCEM) provides strategic advice to Cabinet on the government’s efforts to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergency situations.

2.4.3 Commissioner of Emergency Management and Chair of Deputy Minister’s Steering Committee on Emergency Management

The Commissioner/Chair, will administer all programs, plans, and procedures identified in the PNERP including those considered subordinate to the PNERP and will chair the Deputy Minister’s Steering Committee on Emergency Management (DMSC) which provides whole-of-government coordination, alignment, and oversight for preparedness, response and recovery operations as needed.

2.4.4 Emergency Management Ontario

EMO will lead provincial ministries in preparing for, responding to, mitigating, and recovering from the offsite radiological consequences of a nuclear emergency with the goal of protecting the health, safety, welfare, and property of the people of Ontario and the environment. In the event of a radiological emergency, other than one occurring at a facility with site-specific response plans, EMO’s role may extend to directing the response in addition to the aforementioned radiological emergency functions.

EMO will:

  1. Maintain the PNERP by continually evaluating the PNERP and updating as needed.
  2. Conduct preparedness activities including:
    1. Training and acquisition / maintenance of required survey and sampling equipment.
    2. Participation in drills and exercises to consolidate knowledge and training.
    3. Through drills and exercises, identify planning gaps or areas for improvement to ensure that the province is safe, practiced, and prepared.
  3. Oversee, design, and provide public education and awareness program parameters.

2.4.5 Nuclear Emergency Management Coordinating Committee

The Nuclear Emergency Management Coordinating Committee (NEMCC) shall convene for semi-annual meetings. Provincial representation at this committee will include (but is not limited to) Directors that have a responsibility for any facet within the PNERP. These meetings are intended to monitor the status of the PNERP and identify gaps and areas for improvement. The product of these meetings shall be action plans to address issues at the lowest level possible. NEMCC membership also includes representatives from the designated and host municipalities, First Nation and Indigenous communities in close proximity to licensed Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) facilities, federal departments, nuclear facilities, and contiguous states of the United States.

2.4.6 Subcommittees and Working Groups

As required, specific subcommittees and/or working groups should be utilized to enable the PNERP, with the intent of growing and maintaining provincial capabilities and capacities across all ministries that have been assigned responsibilities within the PNERP. It is intended that these subcommittees and working groups will be used as a vehicle to harmonize efforts, identify areas of concern, and develop recommendations to ensure the requirements of the PNERP are satisfied.

2.4.7 Provincial Employees

Provincial employees shall be provided training opportunities commensurate with their role as identified within the PNERP such that they can develop the skills necessary to fulfill their role in daily preparedness operations as well as during an emergency. Employees must maintain the necessary training qualifications as described within the PNERP and its subordinate documents, such as the Nuclear Training Program. The level of training required shall be commensurate with the employee’s role in the program. Further, all employees engaged with the PNERP shall strive to enhance the program by identifying non-compliance/conformance and areas for improvement.