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"The exercise was a success in that it demonstrated strengths but also the weak points in the international emergency response system," said International Atomic Energy Agency official, Rafael Martincic, who led the preparation and evaluation of the exercise.
"Only by identifying weaknesses can we improve the system's response to large-scale radiological emergencies," he said in a statement.
The 38-hour emergency drill, which started Wednesday and involved 74 IAEA member states and 10 international organisations, comprised a simulated accident that increased in severity as the exercise progressed, ultimately reaching Level 5 or "Accident with Wider Consequences" on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES).
The INES scale ranges from the lowest level, Level 1, which is classified as an "anomaly" to Level 7, which is a "major accident",
The IAEA insisted that the exercise was a "virtual" nuclear accident and did not pose any risk to the public or the environment.
Similar tests have been carried out in the past, notably at the French Gravelines power plant in 2001 and at Romania's Cernavoda nuclear power plant in May 2005.
The IAEA said it would now prepare and publish a report on the exercise.
"The focus now is on evaluating the Laguna Verde exercise, to review findings and identify lessons learned that will further improve the international nuclear emergency response system," it said.
In addition to the IAEA, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD/NEA), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the European Commission (EC), the European Police Office (EUROPOL) and Interpol took part in the exercise.
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Steinmeier slams wholesale export of nuclear plants: report
Berlin (AFP) July 11, 2008
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