Transports of Radioactive Materials in Belgium: Interfacing with the Public

In June 2011, legal appeals were filed against some transports of spent fuel, running between the Netherlands and France through Belgian territory. The case generated a lot of media attention, especially after some local politicians expressed their concern over the perceived public health and safety risks of these transports. In reaction to this, the Belgian competent authority FANC (Federal Agency for Nuclear Control) identified the need to inform the public, the media, politicians and other stakeholders on the safety and security of transports of radioactive materials in Belgium. To this end, the FANC joined forces with the Federal Police and the Crisis Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs and drafted an information file on the transport of radioactive materials. The objective of this information file was threefold: 1) to shed some light on the broader context of national and international transports of radioactive materials in Belgium, 2) to show exactly how the safety and security of these transports is guaranteed, and 3) to explain in which ways the FANC fulfils its mission of protecting the population, the workers and the environment against the hazards of ionizing radiation, both in normal conditions and in case of an incident or accident. The information file was first presented in September 2011 at a conference of the Governors of the Belgian provinces, organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Next followed a press conference at the FANC’s Brussels headquarters, and in the last months of 2011, a series of information sessions was organized in each of the Belgian provinces. Invited to these information sessions were local politicians and local emergency workers (police and fire brigade) as well as representatives of the municipal and provincial authorities. Feedback from the participants was very positive, and the FANC received some suggestions for further improvement. These included requests for a better exchange of information between the involved authorities, requests for additional training on the topic of radiation and its risks, and some specific points concerning emergency preparedness and response. In 2014, there will be a new series of information sessions in every Belgian province.