Australia’s nuclear safety body has activated its Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre, heightening its level of alert and scrutiny in response to fresh nuclear safety worries fueled by the latest round of conflict in Iran.
Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has heightened its level of scrutiny and alert in response to the latest round of conflict in Iran, where the United States and Israel carried out airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
The move by the agency, known as ARPANSA is a precautionary measure, a spokesperson for the agency said and is aimed at ensuring its readiness in case of a nuclear emergency.
ARPANSA’s Radiation Emergency Coordination Centre, located in Melbourne offers round the clock access to expert advice in the case of a radiation emergency.
The agency has its own dedicated monitoring and laboratory capacity to assess levels of radiation in the case of a nuclear emergency, under national arrangements for rare but high consequence scenarios.
International monitoring steps up
The international community, through the UN’s nuclear agency, has also taken steps to increase readiness.
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, informed the agency’s board this week that the agency’s Incident and Emergency Centre was operating.
In addition, the regional monitoring network was on alert. No increase in the level of radiation above normal background was reported in the countries bordering Iran.
Furthermore, the agency was unaware at that time that Iran key nuclear installations have not been damaged or attacked.
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Australia has issued numerous warnings as the conflict continues. Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that “Australia is deeply concerned” by the expanding scope of the conflict.
The government has encouraged Australians to prepare for the ongoing disruptions in the region.
The government has activated the crisis center, which operates on a 24 hour basis. In addition, the government has opened a crisis portal for Australians living in Israel and Iran.
