The operator of the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor has been ordered to significantly upgrade its emergency response plans for its planned new reactor to include the consequences of a successful terrorist attack.

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's application for the replacement reactor had argued off-site emergency arrangements would not be necessary because the facility would be so safe.

But John Loy, the head of the Federal Government's nuclear watchdog, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Authority, has confirmed that an independent review of emergency responses must be undertaken before the reactor can begin operation.

The new reactor, near the aging Hifar reactor, is expected to be operational in 2005.

While he does not believe the terrorist threat to be credible, Dr Loy wants the scenario, plus the impact of a commercial aircraft crash, to be considered in emergency response plans.

The strictures - contained in the safety authority's approval documents - come as the existing emergency plans have been strongly criticised by the chair of the Sutherland Emergency Management Committee, Genevieve Rankin, and Tony Wood, a former ANSTO controller of reactors.

Both say there are no logical plans in place to give residents around Lucas Heights access to iodine tablets if there is a significant radiation leak.

Mr Wood says existing emergency plans are a shambles. He says ANSTO must review its plans for the existing reactor at Lucas Heights in light of a possible terrorist attack.

"There is no recognition this could be a problem; this is the problem," he said. "The emergency planning is inadequate because they have made assumptions which understate the potential consequences about the worst-case accident."

Mr Wood said saturating the thyroid gland with potassium iodide tablets would dramatically lower the risk, especially among children, of contracting thyroid cancer.

"It's like a magic pill, but you've got to take it within hours, and I'm not at all confident the people who are going to make the decisions realise how important the time element is."

Councillor Rankin says the emergency framework is a "disaster plan based on the idea you'll never have a disaster".
"It's very much beset by internal contradictions and these should be sorted out and they should have been sorted out before ARPANSA signed a licence for ANSTO," Cr Rankin said.

"Fundamentally, the plan calls for shelter and for people to seal off any air source coming into the house. But to get the iodine tablets they'll have to leave."

The tablets, stored at Sutherland district ambulance stations, would be made available at potential evacuation points, such as Waratah Park, a fact which is not advertised because the plan is based on taking shelter.

"The emergency management committee, which includes the local chiefs of the fire brigades, ambulance, police and a representative of NSW Health, was unanimous in saying [to ANSTO] that the plans ought to be reassessed," Cr Rankin said.
ANSTO has rejected a meeting with Cr Rankin and the Sutherland Police Superintendent, Henry Karpic, to discuss the issue, preferring to work through an ANSTO-chaired local liaison group.

Dr Loy said he saw no fundamental problem with the plans. "Maybe we need to work out in a bit more detail about who does what to whom on the day, but I don't have any sense of concern from the NSW agencies that, provided they have the right information, they can do what they need to do."