Background Information

Overview

Nuclear Emergency

A nuclear emergency is an emergency event that has led, or could lead, to a radiological threat to public health and safety, property, or the environment.

Nuclear Emergencies That Could Affect Canadians

Nuclear emergencies that could affect Canadians include:

• an emergency at a nuclear facility, such as a nuclear power station, in Canada, in the United States, or abroad;
• an emergency involving a nuclear-powered vessel in a Canadian port;
• a transportation accident involving the shipment of radioactive material;
• an emergency involving the loss, theft, or discovery of radioactive material;
• a terrorist attack utilising radioactive materials, such as a dirty bomb; or
• other events involving the uncontrolled release of radioactivity or radioactive material, such as the 1978 re-entry and crash in the Canadian arctic of COSMOS 954, a nuclear-powered satellite.

Emergency Planning Documents

Glossary

Environmental Monitoring

Basic Nuclear Physics

Protective Actions

Radiation Doses

Nuclear Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities

Levels of Responsibility