Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan

The Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan (FNEP) was first developed in 1984 as a response to two events:

• The crash of the nuclear satellite COSMOS 954 in the Northwest Territories in 1978; and
• The accident at Three Mile Island nuclear generating station in Pennsylvania in 1979.

Two more recent events, Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986 and Tokaimura, Japan, in 1999, have underscored the necessity of having an effective nuclear emergency preparedness and response plan in place.

FNEP outlines the federal role, organization and capability in responding to a nuclear emergency.

Health Canada's Role

Health Canada is the lead department responsible for coordinating the nuclear emergency response of more than fourteen federal departments and six federal agencies. A structured framework is required to facilitate coordination as these organizations have distinct roles and responsibilities. FNEP provides this structure for coordinating planning and response to a peacetime nuclear emergency involving Canadians at home and abroad.

What Information Can You Find here?

In this section you will find more information on the aim and scope of FNEP, how it was developed and past nuclear emergencies.

Related Resource

• Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan Part 1: Master Plan