Intermediate Phase
The intermediate phase covers the period from the first few hours until the first few days after the onset of the accident. In general most of the release from the reactor to the atmosphere will have already occurred, and radioactive material may be deposited on the ground. During the intermediate phase more detailed results from the environmental survey teams will become available, and the further decisions on countermeasures will be taken.
Recovery Phase
The recovery phase (sometimes known as the late phase) is the period when decisions are taken concerning the return to normal living conditions, and as such it may extend over a long period. The objective during the recovery phase is to withdraw any countermeasures which were introduced during the early and intermediate phases. In some cases decisions will need to be taken during this phase which are of political, social and economic nature, as well as of a technical nature.
5.8 Contingency Planning
When designing a contingency plan only the early and intermediate phases of an accident need to be considered in detail. The nature of the recovery phase is such that time will be available to muster and consult a group of experts in order to aid decision making. This may include experts from outside Hong Kong (see Section 12.15). Such a group would include people with expertise in:
Radiation Protection;
Environmental Monitoring;
Decontamination Techniques; Radiation Dosimetry;
Agriculture;
Water and Sewer System, etc.
This report will therefore consider only the first two phases in any detail, although the principles to be applied in the recovery phase will be discussed, (see Chapter 9).
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