Iodine tablets, evacuations planned for 'unlikely' AUKUS Perth nuclear leak

Western Australia has outlined a response plan for potential radiation leaks from nuclear submarines under the AUKUS partnership. The state hazard plan, released last week, reviews safety standards and emergency response measures, prompted by the increased rotation of nuclear submarines. ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, would coordinate the emergency response.

People could be given iodine tablets, potentially evacuated, or advised to shelter in the worst-case scenario. Emergency services have mapped out responses for potential leaks at HMAS Stirling, Henderson defence precinct, Fremantle port, and Albany. The plan notes the probability of a catastrophic reactor failure is one-in-ten million per vessel, per year, less likely than winning a lottery jackpot.

ARPANSA stated that emergency response plans are in place before nuclear-powered vessels visit, with strict controls in port to prevent harmful radioactive discharge. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson dismissed concerns, saying the likelihood of an adverse event is extremely low. The plan notes extensive precautions in reactor design to prevent leakage, as the reactor core is designed to prevent explosion and contain fission products.

However, a slow leakage to the atmosphere is possible, dispersing according to weather patterns. Emergency procedures could include shelter-in-place and evacuation directives. Nuclear physicist Tony Irwin emphasized the hypothetical case in the plan was a worst-case scenario where all safety measures failed, but stressed the multiple barriers in pressurized water reactors to prevent such an event.