Dry run of nuclear emergency at Point Lepreau on Tuesday
'Exercise Intrepid' largest emergency response excercise to date by NB Power, EMO and first responders
It's just a test, but one on a scale not seen before in New Brunswick.
NB Power and the department of public safety, in conjunction with the Emergency Measures Organization (EMO), are running a full scale nuclear emergency response plan Tuesday and Wednesday.
The event will include a test evacuation of over 200 people from the Saint John and St. George areas to a designated site, and the involvement of ambulance services, police and other first responders.
At a news conference on Monday, Public Safety Minister Stephen Horsman said these kinds of exercises, relating to Point Lepreau, happen every three years, though not on this level.
"It's a procedure for licensing in nuclear power. We want to make sure we are prepared for any emergencies that might occur."
NB Power President and Chief Executive Officer, Gaetan Thomas, said the goal is to make sure that "we all learn from this exercise so we are prepared for the unlikely, low probability of a nuclear event."
He said for the first time there will be an actual evacuation component to the exercise.
"We do not want anyone to panic," Thomas said. "It is a planned exercise for the next two days."