Residents of West Brabant are hardly concerned about the nuclear power plant in Doel, Belgium. However, a majority would like to practice in case something goes wrong, because they don’t really know what to do now. This is evident from a study that Omroep Brabant conducted together with regional broadcaster ZuidWest among almost 500 residents in the west of the province.
The nuclear power plant is located just above Antwerp, just under 6 kilometers from the border with Brabant. The villages of Ossendrecht and Putte in the municipality of Woensdrecht in particular are a stone’s throw from the nuclear power plant. But Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal are also within a radius of 30 kilometers.
In the past, Doel was often in the news due to smaller incidents, including those caused by concrete rot, hairline cracks and sabotage. These incidents later turned out not to be dangerous for the environment. But with the Chernobyl disaster always in mind, they did generate a lot of attention and concerns about the safety of the plant. Residents and administrators asked for clarification several times about ten years ago and preferred to see the old reactors closed.
That sentiment has now changed considerably. Many people now experience the nuclear power plant across the border as a ‘far-away show’, the research shows. Three quarters of respondents generally feel safe. Seven out of ten respondents also do not know what to do in the event of a possible incident.
“If you have to spend all day thinking about the dangers that surround you, you have no life.”
“This does not surprise us. Research into feelings of risk shows us that people are only really open to information when something happens in their immediate environment. This is an instinctive reaction because if you have to think about the dangers that surround you all day, you have no life,” says spokesperson Marieke van Wijk of the Central and West Brabant Safety Region.
Between 2022 and 2025, three of the four nuclear reactors in Doel will be permanently shut down. Last year it was decided to keep Doel 4 in use until 2035 to maintain the power supply to our southern neighbors.
The chance of a serious incident is now estimated as small by most respondents in the safety survey. However, the possible consequences of an incident are taken seriously. Nearly six in ten respondents think that the impact of an accident could be very serious for the region. Residents mainly listen to the Safety Region for reliable information.
Marieke van Wijk: “That is nice to hear, but also useful. In uncertain situations, people fall back on people and institutions they trust. Without trust, effective communication is not possible. In our communication we always try to be as factual and honest as possible. In other words: to be a reliable partner. Also for media, of course, because media are our extension to the residents.”
According to the spokesperson, our own research also shows that people see the safety region and, more specifically, the fire brigade as the most reliable partners during impactful events.
The safety research also shows that personal preparation for an emergency situation is limited. More than half of those surveyed have not taken any measures, such as an emergency package or iodine pills. In the event of an incident, more than 70 percent say they will wait for instructions from the government or emergency services.
“We will certainly include civil assistance in our exercises.”
There is clear support for improvement. More than 80 percent of respondents believe that there should be exercises on what to do in the event of an incident. Two-thirds also indicate that they are likely to participate in such a meeting.
According to spokesperson Van Wijk, emergency services regularly conduct operational exercises for radiation incidents. She also sees an important role for civilian aid workers in a crisis situation. These are ordinary citizens who voluntarily provide assistance in the event of an emergency.
“The reality is that the government cannot completely unburden society. Research shows that people spontaneously provide citizen assistance in the event of a major incident. Our role is to support this as much as possible. We certainly include the phenomenon of citizen assistance and how to best connect to this in our exercises.”
Omroep Brabant has also asked the management of the nuclear power plant for a response. When asked, spokesperson Nele Scheerlinck says that this is not possible in the short term.
However, she emphasizes that the nuclear power plants in Doel and Chernobyl cannot be compared in any way: “It is a different technology with a radically different safety culture in a different era and a completely different geographical, political and social context.”
Chernobyl disaster 1986
The Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, in the then Soviet Union (now Ukraine). Something went wrong in a reactor during a safety test. An explosion followed. Radioactive substances were released and spread across large parts of Europe, including our province.
In addition to direct victims, including central employees and firefighters, tens of thousands of people in the area had to be evacuated. Much of the area surrounding the plant remains uninhabitable to this day.
The disaster is still considered the worst nuclear disaster ever, with long-lasting consequences for people and the environment. Omroep Brabant, in collaboration with regional broadcaster ZuidWest, is creating a series of stories about this historic event exactly forty years ago.
