Friday is the fifth anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan, and damaged the Fukushima nuclear facility.
The plant withstood the 9.0 magnitude quake, but the following tsunami knocked out back-up generators, leading to overheated reactors, and released radioactivity.
Bruce Power says their CANDU reactors are very different from the Japanese design, but the event still prompted a safety review for Canada's nuclear industry.
Bruce Power says they have since made continuous safety improvements at the site.
- Five new fire trucks stored off site on high and dry ground can pump water directly from Lake Huron into the reactors and fuel bays if back up cooling systems fail.
- Nine new back up generators are also stored off site on high, dry ground, and can be operational within 30 minutes.
- A new state-of-the-art Emergency Management Centre was built at the Bruce Power Visitors Centre to act as a control room if necessary.
- Increasing off-site radiological monitoring equipment now provides real time data.
- All homes within 10 kilometres have ALERT FM radios linked to the Emergency Alert Ready System for immediate Threat to Life Alerts.
- They also have potassium iodine pills on hand.
- Continuous Emergency training ensures they are prepared for any crisis.
- Receiving Canada’s first emergency test broadcasting license for portable AM units, which will make communicating during an emergency more effective than ever before.