10 February, 2004

1. Crisis communications: Lessons from „the learning curve”How Could We Have Done It Better?Communication of an Incidentby Ágota HantiDeputy Spokesperson of Paks NPP, Hungary 10 February, 2004

2. Antecedents On 10 April, 2003 Serious incident in a cleaning pool in a pit in the reactor hall of Unit 2 at Paks Nuclear Power Plant. The incident resulted in a hardly detectable, low discharge, but without exceeding the limit value. And it resulted many other things…

3. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 10/04/2003: • around 10 pm: radioactive gas discharge from the cleaning system. • The works were stopped. • Classed 2 on INES scale (approved by HAEA). • 11/04/2003: • around 10 am: Countrywide press release on the incident (brief facts). • Collective SMS to the regional mayors (72) • 14.30: Another press release on the classification on INES scale. • The incident is hot news.

4. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 16/04/2003: • Removal of the cover of the tank, new infromations on the fuel assemblies (30 pieces, suffered severe damage). • The incident reclassified into class 3 due to the latest facts. • Global 2000: background radiation measurements • 17/04/2003: • Press release on the reclassifying. • Intensive media reaction, continuous asking for interviews. • 18/04/2003: • Greenpeace demand accurate data in the media.

5. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 19/04/2003: • The economic loss of the company is approx. €200 000 per day. • 23/04/2003: • The emergency plan of the national electric grid control organistation to sustain the safe energy supply. • 22/04/2003: • Press conference in the reactor hall in the precence of journalists. • 23/04/2003: • Attack of the government for the inadequate communication.

6. Communication of an incident Press conference in the reactor hall

7. Communication of an incident Press conference

8. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 30/04/2003: • The chief director of Paks and the director general of the HAEA in front of the Environmental Committee of the Parliament. • 01/05/2003: • Visit of the minister of economics at the plant. • 01/05/2003: • Greenpeace and Austrian social democrats want international investigation.

9. Communication of an incident The ministers of economics and environment with the chief director

10. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 03/05/2003: • Gas production in the damaged tank due to breach of rules. • 07/05/2003: • Higher radioctivity in the background at one of the detectors. • 06/05/2003: • Appearance of the event in a daily paper (the plant did not informed anybody before the first article). • 07/05/2003: • The prime minister request urgent information. • The higher radioactivity ascribed to the fault of the measurement.

11. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 09/05/2003: • Ministerial officer for more effective co-operation. • 10/05/2003: • A full page paid informative material published in the top papers (incident in details). • 11/05/2003: • The company’s own report. • 12/05/2003: • Daily press conference (two locations)

12. Communication of an incident The commission of the ministerial officer

13. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 13/05/2003: • Greenpeace demonstration against licence renewal. • 14/05/2003: • The Environmental Committee of the Parliament in Paks. • 19/05/2003: • Higher radioctivity in the background at one of the detectors again. • 19/05/2003: • An article in an austrian tabloid about illegal operating. • It came in light that the higher radioactivity was not the fault of the instrument (isotope test).

14. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 21/05/2003: • Personal changes, Recovery Project. • 22/05/2003: • Request of the IAEA for independent investigation. • 28/05/2003: • SMS rumour about the explosion of a unit. • 30/05/2003: • Report of the HAEA, the responsibility of the plant. • 06/06/2003: • First press release of the owners.

15. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 10/06/2003: • Public opinion pool, the acceptance is the same, some trust lost in the safe of the plant. • 12/06/2003: • Greenpeace activists, need of the police because of the damages. • 14/06/2003: • The steps of the recovery sketched for the press. • 14/06/2003: • First underwater videos, all the fuel assemblies damaged. • 19/06/2003: • The IAEA starts its investigation.

16. Public opinion pool Do you agree that there is a nuclear power plant operating in Hungary?

17. Public opinion pool The severity of the safety regulation at Paks NPP

18. Communication of an incident The series of events The communication of events • 01/07/2003: • Two offers for the recovery work, the russian fuel assembly manufacturer win. • 11/09/2003: • Parlamentary investigation committee (adequcy of communication also). • Two months later: no agreement on the report. • 25/06/2003: • Report of the IAEA, the responsibility of the company and the authority also. • 26/11/2003: • Final, 50th press conference (CAD model).

19. Communication of an incident Parlamentary investigation committee

20. Communication of an incident Final, 50th press conference

21. Summation The series of events The communication of events • Keeping all the regulations • SMS to the mayors • Daily press conference (50 total) • Each material on the Internet • Re-classification • Gas production in the tank • Higher radioactivity at a detector • Follow up communication • Deffensive • Not accurate, definite, proactive enough

22. How Could We Have Done It Better?