Nuclear Incidents: Further Information
Newrisk Limited is available to advise organisations and governments on nuclear incidents, including the prevention and response to nuclear incidents. Newrisk Limited and its principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, have previously provided media commentary in relation to nuclear crises and in relation to nuclear terror threats, lectures, conference papers, workshops and publications on this topic, examples of which are set out below. Details on Newrisk Limited's experience in relation to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant incident, is available by following this link.
To return to an overview of Newrisk Limited's nuclear incident expertise, please click here.
To request assistance with nuclear incidents or to discuss a tailored package of services, please contact Newrisk Limited directly.
Media Commentary
Newrisk Limited's principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, has provided media commentary on nuclear incidents, including:
- Chinese Spy Balloon over USA nuclear missile site, Talk.TV at 8pm, 13 February 2023: "The United States is finally “waking up” to China’s “trojan horse” balloon campaign, which is being
used to possibly target military sites, according to security expert Dr Sally Leivesley. “The Americans
now understand that American homeland, as we should understand as a nuclear nation here, will be
being targeted,” Dr Leivesley said. “These close-to-the-ground, highly capable surveillance balloons
may not just be communications but may be doing the potential targeting that a new nuclear
weapon may use in the future. “There’s more close surveillance of potential sites than we may have
assumed." - Uranium in package arriving at London Heathrow Airport sparks counter- terror investigation, Sky
News at 2.30pm and repeats in news, 11 January 2023: "What it may mean is, if London is being used to trade and prove sampling capability of what can be sold, this is very serious and if so, it's an indicator of part of the weapons build-up we're seeing, said Dr Sally Leivesley, a risk management consultant.” - Mark Smith, Sally Leivesley Modern Catastrophe, in The Gentlewoman, Issue 20, Autumn and Winter 2019, pp 158-161: ‘I ran exercises on so-called dirty bombs, which spread very fine particles of radio-active material through the air… I was teaching people how to scrub off …. P. 161
- North Korea Nuclear risks in 2017 during new Trump administration for BBC World Service Week in review on 18 February 2017;
- Trump Election as President and the risk of nuclear conflict, ITV This Morning on 8 November 2016;
- Catastrophic Risk Cyber Security Press Briefing for the Institution of Technology and Engineering at the Wellcome Trust on 29 April 2013;
- North Korean Missile Threat for ITV Daybreak on 2, 8 and 10 April 2013;
- North Korea's nuclear test 7 kiloton yield for ITV News on 12 February 2013;
- Japanese Fukushima Incident: Business and Communication Difficulties for the BBC News and BBC World Services on 16 March 2011.
Lectures and Conferences
Newrisk Limited and its principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, have provided lectures & conferences on nuclear incidents, including:
- Risky Times 2024-2027, for the Risk and Security Management Forum Summer Seminar, London, 13 June, 2024';
- Risky Times, for the High Premium Group Insurance Agency on Monday 10 June, 2024;
- Securing Europe’s Supply Chain – Energy, Nuclear War, Quantum, at Pulse Conferences 7th Annual 360 CSO, Berlin 6-8 December 2023.
- Singapore 2023 New Cyber-Quantum - Geopolitical Risk Update, Keynote, at Pulse CISO 360 Asia & Oceania Conference, Singapore, 26-27 September 2023.
- Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructure – Nuclear Power Plants, Transport, Smart Cities, Water, 6G Transformation, at Pulse Global 7th CISO 360 Congress, Barcelona, 5-7 July 2023.
- Discussing the Unexpected: Nuclear war and MH370, High Premium Group - Annual Conference 2023, London, 25th April 2023.
- How Close are we to the Brink, Panel Discussions, at The Resilient and Renewable Planet (R2P)
Conference 2023, EIS and Imperial College, London April 17-19 2023;
- Looking Ahead: Black Sky Resilience and Strategic Risk Policy 2023, at The Resilient and Renewable Planet (R2P) Conference 2023, EIS and Imperial College, London April 17-19 2023;
- Round Table Discussion: ‘Getting Real’, Planning for a Robust, Resilient, Greener Future at The Resilient and Renewable Planet (R2P) Conference 2023, EIS and Imperial College, London April 17-19 2023
- Supply Chain Nuclear Risks and the Known Unknowns of Cyber Security, 3rd CISO 360 Americas,
Pulse Conferences, New York, 28 March 2023 - Exercise Supply Chain Threat Scenario- Radiation - strategic risk and resilience issues, 6th CSO 360 Congress, Istanbul, 30 November-2 December 2022;
- Supply Chain Threat Scenarios Singapore - strategic risk and resilience issues, 2nd CISO 360, Singapore, Pulse Conferences, 13-14 September 2022;
- Exercise Europe under Threat: Discussion strategic resilience issues; 5th CISO 360 Congress, Geneva, Pulse Conferences, 6-8 July 2022;
- Ukraine under siege high level briefing, Panel Discussion, Ukraine Round Table and Defence and Security Forum, London, 14 March 2022;
- Exercise & Discussion strategic issues on supply chains – Russia/China, 5th Annual CSO Global, Madrid, Pulse Conferences, 7-9 March 2022;
- 'Snapshot of Regional Risks and Sustainability- Incorporating Exercise Cyber-Defence' - Lecture to MIS Chief Information Security Officer Middle East 6th Annual Summit and Roundtable in Dubai (UAE) in February 2014;
- 'CBRNE/Cyber Terrorism: Technical briefing for ‘Exercise London' - Lecture for the Ministry of Defence, Terrorism Causes, Trends and Responses, Knowledge Transfer Programme at the University of Bradford, School of Social and International Studies in April 2013;
- 'Managing Shock Attacks on Cities: Multiple Terrorist, Nuclear or Cyber Threat Horizons' - Keynote and Planning Lecture for CEOs at the Sixth Chief Security Officer Summit in Berlin (Germany) in December 2012;
- 'Scientific Solutions for CBRNE Terrorism and Catastrophic Events with Reflections on Fukushima and Norway, Situational Awareness, Communications, Evacuation, Shelter, Risk' - Co-chair for the Permanent Monitoring Panel on Mitigation of Terrorist Acts at the 'Role of Science in the Third Millenium, International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies', 45th Session in Erice (Italy) in August 2012;
- 'Permanent Monitoring Panel Report on Terrorist Acts' - Lecture to the 'Role of Science in the Third Millenium, International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies', 45th Session in Erice (Italy) in August 2012;
- 'Water and CBRNE/Cyber Terrorism: Waterborne threats and sustainability of cities including unusual secondary and tertiary water contamination lessons from Fukushima' - Presentation to the 'Role of Science in the Third Millenium, International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies', 45th Session in Erice (Italy) in August 2012;
- 'CBRNE Risks' - Lecture to the Leadership in Counter-Terrorism Course, Scottish Police College in Kincardine (Scotland) in June 2009;
- 'Business Drivers and CBRN Terror Solutions' - Lecture to the International Security National Resilience in London (England) December 2007;
- 'CRBNE2 - New Risks, New Solutions, New Plans' - Lecture to the 10th International CBRN Defence Symposium at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham (England) in November 2007;
- 'Terror, Risk and Preparedness in the UK' - Paper to the Defence and Security Forum Meeting in London (England) in November 2006;
- 'Nuclear Terrorism: Criticalities in Harmonising Catastrophic Risk Management' - Paper to the Safety and Security of Energy Infrastructure in a Comparative View Conference in Brussels (Belgium) in November 2005;
- 'Credibility in CBRNE2 Public Information - Cooperation or Apathy?' - Paper to the CBRN Resilience Defence IQ in London (England) in April 2004;
- 'Securing CBRNE Risk: Global Solutions' - Paper to the ASIS International Members' Meeting in Madrid (Spain) in February 2004;
- 'Exercising Skills in CBRN Crises - Risk Assessment and Business Continuity' - Paper to the Managing UK Homeland Security Summit in London (England) in October 2003;
- 'The Business Response: What you can do for yourself when survival becomes an issue' - Contingency Planning Briefing to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry in London (England) in June 2003;
- 'Exercising New Plans in CBRN Defence' - Paper to the Global Security Conference at the Department of Defence Management and Security Analysis and Security Studies Institute in Shrivenham (England) in October 2002;
- Two Case Studies: 1 - Nuclear and the Chernobyl Experience; 2 - Biological and Chemical War and Peace, Iraq and Coode Island' - Seminar on Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) in Australia in Adelaide (Australia) in February 1992; and
- 'Psychological Response to a Nuclear Attack' - Paper to the Institute for Civil Defence in London (England) in December 1981.
Workshops
Newrisk Limited and its principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, have provided workshops on nuclear incidents, including:
- ‘London in 2012- Security Lessons and Future Threats’, ISC2 Secure Workshop in London (England) in March 2013. Training modules included: Training modules: Lessons from London in 2012; Lessons for Securing Systems; Skills for Monitoring the Cyber Threat Landscape; Security Audits for Cloud; Media Communications Skills and Role Plays; Skills Development;
- 'Fukushima - Lessons Learned: Limiting the Consequences, Dealing with Loss of Containment' - workshop exercise to the Register of Security Engineers and Specialists, Continuing Professional Development Day at the Transport Research Laboratory in Berkshire (UK) in October 2011;
- 'Exercise CBRNE2 Resilience' - Tabletop exercise at the Defence IQPC, in London (England) in April 2004; and
- 'Exercise Lights Out' - Exercise to the Risk and Security Management Forum and Foreign Policy Centre in London (England) in June 2002.
Publications
Newrisk Limited's principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, has written publications on nuclear incidents, including:
- Formal risk assessments and nuclear arms control: exploring the value of modern methodologies, Vicki Bier, Robert J. Budnitz, Olli Heinonen, Richard C. Lanza, Ronald F. Lehman, Sally Leivesley, Charles F. McMillan, George H. Miller, Anita Nilsson, John Organek, Robert N. Schock, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, on May 13, 2024;
- 'Reducing CBRNE Risk in the Built Environment' in the 'International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies, 34th Session' by E Ragaini (Editior), August 2005, pp.437-446;
- 'Guest Editorial' in Alert (Journal of the Institute of Civil Defence and Disaster Studies), June 2003, p.2: "Over twenty years ago, Eric Alley and I provided commentary on a nuclear attack simulation for the BBC Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, who had also invited an audience to view the film as part of an Easter program. The film was so shocking that its screening was forbidden in public cinemas. The issues presented were nuclear weapons' effects and the powers of government under extreme attack. Governments had a duty to prepare the public and gain their cooperation thus deterring terrorists. Governments will also be judged by the general public after any such attacks in their capability to fairly and equally distribute medical assistance, aid decontamination and compensate those affected."
- 'Nuclear Survival Criticalities' - in the 'International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies, 29th Session' by E Ragaini (Editor), May 2003, pp.140-151;
- 'CBRN and the Media: Policy, Plans and Reality' in the Monitor, RUSI, April 2003, Vol. 2(3), 2-4;
- 'The Impact on the Business Community: Building Resilience against Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, Radiological, Explosives and Electronic Attacks' - by Dr Sally Leivesley in The Unlikely Terrorists by Rachel Briggs (Editor), November 2002, pp.31-42;
- 'A New Form of Warfare Non-Lethal Weapons' in Arima Corporate Risk, 1997, Vol. 4(11), 86-87;
- 'Chernobyl: The Invisible Threat' in RUSI Journal, Summer 1998, pp.41-46;
- 'Chernobyl: The Invisible Threat' in The Journal of Practical Civil Defence, Special Report 187007, May/June 1988; and
- 'Role Play: Surviving a Nuclear Attack' in The Survivor Syndrome Workshop by C Garland (Editor), November 1980, pp.55-57.
Newrisk Limited's principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, has also been cited in publications on CBRNE, cyber security and dirty bombs, including:
-
'Modern Catastrophe' by Mark Smith in The Gentlewoman, Issue 20, Autumn and Winter 2019, pp 158-161:
- "I ran exercises on so-called dirty bombs, which spread very fine particles of radio-active material through the air… I was teaching people how to scrub off …", p161
- 'Outsourced IT Offers Hackers Access to Key Control Systems' by Mark Hennessy in Irish Times, 2 May 2013, discussing cyber security: "The North Koreans have been blamed for interrupting websites run in South Korea by banks, newspapers and TV companies in “a show and tell” warning about what they are capable of during a conflict, warns Sally Leivesley of Newrisk. The South Koreans have taken the warning seriously, upgrading security at their nuclear plants – including disabling every USB port in every computer at the plants lest they be used to breach defences."
- 'Civil Defence Prepared for Emergencies' by A McGregor,The Courier Mail (1 May 1986): "The Soviet Union's civil defence organisation was so good it would probably cope with the nuclear reactor disaster with little fuss, according to Australian social scientist, Dr Sally Leivesley...Dr Leivesley said that the Russians were making a mistake if they thought that covering-up the accident was the best method of coping with world reaction. At Three Mile Island, the nuclear reactor utility owners at first gave conflicting reports - first that there was a danger of an explosion, and then that there was no possibility of an explosion. The public lost confidence in the utility owners and evacuated en masse, even though only pregnant women were officially advised to leave."
Unpublished Papers
Newrisk Limited's principal adviser, Dr Leivesley, has written unpublished papers on nuclear incidents, including:
- 'The Fukushima Effect: The Science of Communications Catastrophic Risk and Trust' - prepared for the Permanent Monitoring Panel on the Mitigation of Terror Acts Workshop held by the World Federation of Scientists in Erice (Sicily) in May 2011;
- 'Cross-Disciplinary Mitigation of CBRNE2 Risk' - prepared for the World Federation of Scientists, International Seminar on Planetary Emergencies (31st session) in May 2004;
- 'Bank Station CBRN Exercise: Issues for Emergency Planners and Local Authorities' - Paper dated September 2003;
- 'Population Response to War' - papers prepared for the Scientific Research and Development Branch of the Home Office, Volumes. 1-12, 1982;
- 'Nuclear Reactors: Factors associated with Stress in the Local Community' - paper prepared for the International Disaster Institute in London, 1980: 'There are several indicators of stress in the population exposed to the Three Mile Island incident, but there is insufficient evidence to separate out the causes i.e. the confused response of the authorities, and/or the perception of a threat to life from a radiation emission or an explosion.'
To request Newrisk Limited's assistance in connection with a nuclear incident, or to discuss a tailored package of services, please contact Newrisk Limited directly.