ML041590246
| ML041590246 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Indian Point  |
| Issue date: | 06/07/2004 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2006-0299 | |
| Download: ML041590246 (3) | |
Text
INFORMATION SHEET Office of Public Affairs Phone: 301-415-8200 Email: opa.resource@nrc.gov Post Exercise Information Sheet 2004 Emergency Preparedness Exercise at Indian Point The Nuclear Regulatory commissions primary mission is to protect the public health and safety, and the environment from the effects of radiation from nuclear reactors, materials, and waste facilities. We also regulate these nuclear facilities to promote the common defense and security.
The NRC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency evaluated an emergency preparedness exercise at the Indian Point Nuclear power plant in Buchanan, N.Y. on June 8, 2004.
$ Nuclear power plants conduct a variety of exercises and drills on a recurring basis, including a required emergency plan exercise with offsite authorities at lease once every two years. During these biennial exercises, licensees and State and local response organizations must demonstrate they can effectively carry out emergency plans and procedures.
$ FEMA has led the lead for assessing offsite planning and response activities conducted by the licensee and State and local governments, while NRC reviews and assesses the onsite planning and response. FEMA findings as to the adequacy and capability of implementing offsite plans are communicated to the NRC.
$ Biennial full-participation exercises are designed to test as much of the emergency plans as possible. The scope and timing of scenario events are designed to permit state and local responders to fully exercise various emergency plan functions. Trained NRC and FEMA evaluators assess performance of thee numerous functions to ensure the plans can be implemented to protect the public in the event of a radiological emergency.
Since September 11, 2001, there has been an increased focus on emergency preparedness and the potential impact of terrorism on both on-site and off-site response.
$ NRC, in coordination with multiple agencies and organizations, has been conducting a comprehensive evaluation of NRC security program as well as vulnerability assessments for a broad range of threats to nuclear facilities. These efforts have resulted in numerous actions to further enhance security and continue to affirm the effectiveness of redundant systems and multiple layers of defense designed to protect the plant. The vulnerability studies confirm that
there would be time to prevent or minimize any radiological release, and, in the unlikely event of a release, there will be time to take actions to protect the public. Given the enhancements made to safety, security, and emergency preparedness, the radiological consequences that may result from a terrorist attack are expected to be very low.
$ Independent reviews of emergency planning and preparedness, such as the report prepared by James Lee Witt Associates for the State of New York, have also helped focus on terrorism issues and identify areas for improvement in the current threat environment.
$ Planning for possible emergencies is an ongoing process. In that regard, FEMA and NRC committed to work together with N.Y. State and local governments to include a simulated terrorist scenario in the emergency preparedness exercise at Indian Point.
The June 2004 exercise at Indian Point is a demonstration of on-site and off-site emergency response.
$ Whether the initiating event is a terrorist attack or equipment failure, multiple barriers can protect the reactor and prevent or minimize off-site releases. In order to challenge the last barrier - off-site emergency response - scenario writers must intentionally fail equipment and actions that would prevent or minimize plant damage. Similar to other radiological emergency preparedness exercises, on-site equipment and response actions that would be available in a real situation cannot be allowed to succeed during the scenario so that the on-site and off-site emergency response can be tested.
$ Radiological emergency exercises are designed to test and evaluate on-site and off-site response to the potential consequences of a radiological emergency. NRC and FEMA will observe the security response and interfaces with emergency management activities to gain insights that will help to enhance overall event response.
The exercise scenario was a realistic reflection of the timing and overall progression of events that could potentially occur as a result of a severe terrorist attack, based on extensive analysis.
$ The scenario was consistent with the findings of extensive NRC assessments of a large aircraft attack that could potentially occur at Indian Point. National experts conducted detailed engineering studies using state-of-the-art structural and fire analyses and enhanced methodologies to predict accident progression and radiological consequences realistically.
$ NRC vulnerability studies for aircraft attack scenarios confirm that there would be time to prevent or minimize a radiological release that could effect public health and safety, and in the unlikely event of a release, there will be time to take actions to protect the public.
$ The results of NRCs studies confirm that a fast release of radioactive materials that could effect public health and safety is highly unlikely at Indian Point. Given the enhancements made to safety, security, and emergency preparedness, the radiological consequences that may result from a terrorist attack are expected to be very low.
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$ The three basic components of security and emergency preparedness have been fully exercised at Indian Point-on-site-security through a force-on-force exercise last year; off-site crisis management by combined Federal, State and local security/law enforcement resources through a table-top exercise in April of this year; and, emergency preparedness functions through this weeks exercise.
June 2004 3