ML20137F616

Affidavit of Ah Joyner Re Contention EPX-2.Corrective Actions Being Taken to Resolve Communications Problems Experienced During 850517-18 Exercise.Resolutions Expected Prior to Full Power Licensing of Plant

ML20137F616
Person / Time
Site:	Harris
Issue date:	01/13/1986
From:	Joyner A NORTH CAROLINA, STATE OF
To:
Shared Package
ML20137F380	List: ML20137F378 ML20137F394 ML20137F404 ML20137F410 ML20137F417 ML20137F616 ML20137F649
References
OL, NUDOCS 8601170559
Download: ML20137F616 (10)

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 0 JAN 76 A9 :59 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION GTF;ct .w e BEFORE THE ATOMIC SAFETY AND LICENSING BOARD ' JC U.Tjgj!( 3h.l['!

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in the Matter of )

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CAROLINA POWER & LIGHT COMPANY )

AND NORTH CAROLINA EASTERN ) Docket No. 50-400 OL MUNICIPAL POWER AGENCY )

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(Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant) )

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AFFIDAVIT OF ALVIN H. JOYNER ON CONTENTION EPX-2 COUNTY OF WAKE )

) ss:

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA )

Alvin H. Joyner being duly sworn, deposes and says:

'1. I am the Lead Planner for Fixed Nuclear Facilities for the North Carolina Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management (DEM). The basic responsibilities of DEM include fulfilling the State's role in emergency planning for natural and manmade disasters, in responding to and recovering from disasters, and in mitigation of their effects. As a primary planner for fixed nuclear facilities, I have been directly involved in the development of the offsite emergency capability for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the Catawba, McGuire, and Brunswick nuclear plants. Since April 1985, I have had overall responsibility for emergency planning activities concerning the Harris plant. Prior to April, I was the coordinator for the September revision and Change 2 to the North Carolina Emergency O PM .

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a Response Plan (ERP) in Support of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, and had extensive contactYlt the surrounding counties in developing their portions of the plan.

I was also responsibl5 for overall coordination with the affected counties and the utility in the development of the May 1985 exercise for Shearon Harris. A complete statement of my professional qualifications is ' appended to this affidavit. My current business address.is 116 W. Jones St., Raleigh, N.C. 27601. I make this affidavit in response to Contention EPX-2. I have personal knowledge of the matters stated herein and believc them to be true and correct.

2. A full-scale exercise of the off-site emergency response capabilities for a potential accident was held on May 17 and 18,1985. This was the first full scale exercise held for the Harris Plant, and it was intended to evaluate the state, county, and local agencies' response capabilities within the plume exposure Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) ,

3. Contention EPX-2 directs itself to several issues invc,1ving ec.nmunications difficulties, which were pointed out by exercise evaluators representing state agencies.

In this affidavit, I will address three issues which are of special concern to D'EM because they involve several different public safety agencies, procedures within the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), or involve DEM directly in their resolution. The first is the concern of the state evaluator regarding the " overcrowding" of the radio frequency 155.280 mHz. The second addresses the delay in the receipt of messages by the representatives of the North Carolina Office of Emergency Medical Services within the state EOC. Finally, a third issue involved inadequacies found in the telephone communications capabilities of the Harnett County EOC.

4. Within the State of North Carolina, many public safety agencies conduct their normal and emergency radio communications on many different frequencies. During the

. exercise on May 17 and 18, many of these frequencies were being used not only for their normal, day-to-day purposes, but also for radio traffic directly related to the exercise.

One is the "Special Emergency" frequency of 155.280 mHz VHF, which is used in North Carolina by rescue squads. This frequency is referred to in Contention EPX-2 as the

" emergency inter-system mutual aid frequency." This frequency is widely available in the radios used in most communities and is also available to some state agencies.

. 5. ' During the period of the exercise, as is the case on other days, the frequency was utilized by many parties for dispatching and routine communications. It is recognized in North Carolina that 155.280 mHz is a widely and heavily-utilized frequency. However, with the benefit of radios equipped with tone encoding, and the characteristics inherent with VHF transmissions, particular agency users are able to successfully conduct their own communications operations. VHF transmissions are limited to "line-of-sight", so the more elevation that is gained over the surrounding area, the greater the range for transmission and reception. Tone-encoded radio equipment prevents interference from unwanted signals by blocking those from radios other than those used by a particular response agency. I am aware that the state evaluators for communications on the exercise were monitoring this frequency from a helicopter and

- also using it for their own, evaluator-to-evaluator communications. It is my understanding that this frequency was selected by the evaluators for their own use because the vehicles they used for the exercise had radios equipped with this frequency, although I am not aware of any provision of the exercise scenario which designated this frequency for this purpose. The state evaluators evidently found that the frequency was congested and that they could not contact a county EOC on 155.280 mHz.

6. As I noted, I am aware that the evaluators were monitoring 155.280 mHz

- from a helicopter in flight over the EPZ, and I also understand that they were not using Lm

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' tone-encoded radios. For this reason, the evaluators flying above the EPZ received not ,

I only the local transmissions directly below them, but most likely stations many miles beyond the local area around Harris. These distant transmissions would not have been received on the ground and therefore would not have interfered with emergency communications. The evaluators in the helicopter also were not monitsing any specific

- units or communications on this frequency (155.280 mHz), but were mo- .oring every unit being received due to t'he fact that the receiver wr.s not tone encod d. Emergency 9

. personnel were using tone enecded equipment that prevented interference from

. extraneous signals. b

7. I recognize from the evaluator comments that 155.280 mHz is a highly utilized frequency and it would have limitations, as any single frequency would, as a coordinating channel for a response of the magnitude represented by this exercise. In the four counties comprising the EPZ, all of their public safety organizations operate on 7

multiple frequencies which are dedicated to specific services (fire, police). Some of these counties have multiple frequencies for just one type of service. None of these counties rely on 155.280 mHz as their sole primary frequency to respond to any emergency situation. If under extenuating circumstances, this frequency or the other frequeneles being utilized were needed on a priority basis, it could be done. This would be accomplished by having a powerful base station from either the state or one of the counties, come on frequency and order the radio traffic to move off frequency. For those individual agencies with tone-encoded radio systems, their dispatch center would be informed of this need. I;am confident that 155.280 mHz and the many other frequencies available to the responding agencies would be able to handle all of the traffic during an emergency at the Harris Plant.

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8. In addressing the second problem noted in Paragraph 3 above, I have reviewed the comments by the evaluator for the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS) regarding the delay in the receipt of messages within the state EOC, and have been infermed by the evaluator that this comment was primarily the result of a delay in a single, key message. In particular, the OEMS representatives were not made aware of a briefing in the EOC that was to be held, and it was at this briefing that the announcement of a release from the plant was simulated. Under conditions of a real accident, this would be important information for OEMS. I concur with the evaluator's comments that the OEMS personnelin the EOC probably missed the announcement of the briefing because of shortcomings with the method used to deliver messages within the rooms that are used as the state EOC.

9. A large central room at the state EOC is designed to accommodate key representatives of each agency making up the State Emergency Response Team (SERT).

The response of SERT is directed and coordinated from this room, and, accordingly, SERT briefings are held in it. A ring of offices surrounds and is immediately adjacent to the central room; these offices are used for other representatives of each state agency.

A public address system has speakers in the hallway, which is used to make general announcements, such as the scheduling of a briefing. In addition, individuals are on the EOC staff to function as " message runners"; they carry special or important messages to representatives on the SERT, whether in the central room or in an adjacent office. It is very likely that OEMS staff, who were located in an office, were unaware of the briefing because they did not hear the public address system used in the state EOC, or because of a failure on the part of the message runners to properly notify them.

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10. I am confident that increaced emphasis on briefing message runners as to their responsibilities will improve their effectiveness and assure that their messages have n

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the direct attention of the recipients. New procedures will require that the EOC runners receive a direct acknowldgement, such as a signature or initials, from,the recipients, thus eliminating the possibility of missed messages. Acknowledgments will be reviewed by the message control office for completeness of notification and receipt of message traffic. DEM plans to develop and implement these procedures immediately. These new procedures will provide additional assurance that representatives of state agencies will receive all important. messages.

- 11. I am aware'of the communication difficulties that arose due to the temporary nature of the facilities Harnett County used for an EOC on the two days of the exercise. The location of the temporary EOC was selected because it was adjacent to the Harnett County Sheriff's Office communications center. This location only had three telephone lines coming into it with only a few additional telephones in adjacent offices. I am in complete agreement with county officials and the evaluators of the Federal Emergency Management Agency that this was an inadequate facility with an insufficient number of telephones to properly support EOC operations.

12. Harnett County is now developing a permanent EOC, with the cooperation and consultation of DEM. The permanent EOC will be located in the County Administration Building, in a room suitable to the efficient operation of an EOC. DEM is currently studying the needs of the new EOC and will advise the county on the number of telephones and other resources which will be needed. This study will determine the communication needs required to correct the type of problems which arose during the exercise. After full evaluation of Harnett County's needs, DEM .will request Carolina Power & Light Company to financially support the necessary communications requirement and additional telephone lines will be added. Current thinking envisions at least 11 telephone lines in the permanent EOC. Completion of the permanent EOC will

, be prior to full power licensing of the Harris Plant.

13. I believe that DEM clearly understands the basis of the actual communication problems that arose during the exercise and that are addressed by Contention EPX-2. I

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also believe that the corrective actions be!ag taken by the state and county agencies, and

- the cooperation being extended by Carolina Power & Light Company, will effectively resolve these problems prior to full power licensing of the Harris Plant.

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ALVIN H. JOYKER '

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'*esu nipio*' Notary Public My commission expires: Or4% Z /7I

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STATDTE OF PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATICNS ALVIN H. JOYNER DIVISION OF EERGEiCY PANAGD5r

" NC DEPARD.ENI 0F CP,1.'E CCMOL & PUBLIC SAEEIY PPGESSICML EXPERIDX2 E=ergency Manaaement Planner I.

Pu=ite Safety. Octccer 1953 - Fresent. North Carolina Decartment of Crime Centrol and

- Principle planner for emergency rescense to nuclear accidents within the State of North Carolina. Specific responsibilities involve developing State policy and plans ccacerning emergency respense to nuclear power plant cmergencies, previding guidance tp state and local government officials and other public anad private agencies in the preparation of emergency response plans to ensure accuracy and ec=patibility with State and Federal plans, provide censultatica and guidance to nuclear utility management to ensure full availability of resources and cchesiveness of emergency response plans. Support the State E=ergency Response Team -(SERT) when a disaster er threat of a disaster is present.

Plans. 0:eraticns. and Militari Sun:cr: Cfficer. '&,e Adiutant General's Office.

Sta:e cf Goren Carciina. Jr.uary 1953 - Occc:er 1953. ..

Princi Guard.ple staff officer for emergency planning within the North Carolina Natienal Specific responsibilities involved developing, evaluating, and putting into oceratica a variety of centingency plans for such emergencies as natural disasters.

civil disturbances, land special security missions, nuclear attack, or alert and mobilizatica of National Guard units for ' State or Federal emergencies. Functioned as physical, of the State Director of Security, responsible for the direction and i=ple=entation co==unications, informacien and automatic data processing security p:cgrams. ,

Administrative Officer. North Carolina National Guard. Septe=her 1978 , January T983.

Fullti=a executive assistr.t to the Cc=mander of a General Officer Ccm=and o

- Artillery population Brigade, of 3,677.oneCecrdinated Support Group of four separate battalions with a troop the day-to-da matters, logistics, maintenance, military law,y military administratien, and technician fiscal and budget personnel, pay, public and community relations, recruiting managerial functicas. Supervised 130 epployees,including plans andsupervisors programs, training in civiland service (GS) grades 4 through 11 engaged in personnel, training, supply maintenance, and administracien. Coordinated the preoaraticn of dc=estic emergency, and military support for centingency and operational' plans for the cc= mand.

Administrative Septemcer 1978.

Officer, North Carolina Ar=v National Cuard. December 1972 -

Fulltime executive assistant to the Cc==ander of a North Carolina Army National Guard separate a representing Support troopGrouppopulation of four attached of 2,685. battaliens and one separate company Coordinated the day-to-day ad=f nistraticn, fiscal, and budget matters, legistics, maintenance, military law.

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l L*> . l military and technician perso=al, pay, public and cc===ity relati=s, recrui:ing ;

plans and programs, training, and managerial functions. Coordinated the ,

preparation of domestic emergency and military support for contingency and operational plans for the command.

Ad=inistrative Officer. North Carolina Ar=v Nati nal Guard. March 1961 -

Dece=oer 1972. -

Fulltime executive assistant to the Cc==ander of a Divisienal Medical Battalien.

Coordinated the day-to-day administracion, training, supply, and maintenance activities within the com=and. Recruiting plans and programs for the professicnal co= ole =ent. Exercised supervisica over one (1) operati ns and trainirs specialist GS-09, one (1) staff supply assistant GS-07, ene (1) ad=inistrative specialist GS-07, four (4) administrative and supply technicians GS-07, one (1) organizational maintenance shop chief W-12 and three (3) general mechanics.

Power Plant 0:erator. E.I. DuPont De Nemours Cc=canv. January 1953 - March 1961.

Power Plant auxiliary cperator within an industrial plant utilizing fossil fuel.

Specific responsibilities included operation of turbine condensers for planc electric generators, primary refrigeratien =achines for the e . tire plant, operaticn of power plant production of co=oressed air and analysis and creat=ent of all cendi:icned water for both hunan ab.d industrial purpcscs. -

'IRAINEC E CCtC L . CCURSE SCECCL 1961 Medical Service Corps Officer Medical Field Service School Orientatica 1967 A =y Medical Depart =ent Officer Medical Field Service School Advance 1971 Ccccand & General Staff Officer Cc=z:and & General Staff (Hcnor Grad) College 1973 Introductica to Supervision US Civil Service Cceraisaien 1974 Engineer Officer Orienta:icn Erzineer School 1974 National Guard Perscnnel US Civil Service Cc::r:ission Management 1976 legistics Management Orientation US A=y kgistics Management Center 1977 Ordance Officer Advance US Ar=y Ordcnce School 1978 National Security Managecent Naticnal Defense University 1978 Role of the Manager in EID US Civil Se:vice Cceraission 1978 Manage =ent Awareness Officer NC State Persennel 1979 Installation Manage =en: US Ar=y kgistics Management Cmter 1979 Middle Management US Office of Persennel Manage =ent 1980 Netotiating Labor Agreements US Office of Perso=el Msnagement g 1980 Administrative Officer NG Profession Education Cen.

1982 Labor Relacions Supervision US Office of Personnel

{L for Managers -

Management 2

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1982 Industrial Facilitics Protection US Defense Indust. Security Inst.

1982 Basic Disaster Operations Course Emergency Management Inst.

(FD'A) 1982 Assoc. Legistics Executive US Ar=y Legistics Mr,asecent Develeg:ent Center 1983 Classification Management for Naticnal Guard _cureau Managers 1983 Search and Rescue Management US Air Force Rescue Seminar Coordinatien Center 1984 Managing the Search n:.ctica Naticnal Assoc. for Search

& Instructor Workshop and Rescue 1984 Basic Nuclear Power Concept Tennessee Valley Authority Course 1985 Federal Radiological F.cergency Dmrgency M.tnage ent Respense Plan Workshop Institute (TiFA)

SlWARY My professional career has been al= cat entirely in the military. I retired frett fSilti=e duty with the North Carclina National Guard as a Lieutenant Colcnel (GS-

12) in October 1983. During that career my responsibilities have been almost entirely devoted to planning ansd training to support the National Guard in its military role both to the Nation and the State. I am an honor graduate of the Ar:y's coveted Cc==and and Staff College and ce=pleted nu=ercus other military courses directly related to plans and cperaticas.

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