ML20214M201

Advises That Delay in Reporting Siren Failures During 860604 Exercise Will Not Be Addressed by FEMA in Official Rept Since Problem util-related,per s.Followup W/Util Suggested

ML20214M201
Person / Time
Site:	Indian Point
Issue date:	08/26/1986
From:	Krimm R Federal Emergency Management Agency
To:	Jordan E NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
References
NUDOCS 8609110008
Download: ML20214M201 (4)

Text

-

,9sn:a ;a'.Y2;vs

, Federal Emergency Management Agency Washington, D.C. 20472 O O AUG 2 61986 MEMORANDUM FOR: Edward L. Jordan Director Division of Emergency Preparedness a Engineeri Besponse e( pec icki and Enforcement

(

Assistand Associ te Director [

FRJM: 5.

Office of Natural and Technological Hazards SU3 JECT: Siren Failures in Rockland County, New York During the June 4, 1986 Indian Point Exercise The June 20, 1986, letters fran Mr. John T. Grant, County Executive, Rockland County, New York to Mr. Nunzio Palladino, Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Camission, and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Region II Office, expressed concern about Consolidated Edison Capany's almost six hour delay in reporting the siren failures to the Joint News Center during the Indian Point exercise. This delay in reporting siren failures will not be addressed by FEMA in the official exercise report since the problem originated with the utility and not state or local officials which are our constituents. Accordingly, the NRC may want to follow-up with Consolidated Edison with respect to the cor-rective actions, if any are required. Attached are copies of the FEMA responses to Mr. Grant.

Attachments As Stated D ?VJ 8609110008 860826 PDR ADOCK 05000247 p PDR b I]\

4UG.05 '86 10:19 FEMA REGIC- I tOJ YCW 2 F _"-

e.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Region II 26 Federal Plaza New York, New York 10278 Mr. John T. Grant 7 2f .

County Executive 4 County of Rockland Allison-Parris County Office Building New City, NY 10956

Dear Mr. Grant:

June 'Ihank 4, 1986you for your June 20, 1986 letter nghrding the exercise.

Although ma had not fonnally evaluated whether ecch siren sounded during the Nne 4,1986 exercise it was brought to my attention that during the exercise, a ram,ber of sirens failed '

to sound when the Alert and Notification (A/N) system was testad.

Obviously this < misaad us omaiderable concern. consequently, en June 16, 1986, I sent a letter to the State of New York (copy attached) formally requ edng a full explanation of the aircumstances surreurriing the siren faa. lure.

On July 7,1986 Nr. James Papila re provided our office with W=mtation (s%-4.1 to our request ee atteched) showing the and corrective action undertaken by the State and utilities. 'this informatim was transmitted to the Region I Office of Nz:loar Regulatory Agency on July 15, 1986. It agpears that all parties are making a good faith attempt to correct the problem. 14a will

( keep you infonned about any new deva 1

&ts sn.sdng this matter.

Please note that, I have been reassigned to another position'.

effective June 20, 1986. Arv future inquirlas r===Mhg *191 Dnergency Preparedness programs should be directed to Philip Natatize, 011ef, Natural & Technological Immards Division. ,s i,* R;'M.,

m.

health and safety.

'Ihank ym again for your letter and amaern sac the %1 . , -

wc. .  ;: -

Sincerely, ,p i

[* .

moge 3. Nowimski, M t

. .r, 7,.gl .... .? T,.

' Civil Enginear - @@, $T. gry;f@

7 j .M y$M,%'. ,. p -

1 R *s . ^ ,*** *j.

p. ,

e

\

r

' a kB

. . gM:

'*[ * ] c- ', .

- ; f .;i l , s.

,~..i

o +

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[IfE[/ Washington, D.C. 20472 AUG 261986 Mr. John T. Grant County Executive County of Rockland Allison-Parris County Office Building New City, New York 10956

Dear Mr. Grant:

This is in further response to your letters of June 20, 1986, to Mr. Nunzio Palladino, Chairman, United States Nuclear Regulatory Counission (NRC), and to Mr. Roger Kowieski, Federal Dnergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region II. Your letters expressed concerns over siren malfunctions in Rockland County during the June 4,1986, offsite radiological energency preparedness exercise at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and over Consolidated Edison Company's delay in reporting the siren malfunctions. As you are are now aware, Consolidated Edison investigated the cause of the siren failures, made appropriate repairs to the systen and imple-mented procedural changes for activatirg the systen, and successfully retested the system on June 28, 1986. Based on reports on the situation submitted by the State of New York and Consolidated FAison, I am now satisfied that Consolidated Edison has addressed this problen.

The Indian Point alert and notification systen is currently under review by FEMA, including the routine testing procedures for the system. Based on our analysis, the testing progran now implenented is a3 equate and satisfies FEMA and NRC systen testing requirements. The long term testing records submitted with the alert and notification systen design report and reviewed by FENA indicate that the Indian Point alert and notification system operability exceeded 90%, the FEMA operability standard, for the period reviewed. This indicates that in excess of 90% of all the sirens in the system operated properly during all of the regularly scheduled tests for the period which was reviewed (12 months). I can assure you that the Indian Point alert and notification systen operability records will be carefully reviewed and that the systen will only be approzed by FEMA if the long term operability records, including the June 4, 1986 test results, are at or above 90%.

It is my understanding that Consolidated D3ison Comany is considering a canputer-ized siren verification systen for the Indian Point alert and notification system which would provide instant confirmation of siren malfunctions. FEMA supports the installation of cmputerized siren verification systems, however, these systems are not required to gain Fa4A approval of the alert and notification systen. The rapid verification provided by such a system would alleviate delays in discovering siren malfunctions as occurred during the June 4,1986 exercise. I have requested the NRC to pursue with Consolideted Edison the reasons for their delay in reporting the siren failures to the Joint News Center and Rockland County Emergency Operations i Center during the June 4,1986 exercise. Hopefully, their procedures can be revised j to prevent a recurrence of this problen in the future.

i

I understand your concerns about the safety of Rockland County residents and other residents in the Indian Point energency plannirg zone. FENA will contirme to coor'-

dinate closely with the State of New York, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, and Westchester Counties, and the NRC to nonitor the alert and notification systen at this site.

If I can be of further assistance, please do not not hesitate to contact me at (202) 646-2861 or our Region II office in New York City, New York.

Sin rely

)

(/ \ i

- -/j - ,I Richardy.Krimn g

Assistant Associate Director Office of Natural and Technological Hazards i

. _ . - - . . , . , . - . - _ - - - . . - _