ML20236A548

Discusses Two Ltrs Sent to State of Nh & Governor J Gregg as Result of State of Nh Issuing Emergency Plan Info Calendar in Late Dec as Part of Radiological Emergency Response Plan for Plant.Calendar Filled W/Errors & Inconsistencies

ML20236A548
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	01/20/1989
From:	Anderson F IDEAS & INFORMATION, INC.
To:	Smith I Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
Shared Package
ML20236A546	List: ML20236A544 ML20236A548
References
OL, NUDOCS 8903170413
Download: ML20236A548 (11)

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Ideas + information, Inc.

4 Elm Street, Exeter Business Center, Exeter, N.H. 03833 USA (603) 778 7000 January 20, 1989 Ivan W. Smith US NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMM ASLB WashinCton DC 20555

Dear Chairman Smith:

I wanted to share with you two letters I have sent as a result of the State of New Hampshire issuing an Emergency Plan Information Calendar in late December, as part of the Radiological Emergency Response Plan for Seabrook Station.

The first was sent to Richard Strome, Director of the New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management. I have complained that the calendar is " full of errors, inconsistencies and misleading statements" and I requested that it be revised and replaced. As one example, as the' calendar is hung up, there is no way of knowing that an emergency plan is contained beneath the beautiful pictures of scenes within the EPZ. I also requested that it be provided to all residents within the EPZ, including residents of nursing homes, hospitals, dorms, and summer visitors, etc., not just

" Postal Customers" in a bulk mailing.

The second was sent to Governor Judd Gregg, making the same requests, and also reminding him of problems associated with the winter operation of the sirens within the EPZ. I call on the NRC and FEMA to schedule a FEMA REP-10 test of the sirens under winter conditions (note attachment on similar problems in Indian Point, NY),

I would appreciate your help in corecting both of these problems. If you need a copy of the calendar, or of the results of my survey following a test of the sirens on January 30, 1988, please give me a call.

Thanks for your assistance.

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8903170413 090201 PDR ADOCK 05000443 p$

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Ideas + information, Inc.

j 4 Etrn Street. Exeter Business Center. Exeter. N.H. 03833 USA (603) 778 7000 January 10, 1989 Honorable Judd Gregg l

r Governor D

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STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE State House

' Concord NH 03301

Dear Governor Gregg:

I wanted to provide you with a copy of a letter I have sent to Richard Strome, Director of the New Hampshire Office of Emergency Management.

. As.you can see, I have many very serious concerns about the Emergency Plan Information Calendar recently distributed by the State. I believe it should be withdrawn, with a corrected version distributed to al]

people within the Seabrook EPZ. (I have enclosed a copy of the

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calendar in case you haven't seen it).

I have also enclosed a copy of a letter I sent to Edward Brown of N.H.

Yankee (with a copy to Mr. Strome) in April of 1988, outlining what I believe are problems in the notification system for Seabrook in winter weather conditions. I have not received a reply from Mr. Strome.

You have indicated your concern that Seabrook Station operate in a safe manner. I would appreciate your help in following up in these two areas.

Regards, Fred Anderson, Jr 1

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ideas + infortnation,Inc.

4 Elm Street, Exeter Business Center, Exeter, N.H 03833 USA (603) 778 7000 l

Richard H. Strome, Director January 9, 1989 NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT State Office Park. South a

l 107 Pleasant Street Q

' Coacord NH 03301 Dear Mr. Stroaer By signing your carae to the 1989 Emergency Plan Information Calendar, which is full of errors, inconsistencies, and misleading statements (see attached pages) you have taken responsibility for its content and distribution. The calendar isn't worth the paper it's printe! on. It would do more harm than good in the event of a real emergency - at Seabrook or elsewhere.

You should immediately recall all copies you have distributed and then issue a corrected version. Don't wait for 1990 - it may be too late.

I would also like to know why you haven't distributed the calendar to everyone within the 10 mile EPZ, including:

-- Residents of hospitals, nursing homes, etc.

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-- Every public and private classroom and dorm rooms at institutions like Phillips Exeter Academy.

(My company employs students from the Academy).

-- Guests at hotels, motels, boarding rooms, etc.

-- Campers in the many campgrounds in the area. (I know you t

plan to erect a few signs and have some information in phone books, but that will be insufficient to alert the

" transient" population.)

Finally, I would like to know if you plan to conduct an in-depth l

survey to see what the reaction of residents is to the calendar.

Are they reading it, posting it, and would they use it? I plan to conduct such a survey and will inform your office of the results.

If you are not willing to revise the Emergency Plan Information l

Calendar and see that a revised version is distributed to

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everyone within the 10 mile Emergency Planning Zone, then I would suggest that you consider resigning your public office, and I will ask that Governor Gregg replace you.

Regards, f su.

w Fred Anderson, Jr.

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EMERGENCY PLAN INFORMATION CALENDAR -- COMMENTS Fred Anderson, Jr. -- January 9. 1989 1

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1) Why do several towns have an

• instead of' a phone number?

(Hampton Falls, Kensington, Rye, South Hampton?)

. Why not explain that these towns have refused to cooperate with the State?

2) The phone number for these towns is listed incorrectly.

People should call 1-433-1419, not 1-603-433-1419 (unless they i

were in Massachusetts).

3) Which rumor control number should be called -- The NH Office of Emergency Management or NH Yankee? Will you be giving out the same information?

4) The Special Emergency Help Page between pages 1 and 2 makes I

reading from points 1 through 5 very confusing. Most people will not take this page out and may skip from the bottom of page 1 to the top of page 1.

5) Section 1: SIRENS Will they sound in the event of an emergency other than at Seabrook? What will it sound like? How will we know the difference?

CanthesirensbeheardinwinIerwhilepeopleareinsideand with snow on the ground? (Several winter tests in East Kingston, which I have personally witnessed, have failed to prove their reliability in winter).

It is not made clear that only sirens at the beach would broadcast voice messages.

6) Section 2: EBS Stations --

What if the power is off, and we don't have a battery operated radio? Why won't PSNH provide everyone in the EPZ with battery operated tone alert radios?

What if I am driving and the sirens go off? Should I stay in my car and listen to the radio or go into a stranger's house, store, church, etc?

"'w are we to check if a neighbor has heard the message? Should go outside even if a plume is floating overhead? May I use the phone to try to reach a spouse outside the EPZ? To call the rumor control numbers? What do you mean by " absolutely necessary"?

IDEAS + INFORMATION INC.

l EMERGENCY PLAN'INFORMATION CALENDAR -- COMMENTS Fred. Anderson,- Jr.. -- January 9, 1989 l

7) Section 4: SHELTER'--

How do I close off outside sources of air if I go into a building other than my own home? (Office, store, church, etc)

8) Section 5: EVACUATE --

How many days are a "few days"? Haven't some of the people near Chernobyl never been able to return to their homes?

Regarding " Good Neighbor Assistance" should we stop to provide rides to those hitch hiking to get out of the EPZ?

How many lines and operators will be covering 1 (603)'433-14197 Again the phone number is wrong - it should be 1-433-1419. Why not offer a toll free number? What if I don't have change to use-a pay phone? How about an easy to remember number?

Many of the routes shown on pages 6, 7 and 8 are incorrect (see below).

Why aren't the evacuation routes marked with signs? In Florida routes used for Hurricane evacuations are plainly marked.

The Reception Centers will provide monitoring for " radiation exposure and decontamination, if necessary." Shouldn't everyone go there (rather than to relatives or friends)?

I live in South Hampton. Our high school students go to Amesbury

I High. Where would we meet them? in Salem NH7 Is there a chance that students would be told to go home l

(dismissed early) when no parents are at home? How would they then be evacuated?

Little is said about people at the beaches. Do most know that very limited sheltering is available, and because of that they would probably be told to evacuate even though that might put them within the effects of a radioactive plume? Why isn't the State building shelters at the State Beaches?

" People Without Transportation" are told to " catch a bus" This may be hard enough during normal times, but how long 4111 people have to wait in an emergency? How long should people be exposed outside waiting for a bus? What will that be like in the winter?

IDEAS + INFORMATION INC.

t EMERGENCY PLAN INFORMATION CALENDAR -- COMMENTS 4

-Fred Ander, son, Jr. -- January 9, 1989

9) The table on page' 4 looks like several towns don't have reception centers. Why not. repeat the names of host communities next to every town?

How is Hampton Beach defined.vs. Hampton? Those in the former go

to Manchester vs. Dover.'

Several towns have more than one evacaustion route.

w How do you pick which one to use?

In some towns different areas have different routes - My office is in Exeter. Am I in North, South or West Exeter if I am in the center of town?

What is the. difference between Hampton Beach Residents and Visitors? If I am renting'a cottage for a week or a month or the summer am I a resident.or a visitor?

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The first route for Hampton Beach Visitors refers to a left on Highland Ave. off of Route 1A. This road is not on the Hampton Beach map (page 11) ~and I have never heard of it. Have all of the evacuation routes and directions been thoroughly tested?

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' On the bus maps.why not show the. direction the bus will be

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traveling? On which side of the road will it stop?

Several of the streets on the South Hampton map (page 17) are incorrect (Main Street is really Main Avenue; Long Goose Road is Lone Goose Road). Have these maps been checked for accuracy?

10) In.the ABOUT RADIATION section, if living next to a nuclear plant is'so safe (less than 1 millirem per year) why are f

Massachusetts health officials concerned about' residents near the Pilgrim plant?

Why won't the State conduct a base line survey of the cancer rates around Seabrook before the plant ever goes on-line?

k'he section ABOUT SAFETY AT SEABROOK STATION sounds like a PR piece'from NH Yankee. The reference to Three Mile Island ignores i

the' fact that a major radiation release was narrowly avoided (the core melted). Why was this garbage distributed by the State of New Hampshire?

11) A final note: If the calendar is hung so that the beautiful pictures of the 10 mile zone can be seen, there is no way to tell that this is really an Emergency Plan Information Calendar.

People may forget what the calendar contains, or visitors that may even have a calendar in their cottage, etc. will not know IDEAS + INFORMATION INC.

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EMERGENCY PLAN INFORMATION CALENDAR -- C0f0fENTS Fred Andgrson, Jr. -- January 9, 1989 i

1 that details of the emergency' plan are contained under the pictures. You have already spoiled the Seacoast by allowing the

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. plant to be built. Why not deface the pretty pictures by printing across them, "INSIDE: SEABROOK EVACUATION PLAN"?

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IDEAS + INFORMATION INC.

Aides Urge U.S. to Weigh Backup

~ForIndian Point WarningSystem f

By EDWARD HUDSON t

Twomembersof athree-judge i"could result in more than 700 una.

4 that r!udied safety at the Indian tlerted persons who could be esposed to nuclear puwer piants have urged the a lethal radiation dose.'? -

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to

.Dr. Parisi an environmental scien i

. consider requiring a backup system for ist, and Mr. she, a nuclear engineer, fbe warning sirens in the region be tare administrative judges of the com-cause of the sound <leadening effects of ' mission's atomic safety and licensing anow.

board Poin panel 1he two administrative judges urged N es the measure in a letter to members of 1he third member of the safety panel James P. Gleason, did not join in the fler of g

two said that if they had'been i

tial pb 11 said t aware of the snow before their awere not aware of the study, conducted foPort was written would have by a consultant in 1982, when they

" recommended the corriminalen require issued a final report on Indiaa Point in a backup system for prom alerting, such as tone alert ramos." pney urge October 1983.

The two judges, Dr. Oscar H. Paris me commision to e such a re,

and Frederick J.Shon, membersof the l

j now.

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I commisslan's atomic safety and licens-r 1 hey were also critical of the failure.

board, learned of the study at a of the mammienica's staff to bring the-meeting last month.

i la the letter, dated June 9, they suh isnow report to the panel's attention. A masimianian spokesman in Washington, gasted a backup system that might in. John Kopeck, said his agency had no ciude the distribution of a _

comment on the letter.

. stoneelert" radios to residents of the The aldrting system in the 10 mile fndian Point ares.11ese radios would sone aroundIndian Point cons s s as.

itb i E, be turned on automatically by an emer.

cally.of 151 strens but' included tone.

gency brnade==t signal, they said. Dr. alert radios at some schools, hospitals Paris said two other plants around the and " outlying residents," according to :

to distribute the countrywere 3awrence V. Kleinman, a spokesman

{ tone. alert for the Consolidated Edison Company [

• • -l a=======m of ENeet d Snow lhe utility, with the New York Power The snow study, conducted by a con-Authority, operates the two active nu.

sultant in 1982, " predicted that on a clear at the site,35 miles north winter night with snow, the sirens at in-af mi Manhattan.

Mr. Kleinman said that siren cover.

dian Point would ' alert only $3 percent age has been expanded since the snow

'the residents" in the emergency study was conducted.1here were only irig mone, a 10 mile sone around Indian Point plants with 270,000 S shoes in the area when the consult.

. ant made the report, he said.

r, sesidents, the former panel members Under the plans, county 3 hey found that 83 t of the officials decide to sound the

,'grrote.

duldents would actuall bh alested,la strens.after a utility declares an emer.

'ipart because of the ihood of some gency. The sirtsis alert residents to

. tune to an omstgency branda=w sta.

'sesidents passing on word of an emert tion.

rgsacy to others. But even 83 percen Mr. JOeinman said the system met

',was "well below" the commission's 10y "all of the Federal criteria In terms 0

the

' percent alerting requirement, prankring sound" riuring an amergen -

said in the letter.

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,", Such a low percentage, they said, cy. p g

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Warning Flaws F@une g : In Test at Seabrook EAST KINGSTON (UPD -

oppositionin Massachusetts 4 Flaws in equipment responsi- "Only One Out O[

Fairbanks said probl i

l X ble for alerting residents about with the public address sys i

emergency procedures were thefour strens made it difficult to hear l

D foun' d in a test of the Seabrook k nuclear power plant's warning produced G good structions that would be g:

to residents about shelter ai system, a New Hampshire

%g town official said.

Clear UOlce*n and other etnergency pr.

dures, r1 The test also left doubts over Robert Fairbanks "Only' one out of the i !

i whether residents could hear sirens produced a good c) '

an alert signal that would be voice," Fairbanks said 12 i sounded in the event of a radio Seabrook reactor's federally telephone interview.

active disaster at Seabrook, required 10-mile emergency In addition, Fairbanks !

said Robert Fairbanks, emer-zone.

there were problems betwee gency management coordins*

tor in East Kingston.

Approval of the emergency nearby central emergency (

"We didn't feel in the whole warning system and evacua-trol facility and the town's c tion plans for communities trol center. He said anot town we got the coverage we'd like to see," said Fairbanks within the zone is required be-test would be scheduled wit fore the estimated 85 billion 60 days to address that,

about whether the alert signal was strong enough to be heard reactor can receive a federal other problems.

in homes or by motorists. "We operating license.

Although other New Hat shire communities opposed found areas we weren't happy' evacuation plans for the 17 New A federally graded test of placement of the warn l with."

sirens and won a court decis l The two-hour test Saturday Hampshire communities last to remove them, Fairbai involved the broadcasting of winter failed to receive passing said he heard no opposit <

emergency alert signals and marks. Massachusetts Gov. from East Kingston reside public address instructions Michael Dukakis, citing a lack about the test.

through four sirens placed in of adequate protection for resi-

"I don't believe we'll e-the coastal New Hampshire dents, has refused to submit use them for Seabrook," s.

community.

plans for the sir communities Fairbanks, adding that Fairbanks said it was the in his state.

thought the warning syst.

fir'st full-scale test of such Seabrook management has would be more beneficialin -

equipment among the 17 New asked the federal Nuclear Reg. event 'of natural disaste Hampshire and six Massachu. ulatory Commission to shrink chemical spills or other em,

setts communities within the the zone to 1 mile to bypass that gencies.

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3 ' EAST KINGSTON, N.II. (AP)-Test show i

the ground the sound tfrom warn-partly toheavy snowfallduring

'N h hfficials say they will correct ing strens) is dampened some-test.

Haws found during a weekend test what," Fairbanks said.

Technicians from New Ilar :

6f & system created to aled rest.

The first level of the system, shire Yankee, Seahrook's bulk m

g dents of an accident at the Sca-alerting town officials and police were on hand to monitor the te r;;

brook nuclear plant, through pagers, worked perfectly, Fairbanks said.

East Kingston, which conducted Fairbanks said.

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the test on Saturday from 10 a.m.

Ilowever, sirens operated from in a prepared statement, Seli

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to noon, is the first community a local cocimi center did not de man Matt Rowell said the test t x

within Seabrook's 10-mile emer-liver the required range of warn-valuableinfindingmalfunction: i gency evacuation zone to exten. ing tones, he said, although those poor performance in the wam

.o slVely test the warning system in operated from Rockingham Coun-bystem. lie said a second test t ;

adverse weather, town Civil De. ty police dispatch worked well, be scheduled in about four wee t

fense Director Robert Fairbanks Also, voice clarity over a public Seabrook officials were not av said Sunday, address system was poor, he said. able Sunday to comment on

. We learned with the snow on The problem may have been due test.

r ideas + information, Inc.

4 Elm Street, Exeter Business Center, Exeter, N.H. 03833 USA (603) 778-7000 i

l PRESS ADVISORY l

l SURVEY 0F REACTIONS TO SEABROOK SIREN TEST TO BE RELEASED l

(1998)

Exeter, N.H. -- On friday morning, April 22nd,#et 11 AM, ideos + information,Inc.,e marketing resserch firm, vill release the results ofits surwy of the reactions of Esot Kingston, N.H. residents to the test of Seabrook strens held in that town.

A press conference vill be held next to a siren laceted in the Exeter Municipal Perking Let (or in case of rein in the omcss of ideos + information et 4 Elm Street, Exeter). See enclosed map.

About 90 families (ebout 25% of the town) responded to a melled questionnaire which included the following questions:

Did pu heer a siren -- a wice message?

What did the message sey?

Howloud would pu seg the sirenves?

Would it have been loud enough to get pu out of the house?

Would it have been loud ensegh to woke pu up et night?

How for evey from the siren were pu during the test?

if Seebrook Station were operating and pu heard the siren, what would pu do? (1st,2nd,3rd)

De pu favor the licensing of Sambrook Station?

De pu think it will rocsiw a license to operate?

Ilespondents also provided information on their ogs, sex, number and ages of members of t

household, and occupations.

For more information on this survey before the 22nd contact Fred Anderson et (603) 778-7000.

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Editor's Note: Anderson ves arrested for criminal trespassing following the siren test et the East Kingston Fire Station, et the request of the East Kingston C1Yl1 Defense Director,when he ettempted to lieten to the test debriefing, as requested by interveners opposing the licensing of Seabrook.

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