NL-15-1392, Enclosure 3 - Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation
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Southern Nuclear Operating Cornpany Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2;Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant Units 1 and 2;Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units I and 2;Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 3 and 4*Enclosure 3 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation This enclosure contains 7 pages.
Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation This License Amendment Request (LAR) proposes changes to the current Joint Information Centers described in the Farley Nuclear Plant (FNP) Unit 1 and Unit 2, Hatch Nuclear Plant (HNP) Unit 1 and Unit 2, Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Unit 1 and Unit 2, and VEGP Unit 3 and Unit 4 Emergency Plans to incorporate a Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC) fleet standard approach for a Joint Information Center (JIC)/Joint Information System (JIS).Emergency Planning Functions Impacted by the Proposed Change The proposed change impacts 10 CFR 50.47(b) Planning Standards 7, which addresses the following Planning Standard Functions:
10 CFR 50.47(b) (7): (7) Information is made available to the public on a periodic basis on how they will be notified and what their initial actions should be in an emergency (e.g., listening to a local broadcast station and remaining indoors), the principal points of contact with the news media for dissemination of information during an emergency (including the physical location or locations) are established in advance, and procedures for coordinated dissemination of information to the public are established.
The proposed change has been reviewed and, continues to perform the functions required of 10 CER 50.47(b) and the related requirements of 10 CFR 50 Appendix E.Reason for the Chanae As part of the SNC effort to standardize Radiological Emergency Preparedness, this [AR requests consolidation of the JIC into two central locations to better serve the interests of the respective owner companies and their associated state and local stakeholders.
The proposed change will also better support implementation of a Joint Information System, which will enhance media response for SNC and its state and local stakeholders.
Public Education and Information NUREG-0654/FEMA REP-O1 Revision 1 provides the following guidance for criterion G, Public Education and Information:
- 3.a Each principal shall designate the points of contact and physical locations for use by news media during an emergency.
- 3.b Each licensee shall provide space that may be used for a limited number of the news media at the near-site Emergency Operations Facility.* 4.a Each principal organization shall designate a spokesperson who should have access to all necessary information.
- 4.b Each organization shall establish arrangements for timely exchange of information among designated spokespersons.
- 4.c Each organization shall establish coordinated arrangements for dealing with rumors.Current SNC Emerqencv Communications Plan Current SNC Emergency Plans are supported by the SNC Emergency Communications Plan, which is a comprehensive plan for coordination of the SNC Plants with their respective owner companies and Off-site Response Organizations to provide accurate and timely information to the public using news media and to address event-related rumors. The SNC Emergency E3-1 Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation Communications Plan describes a Corporate Media Center (CMC) located at the corporate office of each respective owner company. For VEGP Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 and for HNP Units 1 and 2, the CMC is located at the Georgia Power Company (GPC) corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia. For FNP Units 1 and 2, the CMC is located at the Alabama Power Company (APC)corporate office in Birmingham, Alabama. The existing commitments are documented in the FNP Unit 1 and Unit 2 Emergency Plan Appendix 10, HNP Unit 1 and Unit 2 Emergency Communications Plan, VEGP Unit 1 and Unit 2 Emergency Plan Appendix 8 , and VEGP Unit 3 and Unit 4 Emergency Plan Appendix 8.The following is a general overview of the current SNC Emergency Communications Plan: I. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS STAFF LOCATIONS AND FUNCTIONS The Public Information (P1) Director is responsible for all emergency communications response activities and staff. At an Alert classification or higher, the Emergency Communications public response will be handled initially from the CMC by the P1 Director.The PI Director and the Nuclear Spokesperson will contact the Emergency Operations Facility Manager for briefing on the emergency.
The EOF will issue an Initial News Release (INR). If the decision is made to activate the JIC, the PI Director and the Nuclear Spok~esperson move to that facility.
Upon activation of the JIC, primary utility Emergency Communications response will be conducted from the.JIC. The CMC staff will maintain communications with the JIC and EOF, keep appropriate APC, GPC, and SNC personnel notified of plant conditions, and support JIC activities.-A. Corporate Media Center -Atlanta/Birmingham
- 1. The Corporate Media Center, located at the Atlanta or Birmingham corporate headquarters building of Georgia Power Company or Alabama Power Company, as appropriate, is the official location for coordination and issuance of news announcements and responses to news media inquiries until the JIC has been activated.
The CMC may function as a Joint Public Information Center (JPIC) and may conduct these activities as long as appropriate and necessary..
- 2. Prior to activation of the JIC at an Alert or higher classification, corporate staff assigned to the JIC will assemble at the CMC. They will proceed to the JIC when directed by the Public Information Director.3. The following staff is assigned to the Corporate Media Center:* PI Director (until JIC activation).
- CMC Manager.* CMC Media Relations Representative.
- CMC Facility Coordinator.
- CMC Public Response Coordinator.
- CMC Public Response Team.* Government Relations Liaison.* Financial Response Liaison.* Employee Communications Coordinator.
- Internet Coordinator.
- CMC Assistant.
- CMC Support Staff.E3-2 Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation
- 4. After activation of the JIC, the CMC staff responsibilities will continue.
Responsibilities will include the following:
- a. Support of the JIC in all functions common to the two facilities such as telephone response, media monitoring, media response, and news release preparation and distribution.
- b. Functions specific to the CMC, including, but not limited to:* Employee communications.
- Financial response.* Governmental response.* Coordination with senior management.
- I nternet activities.
- Providing additional trained staff to support the emergency communications effort.E. Emergency Operations Facility (EOF)1. The EOF will serve as the source of information about an incident for staff in the CMC and JIC.2. Emergency Communications staff will:* Serve as the source of information for the Nuclear Spokesperson and PID.* Develop and issue the INR.* Develop and obtain SNC approval for subsequent news releases.* Confirm or correct rumors identified.
- Perform other communications responsibilities as needed.C. Joint Information Center 1. After the initial notification of an emergency at the Alert classification or higher, the PI Director decides whether to activate the JIC. Once the JIC is activated, it becomes the"single source" for media information.
- 2. Upon activation of the JIC, the PI Director transfers to that facility, maintaining overall responsibility for emergency communications response.
The PI Director will manage the emergency communications response and is responsible for all functions of the JIC.These functions include:* Final approval and distribution of press statements.
- Coordination of press briefings and joint news announcements.
- Interface with the media and local officials.
- Requests for interviews and photos.* Recorded information line updates.* Public response.It is the PI Director's responsibility to ensure all information is fully coordinated with and among the appropriate local, state, and federal government public information officers (P1IOs).3. Upon activation, the JIC will obtain information from the EOF.4. News briefings will be held at regular intervals during the emergency.
The PI Director will preside over the press briefings.
The Nuclear Spokesperson will explain emergency conditions and actions the Utility has taken at the plant. Offsite issues will be handled by off-site agency representatives.
E3-3 Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation
- 5. If radiological conditions permit, an area near the plant may be designated as a site for television and news photographs.
The Media Relations Representative, in consultation with the P1 Director and the ED or designee, and AEMA/GEMA management, as appropriate, will arrange for escorted visits to photographic locations.
- 6. The following positions will be assigned to the Joint Information Center:* PI Director.* JIC Manager.* Nuclear Spokesperson.
- JIC Media Relations Representative.
- JIC Public Response Coordinator.
- JIC Assistant.
- Community Relations Coordinator.
- Administrative Staff.* Technical Assistants.
- Security Officers.* AV Support Staff.-II. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PLAN ACTIVATION A. Notification of Unusual Event (NUE)The SNC Corporate Communication Manager will be notified of an NUE and will in turn notify APC Public Relations or GPC Corporate Communication management, as appropriate.
The notification will include the status of the emergency and a brief description of the event. The SNC Corporate Communication Manager will confer with appropriate SNC management and affected owner-company management to determine the need for: 1. Additional notifications.
- 2. Issuance of a news release.B. Alert and Higher Classifications The SNC On-Call Media Representative will be advised of an event classified as Alert level or higher. The SNC rep will notify the APC or GPC On-Call Media Representative, as appropriate, with a description of the situation.
The APC or GPC On-Call Media Representative will notify the PID who will: 1. Formally activate the Emergency Communications Plan.2. Notify emergency communications staff per Nuclear Management Procedure-Emergency Planning (NMP-EP-002).
- 3. Establish contact with the Emergency Operation Facility.4. Establish contact with appropriate local, state, and federal agencies.5. Issue news release(s).
E3-4 Enclosure 3 to NL-1 5-1 392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation In addition, the PI Director will evaluate the following actions: 1. Activating the JIC and dispatching staff accordingly.
- 2. Conducting news briefings at the CMC or the JIC, which will include to the maximum extent possible, a panel composed of the Nuclear Spokesperson and representatives of government agencies.The existing SNC Emergency Communications Plan is formally implemented at an Alert or higher classification.
However, there is no stated time requirement for accomplishing this.When activated, the current SNC Emergency Communications Plan (ECP) provides for the PID initially performing duties from the CMC, including conducting news briefings and coordinating the dissemination of information with the site-specific stakeholders.
Per the current SNC ECP, "The CMC may function as a Joint Public Information Center (JPIC) and may conduct these activities as long as appropriate and necessary." The following is a general overview of the proposed SNC Emergency Communications Plan: Proposed SNC Emergency Plan Media Response The proposed SNC Fleet Emergency Plan designates the APC and GPC CMCs as the official JIC for their respective SNC plants. The proposed plan retains all principal functions of the CMC and the JIC as provided in the current SNC ECP at this location.
The facility will continue to be staffed by the same APC or GPC media professionals and owner company senior management personnel designated in the current ECP. These personnel live and work in the vicinity of the JIC. This will improve overall JIC response time and enhance the capability to rapidly disseminate information to the media and quickly address event-related rumors. It will also su~pport response to the required activation time of within 75 minutes of the declaration of an Alert or higher, and the designation of a minimum activation staff for the JIC consistent with other SNC Emergency Response facilities.
The existing infrastructure at these locations will provide video conferencing capabilities with all stakeholders' Public Information Officers (PIOs), and rapid real-time coordination with stakeholder counterparts.
Also, the existing near-site media location for each SNC site will be maintained, in the event the JIC must be moved from the Birmingham or Atlanta location to the local area around the nuclear site. Finally, locating the JIC at the existing CMC locations in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia will improve national and international media access to the JIC locations, as both cities have international airports.The proposed SNC Fleet Emergency Plan provides for SNC employees located at the SNC corporate office in Birmingham, Alabama to fill the positions of Nuclear Spokesperson, Technical Assistant, and News Writer. These individuals will report to the SNC Emergency Operations Facility (EOF) within 75 minutes of the declaration of an Alert or higher emergency at an SNC plant. From the SNC corporate office, the Nuclear Spokesperson will coordinate media releases with the PID at the CMC and PIOs at the impacted state and local Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) using video conferencing.
Being physically located in the EOF, the Nuclear Spokesperson and News Writer will have ready access to critical information required for effective interaction with the media, without interfering with plant personnel responding to the actual event. Locating these individuals at the SNC EOF rather than at one of the JlCs will also better support rapid dissemination of information in the unlikely event emergencies occur at multiple SNC sites and require actions of the Birmingham and Atlanta JICs concurrently.
E3-5 Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation This submittal standardizes and enhances the current JIC organization described in the existing SNC Communications Plan and provides the following SNC Fleet standard media response organization:
Current Communications Plan Proposed Joint Information Center Organization Appendices of the Vogtle VEGP Unit I and Unit 2, FNP Unit 1 and Unit 2, VEGP Unit 3 and Unit 4, and HNP Unit 1 and Unit 2 Emergency Plans Public Information Director Public Information Director*JIC Manager JIC Manager*-ERF Communicator*
Nuclear Spokesperson Nuclear Spokesperson (EOF)***-News writer (EOF)***JIC Media Representative Media Relations Representative*
JIC Public Response Coordinator JIC Public Response Coordinator*
JIC Public Response Team JIC Public Response Staff**JIC Facility Coordinator JIC Facility Coordinator**
Community Relations Coordinator
- Administrative Staff Clerical Staff**Technical Assistants Technical Assistant (EOF)***AV Support***
Security Security**
- Designates JIC minimum staff with a 75-minute Augmentation Time.**Designates positions that do not have a 75-minute Augmentation Time at the JIC.***Designates positions with a 75-minute Augmentation Time at the EOF.****The duties of the Community Relations Director position have been allocated among other positions.
- AV Support is not required as a specific assignment.
Communications staff who support the JIC perform this function as part of their routine day-to-day interactions with media.E3-6 Enclosure 3 to NL-15-1392 Corporate Joint Information Center Description and Technical Evaluation The media response plan provided in the proposed SNC Fleet Emergency Plan is consistent with current JIC practices that have evolved as a result of the Evaluated Exercise process.State JIC responders routinely respond to the existing Corporate JIC and coordinate news information with the utility from that location.
The current practice is for counties to operate individual news centers with information coordinated using video conferencing, phone, or data links until conditions warrant transitioning to the near-site JIC. County personnel do not currently respond to the Corporate JIC, nor would they be expected if this proposal is approved.Coordination with County personnel will continue to be accomplished with video conferencing, phone, or data links. The commitment to maintain the near-site media location if needed would continue to support the current functional arrangement and the proposed structure.
The proposed SNC Fleet Emergency Plan changes, including the changes to JIC operations, have been reviewed with state and local agency personnel who have expressed no objection to the described operation.
Concurrence is provided as Enclosure 19.The proposed concept for addressing media and public information needs during an emergency at an SNC Plant is in line with the Joint Information System supported by federal, state, and local agencies as part of an all-hazards approach to emergency information dissemination.
Sum ma ry Approval of the proposed JIC operation as described in this submittal will enhance the ability of Southern Nuclear to provide coordinated information to its sites as well as to maintain the ability to function according to the process of Evaluated Exercises.
The proposed operation permits the optimum use of trained information management personnel, and provides for media access to appropriate senior plant officials as needed to support communications in today's electronic environment.
The proposed structure retains the flexibility to reposition the news operation at a local JIC if the event-specific conditions warrant relocation.
Finally, the proposed methodology for addressing media and public information needs during an emergency at an SNC plant is in line with the Joint Information System concept supported by federal, state, and local agencies as part of an all-hazards approach to emergency information dissemination.
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