ML20148R113

Forwards from FEMA Re Description of Deficiency & Areas Requiring Corrective Action Identified by FEMA Concerning Offsite Activities During Recent Plant Emergency Exercise

ML20148R113
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	06/26/1997
From:	Barr K NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION II)
To:	Kingsley O TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
References
NUDOCS 9707070297
Download: ML20148R113 (6)

Text

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June 26, 1997 i

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Tennessee Valley Authority ATTN: Mr. Oliver D. Kingsley, Jr.

President, TVA Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

FEMA 0FFSITE FINDINGS FOR THE BROWNS FERRY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE

Dear Mr. Kingsley:

Enclosed is a copy of the June 13, 1997, letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency-(FEMA) to the Director of the Alabama Division of Emergency Management. The letter provides a description of the Deficiency and Area Requiring Corrective Action (ARCA) identified by FEMA concerning offsite activities during the recent Browns Ferry Emergency Exercise.

You are encouraged to assist the offsite agencies as needed in demonstrating ,

the necessary corrective action required by the letter. 2 If you have any questions about this letter please contact me at (404) 562 4653.

Sincerely, (Original signed by K. P. Barr)

Kenneth P. Barr, Chief Plant Support Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50 259, 50 260, 50 296 License Nos. DPR 33, DPR 52, DPR 68

Enclosure:

As stated cc w/ encl: See page 2 I

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TVA 2 l cc w/ encl:

0. J. Zeringue, Senior Vice General Counsel l President Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Operations . ET 10H Tennessee Valley Authority 400 West Summit Hill Drive 6A Lookout Place Knoxville, TN 37902 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402 2801 Chairman j Limestone County Commission  :

Jack A. Bailey, Vice President 310 West Washington Street l 4

Engineering & Technical Services Athens, AL 35611 l Tennessee Valley Authority l 6A Lookout Place State Health Officer i 1101 Market Street Alabama Department of Public Health Chattanooga, TN 37402 2801 434 Monroe Street 1 Montgomery, AL 36130-1701 C. M. Crane Site Vice President cc w/o encl:

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Federal Emergency Management Agency Tennessee Valley Authority Region IV J P. O. Box 2000 3003 Chamblee Tucker Roed Decatur AL 35602 Atlanta, GA 30341 Raul R. Baron, General Manager Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 4J Blue Ridge 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402 2801 Masoud Bajestani, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant i Tennessee Valley Authority '

P, 0. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Pedro Salas, Manager  !

Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority l 4J Blue Ridge i 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402 2801  ;

Mr. Timothy E. Abney, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority P. O. Box 2000  ;

Decatur, AL 35609 Distribution w/ encl: See page 3

TVA 3 9

Distribution w/ encl: "

T. H. Essig, NRR J. R. Johnson, RII '

H. S. Lesser, RII J. F. Williams. NRR F. J. Hebdon, NRR S. E. S) arks, RII H. L. W11tener RII C. F. Smith, RII E. D. Testa, RII D. H. Thompson, RII J. H. Moorman, RII PUBLIC.

NRC Senior Resident Inspector i U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 10833 Shaw Road Athens, AL 35611 I

DFFICE RII:DRS Ril:DRS RII DRP p SIGNATURE h NAME WSartor f, , MLesser DATE 06/2[797 06 / N / 97 06 / / 97 06 / / 97 06 / / 97 06 / / 97 COPY? [fES ) NO YES (NO) YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO OFFICIAL RLLUKU COPY DOCUMENT N/ME: G:\DOCUMENi\BFDEF.WM5

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• Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV ,

3003 Chamblee Tucker Rd '

) Atlanta, GA 30341 June 13,1997

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Mr.. Lee Helms, Dimetor Division ofEmergency Management 5898 CountyRoad 41 -

Clantdn, Al=b== 35046-2160 '

DearMr. Helms:

The evaluation of the June 4,1997, Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant exercise identified a deficiency involving the accuracy of the EAS messages issued by Morgan County.

' This deficiency was exacerbated by the' lack of coordination between the Radiation Control Agency, the Alabm> Emergency Management Agency and Lauderdcle,

. Lawrence . Limestone and Morgan Counties. As a result, a remedial exercise is require within 120 days of the exercise but not iater than October 2,19f:7.

The FEMA Radiological Emergency Iwyaredness (REP) Exercise Manual (FEMA-REP-14), September 1991, defines a Deficiency as an observed or identified inadequacy of

• organizational performance in an exercise that could cause a finding that offsite

' emergency preparedness is not adequate to provide reasonable assurance that app ropriate '

protective measures can be taken in the event of a radiological emergency to protect the health and safety of the public living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant.

The following Deficiency has been idatified for Morgan County under REP Objective 11 FEMA REP-14.(NUREO 0654/ FEMA REP-1, REV.1., reference is provided in parentheses at the conclusion of the description).

Issue Nimber: '97 07-11-D-01 -

EAS messages contained ermrs that may have precluded the broadcast of the

. message and would have confused the public.

The EAS message, RELEASE # 002, contained the following errors, ne prescripted message used was for an " Alert" declaration instead of a " Site Area Emergency" and the "EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED"' title was crossed out.

Health Orders 3 and 4 were issued at 10:55 a.m. They ordered the evacuation of '

sectors A-2, B-2, F-2,.O-2, A-5, and B-5 and the shelter-in-place for sectors A-10, ,

B-10, and K-10. He counties decided at 11:02 a.m. to activate the sirens at 11:12 a.m. and to issued an EAS message. Morgan County agreed to this activation ENCLOSURE I j

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time over the " Hoot-N-Holler", but instead decided not to activate the only issue an EAS message. However, RELEASE #006, was issue

! and stated that the 2 mile radius was to be evacuated, which inclu area within Morgan County. It further stated that the Alabama State Heal Offleer ordered person living in pre-designated sectors to take shelter

protective action. Morgan identified that no sectors in Morgan County w affected, but that sectors A-5,0-2 A-2, B-2, F-2, and B-5 in other coun to shelter-in-place. Sirens were ac,tivated in the other counties at 11:1 EAS messages concerning the evacuation of these sectors were sen a.m, The errors in these messages would have caused confbsion to the Limestone and Morgan Counties both used WZYP as their EAS

1) During the exercise Morgan County faxed a number of non-EAS i the EAS radio station, which could have contributed to conft:: ion at the station and the public. The state bulletin, SLO. RELEASE # 1, which con j

the h*ading "For ImmaAwa Release / EBS Activation Requested" was.

{ station at 11:01 a.m.; TVA news release #3 was. faxed to the radio station a j 11:13 a.m.; and at 11:24 a.m. Health Orders 3 and 4 were faxed. (NURE 0654/ FEMA-REP-1, E.7] .

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i The following Area Requiring Corrective Action was identified for the Sta l

i Issue Number 97-07 9-A-01 4 .

j j 'Ibe Alabama Emergency Management Agency did not implement a fhl j coordinated process with the Radiation ControluAgency and La' derdale, i Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan Counties for protective action implementation, and public notification. The May 1997, Browns Ferry Nu Power Plant REP SOP, states (page 5): " Direction and Control authority particular incident will be at the AEOC and will remain there." . Protective  !

actions were implemented, but the coordination only included the counties' s activation time and message broadcast time. Coordination was adversely ,

by the following: 1) State-level decision makers did not discuss protective with the counties over the " Hoot 'n Hollef' 2) Location of th

" Hoot 'n Holler"in the communications room precluded effective use by th direction and control group; 3) Delay in the distribution of Health Orders 1 and due to problems with the intemal State message handling system . 1 Prior to the remedial drill, we recommend the following actions take place:

Convene a meeting with FEMA, AEMA, RCA, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan Counties to review the SOPS arid make necessary improvements and corrections to assure coordinated decisions, and that accura l and timely informatio' n is transmitted to the public. i I

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l We understand as stated in Annex B, Radiation Control, Alabama Emergenc Response Plan for Nuclear Power Plants, paragraph IV, Concept of Operations that':

" RCD will determine the protective actions needed and issue any orders

_ _ _ n to meet the situation.c Su' h orden shall have the effect oflaw. '

i i Information on the status of the incident and the protective actions ordered  !

i shall be immediately transmitted to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA) duty f9 ficer, the Govemor's Office, and the director or i

administrator of each organizational branch of the Department of Public i  ;

Health needed to irnplement the pmtective actions ordered. AEMA will relay this information to the affected counties and appropriate state l i agencies."

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i Recognizing that the RCA is the decision making authority within the State l concerning protective. actions, other facton which may not be known to the RCA such as a bridge being out or other significant impediments to evacuation, may affect'the protective action decision. Direct coordination between RCA, AEMA!

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Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, and Morgan Counties, utilizing the " Hoot' n

Holler", would provide current information to RCA. Planc and procedures should '

. be avised to establish an effective means ofcoonlination.

t Review the prescripted EAS messages of each county to develop standardized message format and better recognition of message type.

Provide training to the individuals who will implement the revised procedures.

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All plans or procedural changes required to correct the noted Deficiency and ARCA will

be submitted to the FEMA Region IV office within 120 days of the exercise but not later

, than October 2,1997.

L i We are writing the Browns Ferry Exercise report and will have a draft report out to you

' on July 7,.1997 for your review and comment.

!. Should you have questions, please contact Don Cornell at 770-220-5460.

Sin ly

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C. Richard May

. Acting Regi irector i

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