Emergency Response and Meteorological Notices
The Field Research Division provides a wide range of emergency and advisory forecasts for the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The body of chemical and radiological regulation has increased over the years since the inception of the National Reactor Testing Station of the 1940's. The emergency response organization has become more formalized, and the types of meteorological information that are available to support emergency operations has become more sophisticated. FRD meteorologists now staff the DOE Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during drills and emergencies, such as the devastating INL range fires of the late 1990's. Some of the products and services provided to DOE, contractor, and State of Idaho decision-makers are:
- Wind, temperature, and stability forecasts;
- Transport and diffusion model interpretations;
- Plume trajectories;
- Advice on evacuation routes;
- Prediction of ground level air concentrations;
- Estimates of doses.
Additional services are provided for the safety and efficiency of the numerous construction, industrial, and transportation activities at the INL. These activities require design, planning, and operational support. For example, meteorological notices are routinely prepared for:
- Winds that exceed specific speeds and/or directions, which may be used to warn about blowing dust or unsafe crane operations. Blowing dust, for example, may reduce visibility (a transportation risk), HVAC efficiency (resulting in increased filter cleaning), and increase risk to employees working outdoors.
- Snowfall exceeding 2 inches (important for snow removal scheduling, transportation scheduling, office closings, etc.).
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