Public Meeting To Discuss Nuclear Power Plant Exercise 

Release Date: July 26, 2002
Release Number: R7-02-12a

» 2002 Region VII News Releases

Kansas City, Mo. --The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that a public meeting will be held on August 29, 2002, to discuss the evaluation of the performance of the utility, states and local participants in a full-scale exercise with the Cooper Nuclear Station, located near Brownville, Nebraska.

Members of the public and the media are invited to attend this meeting, which will be held at the Brownville Concert Hall, 126 Atlantic Street, Brownville. The meeting will begin at 1 p.m.

The States of Nebraska and Missouri, along with Nemaha, Otoe and Richardson Counties in Nebraska and Atchison County in Missouri will participate with Cooper Nuclear Station in a two-day exercise on August 27 and 28, 2002.

The exercise will require the activation of the Emergency Operations Center's for the States of Nebraska and Missouri, as well as the counties of Nemaha and Richardson Counties in Nebraska and Atchison County in Missouri. Otoe County will activate their reception and care facility. The activities of the state, county and local units of government will be observed and evaluated by FEMA. The Cooper Nuclear Station onsite performance will be observed and evaluated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Representatives from FEMA's Region VII office, located in Kansas City, Mo., will chair the meeting and discuss offsite activities. A representative from the NRC's Region IV office, located in Arlington, Texas, will discuss the onsite activities.

The exercise is a biennial requirement to determine the adequacy of the radiological emergency preparedness and response plans. The primary focus is on the ability of the States of Nebraska and Missouri, the utility, and the participating counties to protect the health and safety of the public living in the vicinity of the Cooper Nuclear Station. The evaluated exercise provides reasonable assurance that the appropriate protective measures can be taken onsite and offsite in the event of a radiological emergency.

The NRC is the federal agency responsible for evaluating onsite emergency plans and exercises for nuclear power plants. FEMA is responsible for evaluating offsite plans and exercises for states and counties through the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Aug-2003 16:47:05