Public Meeting To Discuss Nuclear Power Plant Exercise 

Release Date: May 30, 2003
Release Number: R7-03-27

» 2003 Region VII News Releases

Kansas City, MO -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that a public meeting would be held on June 26, 2003, to discuss the evaluation of the performance of the utility, state and local participants in a full-scale, relocation, re-entry, and return exercise with the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, located near Blair, Nebraska.

Members of the public and the media are invited to attend this meeting beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) HQ Building, Energy Plaza, 1st Floor Atrium Level, 444 S. 16th Street Mall, Omaha, Nebraska. Representatives from FEMA's Region VII office, located in Kansas City, Missouri, will chair the meeting and discuss offsite activities. A representative from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Region IV office, located in Arlington, Texas, will discuss the onsite activities.

The state of Nebraska, along with the counties of Washington and Dodge and the state of Iowa, along with the counties of Harrison and Pottawattamie will participate with the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station in a one-day exercise on June 24, 2003.

The exercise will require the activation of emergency facilities for the state of Nebraska and Iowa, as well as the above listed counties. The activities of the state, county and local units of government will be observed and evaluated by FEMA. The Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station onsite performance will be observed and evaluated by NRC.

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 Iowa, the utility and the participating counties to protect the health and safety of the public living in the vicinity of the Fort Calhoun 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: Monday, 02-Jun-2003 10:01:30