Public Meeting To Discuss Nuclear Power Plant Exercise
Release Date: October 23, 2001
Release Number: R7-01-34
» 2001 Region VII News Releases
Kansas City, MO -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that a public meeting will be held on November 16, 2001 to discuss the evaluation of the performance of the utility, state and local participants in a full-scale plume and ingestion pathway exercise with the Wolf Creek Generating Station near Burlington, Kansas.
Members of the public and the media are invited to attend this meeting beginning at 1:30 p.m. in the basement of the Coffey County Courthouse, 6th and Neosho St., Burlington, Kansas.
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 Kansas, along with Coffey County will participate with the Wolf Creek Generating Station in a two-day exercise on November 14-15, 2001.
The exercise will require the activation of the Emergency Operations Center for the state of Kansas, as well as Coffey County. The activities of the state, county and local units of government will be observed and evaluated by FEMA. The Wolf Creek Generating Station onsite performance will be observed and evaluated by NRC.
The first day of 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 state of Kansas, the utility and Coffey County to protect the health and safety of the public living in the vicinity of the Wolf Creek Generating 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. Day two of the exercise is a once in six-year requirement to determine the adequacy of the state of Kansas, the utility and the participating county to deal with the effects of a radiological incident on agriculture and the environment within a 50-mile radius of the plant. Day two is also used to evaluate the ability of the state of Kansas to make appropriate decisions regarding the relocation or return of residents evacuated due to 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, 15-Oct-2003 10:50:45