FEMA shares drill results

No significant problems seen

Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007

Representatives of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Administration held the Tuesday, Dec. 11, meeting to discuss the results of an Oct. 30 emergency drill at the plant and its environs. The meeting replaced an earlier public briefing held in Annapolis days after the exercise, which was not advertised or attended by members of the public or press.

Darrell Hammons, chief of the FEMA radiological emergency preparedness program for the area including Calvert Cliffs, said no significant problems were observed during the exercise, which simulated the response to an earthquake at the plant. There were ‘‘no outstanding issues noted that would have an impact on the response of Calvert County within the 10-mile” radius of the plant, Hammons said.

Likewise, Ron Cureton, NRC emergency preparedness inspector for the area including the plant, said, ‘‘Overall, NRC’s finding was the performance was adequate. ... [demonstrating] a consistent demonstration of the ability to implement the emergency plan and adequately protect the public.”

But many in the audience were not convinced.

Paul Gunter with the Takoma Park-based anti-nuclear organization Beyond Nuclear said the NRC and FEMA are violating a provision of The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, requiring the agencies to provide potassium iodide pills to all residents within a 20-mile radius of the plant.

Gunter said this leads him to believe that NRC and FEMA are ‘‘more interested in protecting the image of the nuclear industry than in protecting the public.”

Potassium iodide protects the thyroid from damage by radioactive iodine released during a nuclear accident, but does not prevent radiation poisoning.

Hammons and Cureton said they were not aware of a requirement to distribute the pills, but that the pills are available from the Calvert County Health Department.

But Mary Stephenson of Solomons said that isn’t sufficient to make sure people are protected in the chaos of a real emergency.

‘‘Nobody knows anything about where to go to get these pills. ... It makes me so mad I can’t stand it,” she said.

David Slesinger of the Nuclear Information Resource Service provided comic relief by appearing in a Santa Claus suit.

‘‘I have a gift for you,” he told the presenters, handing them a jar labeled ‘‘potassium iodide” and an anti-nuclear petition he said was signed by more than 100 people.

Slesinger also suggested that the agencies had tried to avoid confronting the public by not publicizing the original public briefing in early November. ‘‘I know you wanted to have a public hearing. The first one, I don’t know what came over you, but I know you want to hear what we have to say,” he said.

‘‘Can I keep the bow?” Hammons asked of his potassium iodide gift. ‘‘It’s empty, so I can’t pass it around.”

Attendee Ira Winkler asked the regulators to be more aggressive, to ensure a ‘‘survivable and robust scenario” in the event of a meltdown.

‘‘I just encourage you to push the envelope in your work. What you are doing is incredibly important because it’s possible what you’re working on could actually be needed someday. I hope to God it isn’t,” Winkler said.

The final report on the exercise will be made public by NRC by Feb. 28, 2008.

E-mail Erica Mitrano at emitrano@somdnews.com.