Federal officials will evaluate the emergency response plan for the Susquehanna nuclear power plant during a drill Aug. 15.

"The emergency plan is an important part of the plant's overall safety program," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, special assistant to the president for Pennsylvania Power & Light Co., operator of the plant.

He said the emergency response network for Susquehanna is a partnership involving PP&L, Luzerne and Columbia counties, other surrounding counties, 27 municipalities, nine school districts and several state agencies.

"This response network must show every two years that it can provide adequate protection of public health and safety," he added.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will assess PP&L's performance during the drill, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency will evaluate state, county and municipal response to a simulated nuclear emergency.

About 1,700 people -- including more than 1,000 volunteers at the county and municipal levels and nearly 200 PP&L employees -- will participate in the drill, which will begin in the afternoon and conclude in the evening.

School districts successfully tested their emergency response plans in May.

"We conduct emergency drills at least twice a year to remain sharp and to identify ways we can improve our response," Woodeshick said.

The plan developed for Susquehanna is valuable to the 70,000 people who live within 10 miles of the plant, he added, because it may be used as a model for public protection in any type of emergency, including floods, tornadoes, chemical spills and large fires.

The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County about five miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PP&L and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc.