Federal officials will evaluate the emergency response plan for the Susquehanna nuclear power plant during a full-scale, graded drill tomorrow (10/8).
"The emergency plan is an important part of the plant’s overall safety program," said Herbert D. Woodeshick, special assistant to the president for PPL Susquehanna.
About 1,200 people — including more than 1,000 volunteers at the county and municipal levels — will participate in the drill, which will begin in the afternoon and conclude late tomorrow night.
PPL Susquehanna regularly conducts exercises to train and test the emergency response network that covers all the communities within the plant’s 10-mile-radius emergency planning zone to "remain sharp and to identify ways we can improve our response," Woodeshick said. This year the plant held four exercises involving plant personnel only.
Every two years the plant also must demonstrate to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency that the response network can protect the public’s health and safety in the event of an emergency.
The emergency response network for Susquehanna is a partnership involving PPL, Luzerne and Columbia counties, six support counties, and 27 municipalities and nine school districts within the plant’s emergency planning zone, as well as the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Environmental Protection-Bureau of Radiation Protection.
"We’ve had excellent support from community volunteers and emergency responders who work closely with us to keep the public informed and to protect health and safety should a real emergency occur," Woodeshick said. "They also have training sessions throughout the year, and they recently practiced their response during an after-hours exercise."
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will assess PPL’s performance during a simulated nuclear emergency while the Federal Emergency Management Agency will evaluate the state, county and municipal response.
The comprehensive emergency plan developed for the Susquehanna plant also would be used by the counties for non-nuclear emergencies such as floods, tornadoes, chemical spills and large fires.
"Everyone who lives or works within 10 miles of the plant has a role in an emergency," Woodeshick said. "Just as we regularly test systems and responses, we ask that you review the instructions in the blue pages of your local telephone book with your family or co-workers on what you may be asked to do in case of a serious event at the plant."
Local emergency management officials also need information regarding anyone in their municipality who requires special consideration in the event of an emergency. For a special needs questionnaire, contact your local emergency management office or the Susquehanna Special Office at 570-542-2131 or 570-759-2281.
The Susquehanna plant, located in Luzerne County about seven miles north of Berwick, is owned jointly by PPL Susquehanna LLC and Allegheny Electric Cooperative Inc. and is operated by PPL Susquehanna.