PPL will conduct a series of one-second tests of the new sirens in its Susquehanna nuclear plant emergency notification system beginning Monday (7/28).

“This is one of the final steps in the replacement of the siren system in the 10 miles surrounding the Susquehanna plant,” said Joe Scopelliti, PPL’s Susquehanna community relations manager. “These tests will help us ensure that the new system is working properly. We will, of course, accept nothing less than 100 percent performance from the system.”

ANS Services LLC of Salem, N.J., has finished installing a new American Signal Corp. siren on each of the 76 poles in the replacement system.

Area residents will be able to hear the tests. Each siren will sound at full volume for one second. This one-second test will be repeated five times a day Monday through Friday for each siren. Testing will begin no earlier than 9:30 a.m. each day, Scopelliti said.

The public does not need to respond to these tests. No messages will be broadcast on local radio or television stations after the tests. If an actual emergency were to occur on the day of the tests, the existing sirens in the original system would sound for three minutes and a message would air on local radio and television stations.

“Once these one-second tests are completed satisfactorily, PPL will schedule a date to conduct full-scale tests of the new siren system,” Scopelliti said. “On the date selected, we will sound the sirens three times at full volume for three minutes each time. We will advertise that test date in area newspapers and on radio stations.”

PPL’s original siren system, which was installed about 25 years ago, will remain in place and continue to function until the new system is completely installed, tested and accepted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Scopelliti said.

The sirens can be used to notify the community of emergencies, not only at the plant, but for any purpose, he said. Some of the sirens are shared with local fire companies, which use them for fire calls.

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.

PPL Susquehanna is one of PPL Corporation’s generating facilities. Headquartered in Allentown, Pa., PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) controls more than 11,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets and delivers electricity to about 4 million customers in Pennsylvania and the United Kingdom.