SoMD News – by Amanda Scott Beginning this week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is evaluating state and local emergency planning and preparedness agencies’ abilities to respond to an emergency at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby.
“These drills are held every other year to test government’s ability to protect public health and safety,” MaryAnn Tierney, regional administrator for FEMA Region III, said in a FEMA news release. “We will evaluate state and local emergency response capabilities within the 10-mile emergency-planning zone of the nuclear facility.”
This exercise is part of FEMA’s Radiological Emergency Preparedness program, which ensures the health and safety of citizens living around commercial nuclear power plants is adequately protected in the event of a nuclear accident, according to the release. The program, however, only covers off-site activities, such as state and local emergency planning and preparedness, the release states.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for activities within the nuclear power plant’s boundaries.
Within 90 days, FEMA will send its evaluation to the NRC for licensing decisions, and about 120 days after the exercise, the final report will be available to the public, the release states.
At 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25, FEMA will present its preliminary findings of the emergency preparedness exercise during a public meeting at the Sheraton of Annapolis, 173 Jennifer Road, Annapolis. Speakers include representatives from FEMA, the NRC and the state.
At the meeting, FEMA may request questions and/or comments be submitted in writing for review and response by emailing FEMAR3NewsDesk@fema.dhs.gov or by mail to MaryAnn Tierney, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region III, 615 Chestnut St., 6th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
AMANDA SCOTT
Sent to us by Field McConnell who said: “What are the chances that on United Nations Day all of Congress would be herded into Air Force aircraft in the middle of a Nuclear Exercise by FEMA in Calvert Cliffs, MD?”