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Fact Sheet on Emergency Planning and Preparedness

Background

Following the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reexamined the role of emergency planning for protection of the public in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. The Commission issued regulations requiring that before a plant could be licensed to operate, the NRC must have "reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures can and will be taken in the event of a radiological emergency." The regulations set forth 16 emergency planning standards and define the responsibilities of licensee, and State and local organizations involved in emergency response.

Emergency planning has been adopted as an added conservatism to the NRC's "defense-in-depth" safety philosophy. Briefly stated, this philosophy

(1) requires high quality in the design, construction and operation of nuclear plants to reduce the likelihood of malfunctions;

(2) recognizes that equipment can fail and operators can make errors, therefore requiring safety systems to reduce the chances that malfunctions will lead to accidents that release fission products from the fuel; and

(3) recognizes that, in spite of these precautions, serious fuel damage accidents may happen, therefore requiring containment structures and other safety features to prevent the release of fission products offsite.

The added feature of emergency planning to the defense-in-depth philosophy provides that, even in the unlikely event of a release of radioactive materials to the environment, there is reasonable assurance that actions can be taken to protect the population around nuclear power plants.

Regulations

For planning purposes, the Commission has defined a plume exposure pathway emergency planning zone (EPZ) consisting of an area about 10 miles in radius and an ingestion pathway EPZ about 50 miles in radius around each nuclear power plant. EPZ size and configuration may vary in relation to local emergency response needs and capabilities as affected by such conditions as demography, topography, land characteristics, access routes, and jurisdictional boundaries.

The Commission's requirements for emergency planning are contained in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50.47, and cover the following topics:

Assignment of Responsibility	Onsite Emergency Organization
Emergency Response Support and Resources	Emergency Classification System
Notification Methods and Procedures	Emergency Communications
Public Education and Information	Emergency Facility and Equipment
Accident Assessment	Protective Response
Radiological Exposure Control	Medical and Public Health Support
Recovery and Reentry Planning and Post-Accident Operations	Exercises and Drills
Responsibility for the Planning Effort: Development, Periodic Review, and Distribution of Emergency Plans	Radiological Emergency Response Training

Detailed information about emergency planning and preparedness is contained in Appendix E of 10 CFR Part 50 and in NUREG-0654, FEMA-REP-1, a joint publication of the NRC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) titled "Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plans and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants."

Discussion

In the U.S., 104 commercial nuclear power reactors are licensed to operate at 65 sites in 31 states. For each, there are onsite and offsite emergency plans to assure that adequate protective measures are taken to protect the public in the event of a radiological emergency. Federal oversight of emergency planning for licensed nuclear power plants is shared by the NRC and FEMA through a memorandum of understanding. The memorandum is responsive to the President's decision of December 7, 1979, that FEMA take the lead in offsite planning and response, that NRC assist FEMA in carrying out this role, and that NRC continue its statutory responsibility for the radiological health and safety of the public.

Each plant owner is required to exercise its emergency plan with offsite authorities at least once every two years to ensure State and local officials remain proficient in implementing the plan.

Use of Potassium Iodide

The NRC revised a portion of its emergency response regulations on April 19, 2001, to require that consideration be given to include potassium iodide (KI) as a protective measure for the general public living within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant to supplement sheltering and evacuation in the event of a severe accident. However, it is left up to each State to make a final decision on the use of KI as a supplemental protective measure. Nuclear plant emergency plans already provide for distribution of KI to emergency workers and to certain institutionalized populations, such as hospital patients within emergency planning zones.

Potassium iodide, if taken in time, blocks the thyroid gland's uptake of radioactive iodine and can help prevent thyroid cancers and other thyroid diseases that might be caused by exposure to inhaled or ingested radioactive iodine. It will not protect against any other inhaled radionuclides nor will it offer protection from external exposure to radiation. Therefore, the NRC regards prophylactic use of KI as a reasonable, prudent, and inexpensive supplement to evacuation and sheltering, which protect the whole body from radiation exposure.

In early 2002, the NRC established a two-year contract for $1,068,000 to supply KI to States, Indian Tribes or in some cases local governments that choose to incorporate KI for the general public in their emergency plans. The NRC has developed guidance to assist State and local governments in making decisions on the role and use of KI in their site-specific emergency plans. To date, 10 States -- Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Arizona, Florida, Delaware, and Alabama -- have requested a supply of KI from NRC for its population out to 10 miles from a nuclear power plant.

March 2002