Request for Information Regarding Evacuation Times (Generic Letter 80-60)
GL80060
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
July 2, 1980
ALL APPLICANTS FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMITS AND OPERATING LICENSES
Gentlemen:
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REGARDING EVACUATION TIMES
This letter is being sent to all applicants for construction permits and
licensees of plants under construction. The purpose of the letter is a
request for information regarding estimates for evacuation of various areas
around proposed nuclear power plants. The information sought is described in
our letter of December 26, 1979 (copy enclosed). The requested submittal
date for this information was suspended by our letter of March 11, 1980
We are requesting that you submit evacuation time estimates on an
accelerated basis to enable the NRC staff to identify, in a timely manner,
those sites where evacuation constraints exist and special planning measures
should be considered. In some cases of extreme difficulty where a large
population is at risk, special facility modifications may also be
appropriate. The information requested in the enclosure should be submitted
by August 1, 1980. This time is shorter than provided in the December 26,
1979 letter because of the need for timely information and because the
content of the information desired has been available to you for some
months. Units sharing the same site need not, of course, submit separate
time estimates.
This special request for information has been submitted to the General
Accounting Office and cleared by GAO as noted in the clearance block below:
Approved by GAO
B-180225 (S80010)
Expires 80-09-30
Sincerely,
Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director
Division of Licensing
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
December 26, 1979 Letter
w/Request for Evacuation
Time Estimates
cc: Service Lists
.
Enclosure
REQUEST FOR
EVACUATION TIME ESTIMATES (AFTER NOTIFICATION)
FOR AREAS NEAR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
Background
Prior to recent NRC requests that means for prompt notification to the
public be installed around each nuclear power plant site, a significant
component of evacuation time estimates was the time required to notify the
public of a need for evacuation. Studies of actual evacuations that have
taken place generally do not distinguish between the time required for
notification, the time required to implement the evacuation, and the time
required to confirm that an evacuation has taken place. 1/ The estimates
for time required for evacuations now requested relate primarily to the time
to implement an evacuation as opposed to the time required for notification.
These estimates may be based on previous local experiences (e.g., chemical
spills or floods) or may be based on studies related to population density,
local geography and road capacities. No standard method for making such
estimates is identified for use at this time. The basis for the method
chosen should be described in the response. As a check on the evacuation
time estimates, comments on the time estimates made should be obtained from
the principal local officials responsible for carrying out such evacuations.
Such comments should be included in the submittal.
The format given below is appropriate for reporting to the NRC estimates of
the time required to implement evacuation of areas near nuclear power
plants. These estimates are to be made for the primary purpose of making
available, to those officials who would make evacuation decisions in an
emergency situation, knowledge of the time required to complete one of the
protective action options (evacuation) available for a particular
potentially affected segment of the population. A second purpose of these
estimates is to identify to all concerned those instances in which unusual
evacuation constraints exist and that special planning measures should be
considered. In some cases of extreme difficulty where a large population is
at risk, special facility modifications may also be considered.
Given a decision to evacuate rather than shelter in an actual event, fewer
or more sectors or different distances than given in the reporting format
might be evacuated should this be the chosen protective action. For example,
three 22-1/2* sectors might be initially evacuated in a downwind direction
(the sector containing the plume and an adjacent sector on each side),
followed by the evacuation of other sectors as a precautionary measure.
1/ Hans, J. M., Jr., and T. C. Sell, 1974 Evacuation Risks - An Evaluation,
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Environmental Research
Center, Las Vegas, EPA-52O/6-74-002.
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Format for Reporting Information
The areas for which evacuation estimates are required must encompass the
entire area within a circle of about 10 miles radius, and have outer
boundaries corresponding to the plume exposure EPZ. These areas are as
follows:
Distance Area
2 miles two 180 sectors
5 miles four 90 sectors
about 10 miles four 90 sectors
Estimates for the outer sectors should assume that the inner adjacent
sectors are being evacuated simultaneously. To the exent practical, the
sector boundaries should not divide densely populated areas. Where a
direction corresponding to the edges of areas for which estimates have been
made is thought not to be adequately represented by the time estimates for
adjacent areas, an additional area should be defined and a separate estimate
made for this case. The format for submittal should include both a table and
a figure (overlaid on a map) which each give the information requested in
items 1 and 2 below. Additional material may be provided in associated text.
Required Information
1. Two estimates are requested in each of the areas defined in item 1 for
a general evacuation of the population (not including special
facilities). A best estimate is required and an adverse weather
estimate is required for movement of the population.
2. The total time required to evacuate special facilities (e.g.,
hospitals) within each area must be specified (best estimate and
adverse weather).
3. The time required for confirmation of evacuation should be indicated.
Confirmation times may consider special instructions to the Public
(e.g., tying a hankerchief to a door or gate to indicate the occupant
has left the premises).
4. Where plans and prompt notification systems have not been put in place
for areas out to about 10 miles, estimates of the times required to
evacuate until such measures are in place for the plume exposure
emergency planning zone (EPZ) should also be given. Notification times
greater than 15 minutes should be included in the evacuation times and
footnoted to indicate the notification time.
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5. Where special evacuation problems are identified (e.g., in high
population density areas), specify alternative protective actions, such
as sheltering, which would reduce exposures and the effectiveness of
these measures.
6. A short background document should be submitted giving the methods used
to make the estimates and the assumptions made including the routes and
methods of transportation used. This document should also note the
comments of principal local officials regarding these estimates.
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