Information Notice No. 86-18: NRC On-Scene Response During a Major Emergency

                                                           SSINS No: 6835 
                                                           IN 86-18       

                                UNITED STATES
                        NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                    OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
                           WASHINGTON, DC 20555

                               March 26, 1986

Information Notice No. NO 86-18:   NRC ON-SCENE RESPONSE DURING A MAJOR 
                                   EMERGENCY 

Addressees: 

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or a 
construction permit (CP) 

Purpose: 

This information notice describes the planned composition and location of 
the NRC site team that would respond to a major nuclear power plant accident 
representing a clear risk to public health and safety It is expected that 
addressees will review the information provided for applicability This 
information notice does not require the modification of emergency response 
facilities to accommodate a full NRC response to an emergency Suggestions 
contained herein do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore no specific 
action or written response is required 

Background: 

The Commission has defined the role of the NRC in the event of a major 
accident at a nuclear power reactor facility Such an accident would involve 
potential or actual radiological releases resulting in doses in excess of 
EPA Protective Action Guide (PAG) limits offsite The NRC will: 

o    monitor the licensee to assure appropriate protective actions are being
     recommended to offsite authorities 

o    support the licensee 

o    support offsite authorities, including confirming the licensee's 
     recommendations to offsite authorities, if requested Situations 
     requiring prompt protective actions should not await NRC confirmation 

o    keep other Federal agencies and entities informed of the status of the 
     incident 

o    keep the media informed of the NRC's knowledge of the status of the 
     situation 




8603210165 


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                                                            Page 2 of 3   

Over the past two years the Federal agencies have been developing a 
comprehensive Federal plan which describes the manner in which twelve 
Federal agencies will respond to any peacetime radiological incident This 
plan, the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP), was 
published in the Federal Register on November 8, 1985 (Attachment 1) 

Utilities were invited to attend conferences on the Federal response to 
radiological emergencies which described the concept of the FRERP and 
demonstrated the Federal equipment and capabilities available to respond to 
these emergencies These conferences were held in Las Vegas (June 1984), 
Atlanta (December 1984) and Chicago (April 1985) 

Description of Circumstances: 

Based on the designated NRC role and its responsibilities incorporated in 
the FRERP, the NRC regional offices will initially respond to a major 
accident with a team of about 12-18 individuals The initial NRC site team 
will be located at the Technical Support Center and Emergency Operations 
Facility as indicated in NUREG-0696 and NUREG-0845 The NUREG-0696 guidance 
for NRC space is adequate to satisfy initial site team needs For some types 
of accidents the initial site team will be the extent of NRC personnel 
needed In the vicinity of the site However, our experience has shown that 
for a major accident there will be additional NRC personnel needed, After 
about 6-12 hours into a major accident, additional NRC site team members 
will begin arriving This expanded site team will provide more technical 
depth and backup personnel for the initial site team as well as individuals 
to carry out tasks at other organizations' facilities, such as the Federal 
Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, State Emergency Operations 
Centers and the FEMA Federal Response Center Attachment 2 is an 
organization chart of an expanded site team which may be put in place within 
24 hours of a major accident It shows the locations where team members need 
to interact The team ss composed of approximately 50 individuals per shift, 
about half of whom are located at other organizations' facilities We are 
aware that many EOFs have, by design, limited space and cannot accommodate 
the number of NRC individuals identified as having tasks that are closely 
related to activities at the EOF In those cases where sufficient space is 
not available in existing facilities, we will place these individuals in 
alternate locations to carry out their tasks This may include the NRC 
obtaining, through the FRERP, other accommodations If existing facilities 
could accommodate additional personnel, these would be considered on a case 
by case basis Accidents resulting in doses offsite in excess of EPA PAG and 
warranting full NRC site team response would most likely be rare 
Construction of additional facilities is not warranted for such situations 

The NRC expanded site team concept has been developed as planning guidance 
for NRC personnel to consider in responding to a major accident and requires 
no backfit for increased facilities space to accommodate the NRC site team 
The NRC staff will need to consider with each licensee, ways of making more 
efficient use of available space, of providing adequate communications, and 
of identifying alternate space where relevant data could be made available 
in a timely, reliable manner NRC regional staff will be working with 
licensees on a case-by-case basis to coordinate this effort and devise an 
approach that will ensure that the NRC can perform its full role and 
functions adequately 


                                                            IN 86-18      
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                                                            Page 3 of 3   

Licensee cooperation is requested in meeting with NRC regional staff in the 
next several months and determining the most effective means of satisfying 
NRC site team logistics and communication needs No specific action or 
written response to this information notice or enclosure to it is required 
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact the Regional 
Administrator of the appropriate NRC regional office or this office 



                                   Edward L Jordan Director 
                                   Division of Emergency Preparedness 
                                     and Engineering Response 
                                   Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Technical Contact:  Bernard H Weiss, IE
                    301-492-7053

Attachments:
1   FRERP
2   Expanded NRC Site Team
3   List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices