There has never been the need to activate a nuclear plant emergency preparedness plan to deal with a radiological event. However local officials have successfully used emergency response plans developed by the nuclear industry in responding to non-nuclear emergencies.
Why Nuclear—Safety & Security Operational Safety
According to the World Association of Nuclear Operators, the U.S. Nuclear Industrial Safety Accident Rate has been improving steadily since 2003 and is 65% better today than it was in 1997. The industry has already achieved levels 40 percent better than the 2010 goal.
The NRC, in order to support and promote continued operational excellence, uses inspection, assessment and enforcement to monitor nuclear power plant performance in seven cornerstones:
Initiating Events Mitigating Systems Barrier Integrity Emergency Preparedness Occupational Radiation Safety Public Radiation Safety Physical Protection
Operators of each reactor report results in these seven areas to the NRC quarterly and resident NRC inspectors at each nuclear power plant site perform inspections to verify plant personnel are reporting properly. If a nuclear plant is observed to have declining performance, it will receive additional NRC regional or agency-level attention.
U.S. nuclear power plants are also required to develop and test comprehensive on-site and off-site emergency response plans. The NRC and state governments review and approve these plans. Companies test the plans regularly, with the participation of local and state emergency response organizations. Extensive emergency plan testing maintains a continual state of readiness, upgrades emergency preparedness based on lessons learned from drills and exercises at the site and across the industry, and demonstrates coordination among all parties to ensure an integrated and effective response to any emergency.
A nuclear power plant must have an approved emergency plan to maintain its NRC operating license. Each plant conducts a full-scale emergency exercise every two years and training drills in alternate years to test their emergency response capabilities for dealing with a range of events.
During the 2007 California wildfires, the 1985 sewage plant fire in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the 1982 chemical plant leak in St. Charles Parish, La. — evacuation plans which had been developed by nuclear plants local to each area were used. All were carried out safely.
According to the World Association of Nuclear Operators, the U.S. Nuclear Industrial Safety Accident Rate has been improving steadily since 2003 and is 65% better today than it was in 1997. The industry has already achieved levels 40 percent better than the 2010 goal.
Initiating Events
