HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 04-02-2002-10a 1 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
'Meeting Date: April 2, 2002
Action Agenda
Item No. -d
SUBJECT: Symposium on Initiating Regional Planning to Address Potential Terrorist
Attacks on Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facilities at the Shearon Harris Nuclear
Power Plant
DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Draft Press Release Paul Thames, County Engineer, ext 2300
Draft Invitation Letter
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To provide for a BOCC discussion and decision on co-hosting a public symposium
to discuss the likelihood of a terrorist attack at the Shearon Harris power plant, emergency
planning for such an event and strategies that would significantly reduce the probability and
consequences of such an event.
BACKGROUND: Orange County has an ongoing interest in the storage of spent nuclear fuel
rods (in four"temporary" spent fuel storage pools) at Carolina Power& Light's (CP&L) Shearon
Harris nuclear power plant. Since early 1999, the County has been involved in a regulatory
proceeding related to an amendment to the Shearon Harris operating permit that would provide
an increased storage capacity (by increasing both the storage area and storage density) for
spent fuel at the plant. This regulatory proceeding has actually been a type of lawsuit
(designated as an "intervention") against the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to
block the agency from issuing a permit amendment without first conducting a full blown
environmental assessment (Environment Impact Statement or EIS)for the project. The
outcome of the intervention process is currently under review by the US Court of Appeals.
To date, the NRC has refused to allow potential acts of insanity or terrorism to be evaluated as
a threat to nuclear power plant facilities (reactors or spent fuel storage facilities), ostensibly
because the mathematical probabilities for such threats could not or cannot be statistically
quantified or analyzed. However, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 have shown that
such attacks of tremendous impact and consequence are not unthinkable or even unlikely.
Furthermore, government activities in the recent "war on terrorism" have exposed evidence that
there is real and credible evidence that worldwide terrorist organizations have done at least
some planning to target nuclear power plants within the United States.
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Many elected officials, policy makers and citizens within the designated "ingestion pathway" (the
area within a fifty mile radius of the Shearon Harris power plant) have expressed serious
concerns about the threat of terrorist acts to the Harris facility and the potential consequences
of a successful attack. Specifically, individuals and organizations have expressed concern that
the Harris facility may be a priority target for terrorist attack because of: 1) potential for
widespread and lethal consequences resulting from an airborne release of the tremendous
quantity of radioactive material available from the spent fuel stored in Harris pools (ultimately
the largest such facility in the US); 2) its proximity to a large densely populated area and
important governmental, military, industrial and education facilities (approximately 2,000,000
individuals, the state capital, Fort Bragg, the Research Triangle, three major universities and a
number of smaller universities and colleges)within the 50 mile radius ingestion pathway; and
3) the vulnerability of the spent fuel facility to an airborne attack such as that of 9/11/2001
(within minutes of RDU, a large international airport). Furthermore, most policy makers,
citizens, and emergency management/law enforcement personnel fear that any large scale
evacuation process within such a densely populated area would prove to be an exceedingly
difficult undertaking.
Elected officials of the Orange and Chatham Counties and a number of other area local
government officials and citizen groups have called for a public discussion of the concerns
outlined above. It has been proposed that these concerns, as well as strategies for reducing
both the risk and consequence of terrorist attack on the Harris fuel storage facilities, be
addressed in a symposium (open to the public with formal invitations to elected officials and
critical staff of federal state and local governments within the 50-mile ingestion pathway)to be
co-hosted by Orange and Chatham Counties. This symposium could consist of presentations
by experts in the fields of nuclear power plant/spent fuel storage vulnerability and safety,
emergency management, issues related to the threat and acts of terrorism, potential public
health effects associated with short and long term exposure to radioactive pollutants and by
CP&L. At the conclusion of the presentations, the floor could be opened for questions and
comment by elected officials, policy makers, citizens and media.
Co-hosting a symposium along the lines of those proposed above is generally consistent with
previously stated concerns and goals of the BOCC with regard to the Harris facility spent fuel
storage issue and with previous BOCC-directed activities of Orange County in that regard.
Commissioners Halkiotis and Brown, County staff and others have been discussing and
evaluating potential topics, times, speakers, etc., for a symposium dealing with terrorism and
the Harris facility. They have determined that: 1) the BOCC has a open date available for
meetings on the evening of May 2; 2)the Grumman Auditorium at the Friday Center is available
for County use on May 2; and 3) nationally recognized experts on nuclear power safety issues,
public health, terrorism, and emergency management are available at that time as well.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: Approximately $2000 in direct cash support to be expended on rental
costs for the auditorium at the Friday Center, postage for mailing invitations, etc. and
approximately $5000 in costs for staff time involved in planning and administrative activities
related to organizing the symposium.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the BOCC agree to: a) co-host the
symposium; b) allocate $2000 in direct funding support; c)direct staff to proceed with the
planning and administrative activities necessary to provide for the symposium; and d) provide
notice to the press and public that the BOCC will be meeting between 7:30 and 10:30 PM on
Thursday, May 2 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill.
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* Draft Press Release*
April 3, 2002
Conference to Initiate Regional Planning for Terrorism
Hillsborough - The Orange and Chatham County Boards of Commissioners announced
last night that they will initiate a regional effort to address emergency planning and
other aspects of risks related to possible terrorism in the Triangle area. A conference
will be held at 7pm on May 2nd at the William Friday Center in Chapel Hill.
Since September 11th, there have been broad efforts across the nation to rethink
security and planning strategies for emergencies caused by terrorism. A number of
discussions between local emergency management officials in the Triangle have
identified serious shortcomings in the present capacity to manage a regional
emergency stemming from a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, or an attack on the
Shearon Harris nuclear power facility. The conference represents the initiation of a
systematic regional approach to improving emergency planning in the event of a
terrorist attack, and to identify opportunities to minimize or eliminate risks wherever
possible.
Orange and Chatham officials believe that initially focusing on an event with the largest
potential impact - an atmospheric release of radioactive material from the Harris facility
-will facilitate the process of adapting regional strategies for multi-hazard emergencies
with the greatest potential for the loss of life and property. The conference will feature
regional emergency response officials and nationally prominent experts in the field
of nuclear risks.
The importance of addressing regional risks and emergency planning was heightened
by FBI warnings in January that terrorists might be planning to attack U.S. nuclear
plants. Also, on March 12th it was revealed that federal officials knew in 1995, but did
not notify the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, that al-Qaeda operatives were
threatening nuclear plants.
In addition to state and local elected officials and emergency management personnel,
the conference will call together others in related fields, including medical, public health,
human services, and transportation. In addition, other stakeholders, such as leaders of
educational institutions, will be invited to participate, as will officials from Carolina
Power& Light, which operates the Harris nuclear plant, located on the southern edge
of the Triangle. The general public will also be invited to attend and participate.
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* Draft Letter of Invitation
April 3, 2002
Subject: Your Attendance Requested: Regional Planning for Terrorism
Dear .............. ..
On behalf of the Orange and Chatham County Boards of Commissioners,you are invited to a
conference to address emergency planning and other aspects of risks related to possible terrorism
in the Triangle area. The meeting will be held at 7:30 PM on May 2nd at the William Friday
Center in Chapel Hill.
Since September 11th,there have been broad efforts across the nation to rethink security and
planning strategies for emergencies caused by terrorism. A number of discussions between local
emergency management officials in the Triangle have identified serious shortcomings in the
present capacity to manage a regional emergency stemming from a nuclear,biological or
chemical attack, or an attack on the Shearon Harris nuclear power facility. The May 2nd
conference represents the initiation of a systematic regional approach to improving emergency
planning in the event of a terrorist attack, and to identify opportunities to minimize or eliminate
risks wherever possible.
Orange and Chatham County officials believe that initially focusing on an event with the largest
potential impact—an atmospheric release of radioactive material from the Harris facility—will
facilitate the process of adapting regional strategies for multi-hazard emergencies with the
greatest potential for the loss of life and property. The conference will feature regional
emergency response officials and nationally prominent experts in the field of nuclear risks.
The importance of addressing regional risks and emergency planning was heightened by FBI
warnings in January that terrorists might be planning to attack U.S. nuclear plants. Also, on
March 12th it was revealed that federal officials knew in 1995,but did not notify the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,that al-Qaeda operatives were threatening nuclear plants.
In addition to state and local elected officials and emergency management personnel,the
conference will call together others in related fields, including medical,public health,human
services, and transportation. In addition, other stakeholders, such as leaders of educational
institutions,will be invited to participate, as will officials from Carolina Power&Light,which
operates the Harris nuclear plant, located on the southern edge of the Triangle. The conference is
being held in the evening so that the general public will be able to participate.
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Because of the sobering reality of the potential for terrorism right here in central North Carolina,
it is very important that elected officials and other community leaders pursue a regional approach
to this issue. We sincerely hope you will join us in this effort to initiate that process. We look
forward to your earliest possible reply.
Sincerely,
Barry Jacobs, Chair Gary Phillips, Chair
Orange County Board of Commissioners Chatham County Board of Commissioners