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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 05-02-2002 - AgendaSUMMARY OF QUESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE Public Forum on Nuclear Terrorism in the Triangle May 2, 2002 Below is a compilation of the questions which were submitted at the May 2, 2002 Symposium. County Staff, NC Warn, Emergency Management and other experts in the field have answered these questions. However, questions dealing with policy issues were not answered but will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners. On behalf of the Orange County Board of County Commissioners we want to take this opportunity to thank you for your attendance and hope that this symposium will lead to a greater understanding that planning for a possible terrorism attack must be done regionally. O. What good will it do to "stockpile" potassium iodide? Doesn't it need to be distributed before an accident to be truly effective? A. Correct. It should be in the possession of each person/family potentially exposed to radiation from a nuclear facility. The NRC recommends a 10-mile radius. Others believe it should be a much larger area. O. If the current storage technique is dangerous, then what difference does it make if there is twice as much waste fuel? In other words, why should we be concerned about the size of the storage at Shearon Harris, due to the transfer from other plants? A. There is concern that the more spent fuel assemblies stored at Shearon Harris, the more attractive the plant might be as a potential target. Also, the more waste in the pools, the larger the potential release if an attack, or accident, caused loss of water resulting in a fire. O. I feel the only protection for nuclear power plants from an air attack would be anti-aircraft guns, as used in France. These would have to be manned by trained National Guard or army personnel. Will there be anything done about standardizing (having) that for all plants? Our taxes would have to pay for the protection, another government subsidy for nuclear energy. A. The Union of Concerned Scientists is examining a different answer, passive defenses. Anti- aircraft missiles or guns have three problems: (1) unless complemented by large no-fly zones, anti-aircraft defenses lack sufficient warning time of errant planes to be effective; (2) antFaircraft missiles or guns could shoot down an innocent airliner straying off course due to mistake or weather; and (3) anti-aircraft missiles or guns could be taken over and used to attack the plant. The Union of Concerned Scientists is working with a couple of civil engineers on passive defenses. For example, tall Fbeams anchored in concrete and braced by angle iron could be linked by steel cables to form a very tall fence-like barrier around the plant or at least its vulnerable sides. If necessary, two rows of these barriers could be erected. The idea would be to stop small aircraft and slow/break-up larger aircraft so they don't penetrate into plant buildings. The advantages of the passive barriers are that they cannot be turned and used as a weapon against the plant and once erected, it's less likely that lack of funding down the road will cause them to be removed (as in the case ofanti-aircraft weapons) Page 2 Q. The evacuation plan in place now in case of a radiation release from Shearon Harris only evacuates a 10-mile radius. Please address the need for plans to consider a larger area and how this involves schools and location of emergency shelters that are currently within 20 miles. A. This is a good question, but one that would also be asked if the planning zone was 50 miles. No matter where the line is drawn, the question remains about people at N+1 miles. Despite that limitation, it's important to remember that the planning process for 10 miles involves many of the same local, state, and federal authorities as would be involved fora 50-mile radius. The biggest loss in 10 miles vs. 50 miles is the exclusion of some local authorities. The existing planning process serves as a foundation for dealing with the beyond 10 mile case. For example, if the offsite radiation survey teams detected high levels at 10 miles, the state and federal authorities would redirect school evacuations to safer areas and/or extend the sheltering/evacuation process beyond 10 miles. Q. Why not put the dry storage casks into holes rather than above ground with berms? A. If placed underground, canisters would be subject to degradation from moisture, and subsequent leakage. Holes could possibly be engineered to maintain the ability to monitor the waste fuel, but the cost would be higher than if surrounded by berms, thus there would probably be more resistance from the nuclear power industry. Also, there is concern that burial would create an impetus for the industry to avoid true disposal. Q. How many cancer deaths might result from exposure to radiation over the duration of an evacuation if a worst case scenario occurred - a waste pool fire or attack that released all the radiation in the fuel rods stored there? A. A 1997 study for the NRC by the Brookhaven National Laboratory estimated that a waste pool fire near a highly populated area could lead to 140,000 cancer deaths and cause over $500 billion in offsite property damage. That scenario involved approximately 67% of the waste fuel already stored at Shearon Harris. Even short-term exposures could lead to cancers. Q. In the area of risk quantification: 3panelists spoke of "Chernobyl-like" accidents. Don't you see those statements are disengenuous and intellectually dishonest given that there are exactly zero "Chernobyl-like" commercial power plants in the U.S.? These scare tactics are disgraceful! A. The 1986 Chernobyl accident is a standard to which people can compare potential accidents. Most people do not care what actual type of accident, whether from various core damage scenarios or a spent fuel fire, would lead to a radiation release. They are more interested in the potential size of the release. Given that waste fuel pools can contain far more long-lived radioactivity than released at Chernobyl, the comparison seems relevant. Page 3 O. Considering the resistance that CP&L has to accepting NC WARN's plan to store the spent fuel rods, would NC WARN consider and have support for a legal recourse against CP&L for refusing to comply or offer a reasonable alternative? A. On May 15`h, NC WARN and other organizations filed a legal petition seeking to have N. C. Attorney General Roy Cooper take action to prevent further transports to and stockpiling of spent fuel at Shearon Harris. O. NRC offered potassium iodide (KI) to the 34 states with nuclear facilities. Twelve states have taken them upon this offer. Why didn't NC accept? Should we keep it on hand? The U.S. FDA reports 10.5 million kids in Poland and 7 million adults in Poland took and reportedly benefited from KI following Chernobyl. A. The NRC urged each state to consider the KI offer. Governor Easley declined, saying that the state will instead rely on "rapid evacuation." KI can help protect against thyroid cancer from exposure to radioactive iodine, but has no protective value for exposure to other radionuclides. O. I need to know what would happen to our home and our pets (if I couldn't get them all in the car) in case of nuclear accident. I plan to take all of us and all of our animals in the car, but it won't be easy unless we take two cars, which will add to the traffic, but we may have to do it. Could we ever return to our home or would it (and our farm) just be totally worthless? A. It is possible that contamination levels could be so high you would not be able to return home. Homeowner insurance will not cover a loss due to a radiation disaster. You might, however, be required to continue payments on your mortgage. O. If or when there is damage to control room, i.e., brain of a nuclear facility, is there 'not' an automatic reactor shut down? A. Yes. The control rods, which shut down the nuclear reactor by stopping the chain reaction, are designed to be fail-safe. If the control room is disabled, the control rods will be automatically inserted into the reactor within seconds to shut down the chain reaction. Unfortunately, the insertion of the control rods does not terminate heat production. Even after the chain reaction is stopped, the reactor core continues to generate about 7 percent of the heat it produced at full power. For a large reactor like Shearon Harris, that's plenty of heat. If that heat is not removed, the shut down reactor core can overheat and be damaged. Consider Three Mile Island. The reactor was shut down around 4 am. Operators mistakenly turned off the cooling systems. Around 6:15 am, the reactor core overheated to the point where it partially melted down. Page 4 Q. If CP&L decided today to change to dry cask storage, how long would it take? A. The limiting factor would be receipt of dry casks. CP&L could probably begin loading casks in about 9 months and be finished loading casks in about 2 to 3 years. Q. I would like more details of the scientific issues of a spent fuel pool disaster. Specifically, what is the combustible material that will fuel a fire? What is the mechanism for separation of hydrogen from water leading to a potential explosion? Is there sufficient density in the fuel pools to generate a chain reaction? Has it been necessary to provide additional shielding to prevent this? A. The spent fuel fire is initiated by the zirconium metal that forms the tubes that contain the nuclear fuel. The combustion point for zirconium metal, in the presence of air, can be as low as 700F. This temperature is less than the melting point of the fuel itself. A phenomenon known as the zirconium-water reaction has been known to generate hydrogen. Following the Three Mile Island accident, large amounts of hydrogen were liberated. About 10 hours into the accident, this hydrogen suddenly burned, causing a pressure spike inside the reactor containment from 3 psig to nearly 28 psig. The spent fuel in the spent fuel pools can reach a critical mass. It is prevented from reaching a critical mass and sustaining a chain reaction through the use of boron. Boron absorbs neutrons that might otherwise interact with uranium and plutonium atoms to cause fissioning. In pressure water reactors like Harris, boron is present both in the storage racks and in the water itself. Q. If the dam holding Harris Lake were blown up, where would the water come from to cool the waste pools? A. Nuclear plants like Harris are desgned to have sufficient cooling to cool the reactor core even at the lowest lake level following a dam break. (It's part of the dam safety program.) There's not enough cooling water for all of the equipment to operate the plant at full power, but there should be enough cooling water for the equipment needed for the plant when it is shut down under that scenario. Q. How can you prevent overheating on a rod that continues to heat? How can something be considered safe it it's not tested in some way? A. The fuel rods continue to generate heat long after the reactor is shut down. When cooling water is circulated past the fuel rods, the water absorbs the heat produced by the fuel rods and carries it away. Fuel rods inside dry casks also continue to generate heat, but at a low enough level that the heat passing through the concrete walls of the cask is sufficient cooling. Page 5 Q. I can see steam from the cooling tower but am not in the 10 mile radius. I am maybe less than 15 miles from the plant. If the worst accident happened, would I have time to get my son at school? A. There are many factors in relation to the question, including the type of accident (whether it might be a slow or fast developing emergency), the direction of the plume, the distance you are from the school, timeliness in notification of the public, etc. Evacuation plans within the 10-mile emergency planning zone call for moving all population, including school children, to reception areas outside the 10-mile zone. For the rest of the area, schools would be dismissed on an earlier schedule and children would return home by normal means. Q. I'm from Wake County and extremely concerned about the silence and inaction of Wake Co. Commissioners. Can you think of ways they could be induced to become involved in these forums and conversations? Could we publicize (and shame) the silence and "hands off' attitude of our congressional delegation? (Specifically Price, Ethridge, and Edwards). A. Share information and concerns with your elected officials. They're there to serve you. Q. Dr. Alvarez said that closing down the SH nuclear plant would not solve the problem, but if the plant continues to generate the spent fuel rods that pose a potential terrorist target, isn't the plant itself the long-range problem, the primary liability? Shouldn't one mitigation strategy include ways to phase out the SH plant? A. Spent fuel stored at power plants will continue to pose a risk until and unless a safe and accepted disposal option is found, regardless of whether a plant is operating or not. The Yucca Mountain repository is at least eight years from opening, and probably many more. Even if opened, it will take many years to ship the waste presently existing at the nuclear plants to Yucca. As long as the power reactors operate, they will continue generating waste fuel that must be cooled in pools for up to five years, so the pools will continue to be potential targets. Reducing the density of the pools would reduce but not eliminate the risks. Q. Do you agree that we could do more if we concentrate on having the NRC regulate by rule that all pools be emptied of waste and we use dry cask storage as the Navy does with the added use of dirt berms instead of asking the industry? Who controls the NRC? It seems to be a force of its own. A. Many people believe the NRC does not operate independently from the industry it regulates, which is largely attributable to the industry's influence with Congress. Any effort to force the NRC to do as the questioner suggests must overcome the money-in-politics problem, as well as the revolving door between the NRC and the industry. Page 6 O. The evacuation plan in place now in case of a radiation release from Shearon Harris only evacuates a 10-mile radius. Who needs to be involved in the counties to get a better plan in place? How long would it take to evacuate a 50-mile radius? A. These are issues that are being studied by the Emergency Management Directors of the counties along the F40 corridor and Chatham. We know that a working group made up of state, county and municipal government, citizens, industry, hospitals, and other stakeholders would be needed. The exact role, mission, and planning methodology would have to be defined. As of now the best guess is that it would take 12 to 24 hours to complete an evacuation of the 50 miles, maybe longer for all care facilities. O. How can these good ideas be implemented with the pervasive budget cuts? Emergency services are being reduced significantly now! (Regional HazMat team has a 25% cut). A. Good question; this may be accomplished partly by incorporating planning strategies into government staff's daily work load and by adding this topic to existing meetings. Most stakeholders have meetings anyway, and it just depends on how much importance people place on this issue. O. What does the panel think of the idea of making Geiger counters available to many emergency personnel so that the level of radiation can be determined and the possibility of panic can be reduced! A. A few are placed in areas that would make them available to access problem areas. With the threat of the "Dirty Bombs" plans are to search out grants that will allow emergency management to buy the personal detection devices for early warnings of a release. These are different than the dosimeters; these sound an alarm upon detection. Panic can only be averted by good factual accurate information before an event and particularly during an event. O. Does Orange Co. Emergency Management have adequate training for biological threats for all emergency first responders? How and where were they trained? A. The training we provide for emergency responders in Air and Body Fluid Pathogens cover most biohazard concerns. We do have limited special equipment to deal with a scene. We work with the Medical Community, State and Local Law Enforcement, Health Departments and have trainers on staff. COMMENT FROM AUDIENCE: It is outrageous that the Governor or any of the state agencies (Radiation Protection, Emergency Planning, and Environmental Health) would not participate in this forum. This is very disturbing. As a former consultant in nuclear plant siting, I know what was considered when preparing nuclear safety analysis reports (FSAR), and it is obvious to me now following 9/11 disaster that all nuclear power plants should have new nuclear safety analysis reports prepared. The NRC should be completely restructured, separating the technical division and creating a new terrorism safety division with direct authority from the DOD (Dept. of Defense). • c • • - • • • • - wow 12 Fast Street P.O.Box 87 Pittsboro,NC 27312 Now(919)542-8200 (919)542-8272 PAX Gar),Phillip.,, Chair Margaret Pollard I?ce Chair Bob Atwater Hick Givens A Public Forum to Address Emergency CarlOatti Planning and Risk Minimization 200 S.Cameron Street P.O. Box 8181 1 lillsborough,N.C_37278 :1 grmrmg,r/nrnge.rrA•lor.,peo/unclear/ne/ro a,Yale wr/b n hi�F (919)245-2130 mncenlralran of militan,Gams mid m1willon r.dx Ham,endear (919)641-0246 1;.1X plod coultl he a prime lagel for lerrari+'1.,, Bill rhal r.r the pnaenl ,dale o/rear/inax in/he ererd a/a calarhnphic a1/ark,acadenl,nr Barry Jacabr.Chair partial sbuldown a/this rmpm7arl power plaal?I-Iwr�u•il!pon•ut.,.Ge/ /heir kid,out o).rchnol?Haw wi/1 people al nnrvili{ homer,{,el to Stephen H. Halkiottt, L?a Chatr Wely?I Lill medical care arrd quali(icrl prve'/ilrnrrcr.,be mailable! I t hal will happen lo hvesloek?16711 people be able to%•are the area Dlargarel IF'Brown belore being a(jeUed? Moser Carry,Jr. The Boards of Conm'n.crrouer.,o/Qralharo am/Orvuge cmrNle.,hares Alice dl. Gordan nmilyd naironn//p recqgm�erl e-\perYs mid emev,'Gcuo•mcnrggemen/ Vicra/,In adrhurs these questions. c pQ 'a 0c. aoz -r Ptt 112 Vilt 17 THURSDAY MAY 2, 2002 — 7:30 P.M. - Tc'•' - WILLIAM FRIDAY CENTER HIGHWAY 54 EAST, CHAPEL HILL \> ./err4 €at�A+ i 71=1 I David Lochbaum worked for seventeen years in Welcome ..................................Margaret W. Brown die nuclear power industry, and is now Nuclear Opening Remarks ...............Stephen H. Halluotis Safety Engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists and a nationally prominent expert on Emergency and Response various aspects of nuclear safety. bumdactions...............................Sharron Hinton, Orange County Manager's Office Edwin Lyman, Ph.D.,is scientific director of the The Threat..............................Dr. Edwin Lyman Nuclear Control Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based The Emecgeucy.........................David Lochbaum nuclear non-proliferation research and advocacy organization, a position he has held since 1995. NCI Health Impacts..........................Dr. Steven Wing has for years been a leading voice for improving lFlater.Safety Issues.............................Alan Ramer security at U.S. nuclear power plants. On June 1, Dr. Board Member,Orange Water&Sewer Authority Lyman will succeed Paul Leventhal as president of Emergent'Management Planning.....Nick Waters, Orange County Emergency Dlanagement Director NCI. CP L/Progress Energy.......Invitation extended and declined Steven Wing, Ph.D., a faculty member at the UNC School of Public Health,is a leading researcher in How to.Reduce Risk die field of radiation health effects. He has Panel Discastton.................................Kevin Foy, conducted numerous studies of radiation and cancer Mayor,Town of Chapel Hill risk of nuclear industry workers, and of cancer Orrestions and Answers.............Panel of Experts incidence in relation to the 1979 accident at Three Closing Remarks................................Gary Phillips Mile Island. mm tmergengy VDIann Considerations for -9. Scale I n, cl d eats ®.age 17 cat _ r Developed r by. Orange my Emergency Management i Current Risks Ha I Rail Transport ,i�d5..._y4 wd� a''ir %S"c+ �,.�aY ✓,-„t k_3"1 a`'."s'TN "x "a-3 x�'sri . �x" • x �4x eypys7"SZ- �`s kY ? iF?ytxs< z ra�t °.a.}y Ammonia � 1 � ;� 9{��-F•x tV�2 4k}ttb$�'�i � £� 3 • Chlorine • Cyanide Road d _ Transport o.r�rriiorl�P�111A111111Af��; _ * HazMat Fixed Facility Fixed Nuclear Facl ity F. o. PODUlations US u — Counties N e .a`` Count rr Population Wake 627 , 846 Chatham 49 , 329 Durham 2237314 Alamance 130 , 800 Randolph 130 ,454 Orange 1187227 Guilford 421 , 048 Total 117017018 Source: 2000 U.S Census PODulation v`rpav cs s Mgt Counties I-40/85 1-85 Data Classes J 7 72 777 - 137 I-95 t ❑ 117 - 257 Fj 2 H - 531 US-64 ❑ 18 - 131 t r reatures Source: 2000 U.S. Census tU 6 r p 3 r �Nll • 4 rt 4 Does Your Plan Consider. Calculation of evacuation times based on realistic s narios Road work Normal traffic congestion School & business schedules current traffic flow/time study? Adverse citizen reaction., Family reunification prior to evacuating? . i i h OD80al Needs Evacuation Considerations 17 52 �rfl cats 0` L si' 4 1 a Special needs planning s untested on assumptions F Assumes transportation will be =' available for special needs • assumes personnel will b available and remain at their joDS • Assumes patients will be health enouyh to be moved eo c,e o anal Plan n I verb G.veO. Identify locations ®f special needs facilities in region Determine existing resources and identify s Create mutual aid agreements between healthcare providers Identify secondary means of transportation USE TESTED OR THEORETICALLY ASSUMPTIONS!SOUND eca• tae+ o` r v Psycholog 'Ical Considerations >� Overreaction due to the public fear's of hazardous materials or radiation Road. rage due to traffic -r congestion unreasonable behavior Suicides; homicides; fanatical religious beliefs; and extremist groups 3pQa� Cu Oa v Your rl Consider: :`rs enao. Does ii: Psychological factors? Limited lic safety resources? Ability to maintain order in a panicked society? Providing and maintaining mental health, care for evacuees responders? Additional gay i _ t 17 52 0 ae6' C.e nal Plann " Issues Cross-jurisdictional agency concerns Personnel available to work '1 Mass casualty plan development with coordinated ra a standards Mass fatality development Pet and animal sheltering / evacuation Expanded vulnerability Assumptions must be tested! o. Regional r * Standardized qb tavd Red Tag e.. Green Tag High probability � � Patient has of patient survival "4\'3 `r°,199 only minor with immediate © S L11 y� injuries hospital Black T� intervention �. Patient is Yellow Tag either dead or High probability ® injuries are of patient survival ' not conducive with rapid to the YS B 21os99 hospital continuation intervention of life >e0 Ces 0` 's 5Mi tIg % .,. ation b U°` tis•' Defined acting before a disaster strikes to permanently prevent the occurrence of the disaster or to reduce the effects of the disaster when 'it occurs Flood lain ordinances, fire code, land use permitting, hazard mitigation buyouts, etc, • Changing storage thud ° Hardening structures �� Reducing attractiveness t nti l target 1 3 It is the mission of orange County Emergency Management to assist persons in need y providing prompt appropriate, and courteous planning , prevention , %ntervention , and mitigation of real and perceived emergency situations r All t 7.J 1 l R- 0 l �y{rJ f' utner Greensboro = Sedalia $� 1 _® trough ( Louiss rg IGraham ® F e l I]Uri I ske Forest•\ F'IeasaM Ga�tlm i ,. ! a9 87 Chapel Hill'- Carrbor© aot RTP RDU ~ Liberty Zebulon � 22 i ,eso, Wendell 64 Cary j RAmcew - `,=ams pyieboro Siler City Apex Gam r j. 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Pine SPri. ke n Pi n4f. (Fort Bragg) r- ( ! l Ho 211 24 PS I , I RIC�MOND 490 S 1 /� j F;et \ r 1 COT / I4,6 '� ;� j { ,� `;. / r 40 Mile Radius ur9 } \� 30 Mile Radius r r F I O�\ ((�� ) "DEN 20 Mile Radius r i US Route 64 \ 10 Mile Radius 0 50 Mile Radius ' � \ \ pNDER '� r Public schools 1 —J , �' Interstate highways ;: r r�` I County boundariest' Primary roads Waterbodies *+ Municipal boundaries Orange County GI County boundaries• May 2002 Public Schools 10, 20, 309 40 and 50 Mile Radius I — 'A Ow born`` t Greensboro 1 1�M-e ane ,.«e - -Burlingto Isggcd'u j — Sedai , Lords F i e ha e Urha - w�Forest 49 87 54 _-C p I HIII � T _ It 401 1 CaffbOf i' Rt RDU ,Liberty. -FEAR lgh �eputoii= �. 22 Mpde tv •t } i• ` Asheboro Siler City ApeX` �--y vR Garn r E SE Shearon Harris c - a2 Nuclear Plant _ Spri 14 Fv Holly ttt ,o Clayt� 87 1 � I Goldston _ Fuquay-V I 42 ` 1�y `w�sms i' 1 x I 42 i —- -i1 —� 21 .th Pme Angier Sanford Broadway ac, , `'�.• _�'.�-,._.. Princato I`.`. Robbins r` - tf77 fr _�• Lilljng n n i f Carthage Dqnnr Vass Linden Grove ' } Pinehurst - i - v 1 i F.*.WI p Southern Pine "Wring,Lake vva PinebluH (Fort Bragg) , � ; - -. sf Fayetteville Hoffman -,t 24 'YAD _ I Raeforcl__. � - Rpcgcingham _ Hamlet UMBER , z , orange Waterways and Watersheds May 200tyGiS May 2002 ID KI '14 CA 'k ON W, ARREN I E V G A LLE Butn 1A, ORANGE Gr bo -rnr�nh FK/-kNtkL jVak st 11-r D 1"M 87,' Ani -ALAMA Ca b6to- A RT Ll •Ralei h' J 64 ] �2 H 64 Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant 64 -Cary sheboro WAKE.. 42 i f L Holly prings 1. )K 55 RA OLP G a ar-in 70 If 11 [42 San d ®� Prince LE 22 U111, ats­-, -/,—,M O ,-L-- _n JOMNSTON. RE f�HAR V KTT 1 12101 TGOMER 211 ass L den WA E outh ine Pr ilLae k PI (Fort Bragg) P tt Hoff 211 24 N-- RICHMOND Hop M,1. "A R at COT .,D r DE Railroad Route Supplement US Route 64 ertU-n--- Nuclear Waste RR Travel Route 50 Mile Radius PENDER V Railroads Interstate highways //V County boundaries Primary roads Waterbodies Municipal boundaries Orange County GIS County boundaries May 2002 Nuclear Waste Railroad Route For Immediate Release RISKS AND RESPONSE: NUCLEAR TERRORISM IN THE TRIANGLE A regional conference of national importance May 2, 2002, Chapel Hill, North Carolina For more information: Paul Thames, County Engineer, (919) 245-2300, tthames(),co.orange.ne.us Discussions among local emergency management officials in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) have identified serious shortcomings in the capacity to manage a regional emergency stemming from a nuclear, biological or chemical attack, including an attack on the Shearon Harris nuclear power facility. A growing storage site for spent nuclear fuel, in a state with a high concentration of military bases and munitions, the Harris nuclear plant could be a prime target for terrorists. But what is the present state of readiness in the event of a catastrophic attack, accident, or partial shutdown of this important power,plant? How will parents get their kids out of school? How will people at nursing homes get to safety? Will medical care and qualified practitioners be available? How will real estate values be affected? What will happen to livestock? Will people be able to leave the area before being affected? These questions resonate not only for North Carolinians, but for everyone from New Yorkers to Nevadans. Local emergency management officials will come together with national experts to address them. The Orange and Chatham County, North Carolina Boards of Commissioners will initiate this regional effort to address emergency planning and other aspects of risks related to possible terrorism in the Triangle with a conference to be held at 7: .30 p.m. on May 2 at the William Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The conference represents the start 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. The issues raised and the lessons learned will have implications for any cornmunity situated in the vicinity of a nuclear facility. 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 "RISKS AND RESPONSE: NUCLEAR TERRORISM IN THE TRIANGLE" PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT No one wants to think about a chemical, biological or nuclear terrorist attack on our North Carolina home. But the best way to prevent them is to be prepared. That's why the Orange and Chatham County Boards of Comissioners are holding a regional conference entitled, "Risks and Response: Nuclear Terrorism in the Triangle," Thursday, May 2"d, 7:30pm, at the William Friday Center in Chapel Hill. In the event of a regional emergency, how will parents get their kids out of school? How will people at nursing homes get to safety? Will medical care and qualified practitioners be available? How will real estate values be affected? What will happen to livestock? Will people be able to leave the area before being affected?The answers to these and many other questions will be addressed with local and national experts including The Union of Concerned Scientists' David Lochbaum. "Risks and Response: Nuclear Terrorism in the Triangle" is free and open to the public. It takes place Thursday, May 2"d at 7:30pm at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. For more information, call 919-245-2300. Risks and Response: Nuclear Terrorism in the Triangle A Conference to Address Emergency Planning and Risk Minimization Thursday, 11 I • Friday William • ' (Just west of 4• How large an area could be affected by nuclear fallout if Shearon Harris was attacked and how might public health be impacted? . Is there a regional evacuation ,plan in case of a radiation emergency? . Are there feasible ways beyond current security measuresi to reduce the risks from nuclear terrorism? Nationally known experts will join regional emergency management officials to answer your questions in a public forum. Carolina Power and Light has been invited to participate. Presenters include: David LochbaUm, Nuclear Safety Engineer for the Union of Concerned Scientists and a nationally prominent expert on various aspects of nuclear safety. Edwin Lyman, is scientific director of the Nuclear Control Institute, a Washington, DC- based nuclear non-proliferation research and advocacy organization. NCI has for years been a leading voice for improving security at U.S. nuclear power plants. Steven Wing, Ph.D., a leading researcher in the field of radiation health effects in relation to nuclear industry workers and the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island. Presented by the Orange and Chatham County Boards of Commissioners For more information visit www.co.oran e.nc.us or call 919 245-2300 INVITATION LIST FOR MAY 2ND SYMPOSIUM The following persons, organizations, etc. have been invited to attend the Regional Planning for Terrorism symposium (either by fax or by mail): 1) Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, & Hillsborough, Durham County, Durham, Chatham County, Pittsboro, Goldston, Siler City: • Manager, Clerk (for elected officials) • Board of Education • Environmental Affairs Board • Sheriff, Chief of Police, Fire Chief • Health Director • Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services Directors • Orange Water & Sewer Authority Staff and Board 2) Alamance County (8 Municipalities), Caswell County (2 Municipalities), Cumberland County (8 Municipalities), Franklin County (5 Municipalities), Granville County (4 Municipalities), Guilford County (11 Municipalities), Harnett County (6 Municipalities), Hoke County (1 Municipality), Johnston County (10 Municipalities), Lee County (1 Municipality), Moore County (11 Municipalities), Nash County (11 Municipalities), Person County (1 Municipality), Randolph County (8 Municipalities), Rockingham County (6 Municipalities), Sampson County (10 Municipalities), Vance County (2 Municipalities), Wake County (11 Municipalities), Wayne County (7 Municipalities): • Manager, Clerk (for elected officials) • Board of Education • Environmental Affairs Board • Law Enforcement • Fire Protection • Emergency Management • Emergency Medical Services • Health Directors Page 2 Invitee List 3) Fort Bragg Fire Chief/Commander/Head of Base Security 4) North Carolina Health Director 5) Secretary, North Carolina Dept. of Crime Control & Public Safety 6) Contact, Office of the Governor 7) Division of Radiation Protection 8) University of North Carolina: • President • Chancellor • Student Body President • Carolina Environmental Program • Environmental Health & Safety • Dr. William Friday • Dean Smith 9) Duke University: • President • Chair, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment • Dean, Duke Nicholas School of the Environment • Student Body President • Director Security 10)North Carolina State University: • Chancellor • Student Body President 11)North Carolina Central University: • Chancellor • Student Body President 12)Shaw University: • President • Student Body President 13)Other Colleges/Schools: • NC School of Science & Mathematics • Meredith College • St. Mary's School • Peace College • St. Augustine's College • NC Community College System Page 3 Invitee List 14)Hospitals, etc: • LINC Hospital Emergency Department • Duke Medical Center Emergency Department • Durham Regional Hospital Emergency Department • Raleigh Community Hospital Emergency Department • Rex Hospital Emergency Department • Franklin Regional Medical Center Emergency Department • Wake Medical Center • Western Wake Medical Center • Triangle Hospice 15)State and Federal Elected Officials: • Congressman David Price • Governor Mike Easley • Representative Joe Hackney • Representative Verla Insko • Senator Ellie Kinnaird • Senator Howard Lee • Senator Jesse Helms • Senator John Edwards • Representative Wes Cook • Representative Henry Michaux, Jr • Representative Paul Luebke • Senator John H. Carrington • Senator Wib Gulley • Senator Jeanne Lucas • Senator Brad Miller • Senator Eric Reeves • Representative Daniel Blue, Jr. • Representative J. Russell Capps • Representative Rick Eddins • Representative J. Sam Ellis • Representative Robert Hensley, Jr. • Representative David Miner • Representative Art Pope • Representative Jennifer Weiss • Representative Nelson Cale 16)News Media (include People's Channel &Time Warner) 17)CP & L (separate letter) 18)Nuclear Regulatory Commission Page 4 Invitee List 19)Sierra Club 20)Candidates (2002) • Tim Pressley (Sheriff) • Lindy Pendergrass (Sheriff) • Kurt Insko (Sheriff) • Joyce Pearson (Register of Deeds) • James Stanford (Clerk of Superior Court) • Jamie Daniel (County Commissioner) • Keith Cook (County Commissioner) • Robin Staudt (County Commissioner) • Libbie Hough (Orange County School Board) • Al Hartkopf (Orange County School Board) • Patrick Mulkey (Orange County School Board) • Randy Copeland (Orange County School Board) • Betty Davidson (Orange County School Board) 21)Cary/Apex Water Treatment Plant 22)Duke Power Co. 23)Piedmont Electric Membership Corp. 24)Juliam Philpott (Lobbyist, Farm Bureau) 25)Nursing and Rest Homes in Orange County 26)Reverend Bob Seymour 27)PTA Councils, Orange County and CH/Carrboro Schools 28)Dr. Douglas Crawford-Brown, Chair, Carolina Environmental Program, UNC 29)Peter Reinhardt, Environmental Health & Safety, UNC 30)Chris Moran, Director IFC 31)Dir. Wayne Thomann, OESO Administration, Duke 32)Reverend Sharon Freeland, Director, OCIM 33)Deans of Duke, Wake Forest, Campbell, UNC, NCCU Law Schools 34)Michael Smith, Institute of Government 35)Mike Mills, Doug Galyon, Jerry Linder, DOT 36)Colonel Richard Holden, SHP 37)Jesse Tilton, CEO, ElectriCities 38)Tony Almeida, Duke Energy Corp 39)Major General William E. Ingram, Jr. NC National Guard 40)Tom Lambeth and Thomas Ross, Z Smith Reynolds Foundation 41)Dee Freeman, Executive Director, Triangle J COG We estimate invitations will be extended to a total of 1,000 people. �oantp o! r� SARm IACOSS CHAIR ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS STEPHEN IIALRI07`15 VICE CHAIR MARc,ArE- W.BrowN POST OFFICE BOX$18 1 )7 u MOSES CIREY JR 200 SOUTH CAMERON STREET AUCEAI GOROON 9a HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 2727$ ry � �rIJ �0.YO��d April 5, 2002 Subject: Your Attendance Requested: Regional Planning for Terrorism Dear Public, Private and Institutional Officials: 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 p.m, on May 2 at the William Friday Center in Chapel Hill. Since September 11, 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 2 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 12 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. WWW.CO.ORANGE.NC.US PROTECTING AND PRESERVING- PEOPLE, RESOURCES, QUALITY OF LIFE ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA - YOU COUNTI (9 19) 245-2130 • FAX (919) 644.0246 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 Orange County Board of Commissioners I#I f 4P� Gary Phillips, Chair Chatham County Board of Commissioners WWW.CO.ORANGE,NC.US PROTECTING AND PRESERVING-PEOPLE, RESOURCES, QUALITY OF LIFE ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA - YOU COUNTI (919) 245-2130 • FAX (919) 644-0246 Beverly Blythe- Summary, Questions _ Page 1 From: "Jim at NC WARN" <jim @ncwarn org> To: "Beverly Blythe" <BBLYTHE @co orange,nc us> Date: 5/9/02 1:58PM Subject: Summary, Questions Hi Beverly, I'm happy to help deal with the questions. If you can send to me, I'll take a shot at answers on those I can, then bounce them off the experts (rather than ask for more of their time composing answers). If I cannot, I'll talk to experts, THEN compose answers for their review, Also happy to assist in editing a summary or whatever you're thinking to send to folks Maybe two or three of us could discuss an approach to that?? Maybe ya'll already have a plan in mind. If not, if you could send me transcript, I could look over and maybe get some idea of how to proceed Finally, do you have copy of video yet? And is there a plan to get it on cable TV? I can put Buck in touch with someone in Raleigh and Durham who could get it on those stations too thanks, .Jim PS Please let me know if you hear about Wall St J article before I see one CNN is doing a story on the train breach; could open up a lot of doors Jim Warren NC WARN North Carolina Waste Awareness & Reduction Network Ph: 919-490-0747 Fax: 919-493--6614 PO Box 61051, Durham, NC 27715-1051 Email: Jim@ <mailto:Jim @ncwarn orgWeb> ncwarn org <mailto:ncwarn org @pobox com> Web: www ncwarn org <http://www.ncwarn org> -----Original Message----- From: Beverly Blythe [mailto:BBLYTHE @co.orange,nc us] Sent: Wednesday, May 08, 2002 8:01 AM To:jim@ncwarn.org Subject: Re: Great Event I also thought it was a great event and I am so proud to be associated with Orange County and part of the group that made this all happen. Also, yesterday the Wall Stree Journal called Steve Halkiotis to talk about the event so maybe we will get additional coverage Jim, we have all these questions that need to be answered. Who would be the best person to do Beverly Blythe- Regional Anti-Terrorism Cost Share _ Page 1 From: "Sandra B. Sublett" <sandra,sublett @ncmail,net> To: "Beverly Blythe" <BBlythe @co.orange nc.us> Date: 5/10/02 9:59AM Subject: Regional Anti-Terrorism Cost Share Good Morning Bev, This past Monday, our board appropriated $2,000 as part of a "Regional Anti-Terrorism Cost Share" with/for Orange County I'm sure that there is a letter or some information floating around that would help me describe this in my minutes. Do you have anything that you could send me with regard to this matter? Thanks so much! As always, I appreciate your help! Sandra Sandra B Sublett Clerk to the Board Chatham County May 13,2002 MAY 1 5 2002 �� I Chatham & Orange Board of Commissioners IL PO Box87 & PO Box8181 Risk & response meeting lolay2`"- Pittsboro & Hillsborough Sirs; The meeting was a valiant effort and I hope you call another soon. Why was the federal agencies boycotting the meeting? I attended and learned , but did not hear as much as I would have liked from Dr. Alvarez, As a matter of fact we could have done with out the first three speakers as the audience was more knowledgeable then you had allowed for.. The question and answer period should have gone on longer and then you would have gotten more results, Dry cask the navy way would have been seen as the less expensive system then pools. Your propsal to spread out and build earthen berms may have been discussed, the tax advantage to Wake Cty, in long term storage of the nuclear fuel would have come out, Yucca will not be done for about 18 years and will not be used if Nevada wins locally Long term to me means hunderds of years. Locally means Nevada is going to all goverments to ban transport of nuclear waste in there back yards, St. Louis and Denver has already agreed. The last question raised a most inportant point , use of potassium iodide(ki), I carry about forty ki pills in a little caddy in my pocket as I understand that I will not be allowed to return home in a evacuation,(i live in the 10 mile zone). Everyone in the country (like in Europe) should have ki handy. Our present system of evacuation, near Harris, will not work in 6 hours, and evan if it did we still have to breathe. Our Governor is missinformed by state emergency management. Our Federal agencies are wrong in not supplying everyone with a 2 day supply The children of Chernobyl are still coming down with 1,000s of thyroid cancer cases a year, that ki could have protected then from.Our schools should have ki in stock as other states are doing, Sin erely you erman ,Jaffe 18 Keokuk Ct. Apex, N.C.27502 e-mail haymisch @aol.,com P ss n William Cavanaugh 111 Chairman.President and .�i Chof Executive Officer April 29, 2002 -- OF h � Ca �,; Mr. Barry.Jacobs, Chair MAY i '1 Orange County Board of Commissioners I' 200 South Cameron Street Post Office Box 8181 _ Hillsborough,NC 27278 Mr. Gary Phillips, Chair Chatham County Board of Commissioners 12 East Street P.O. Box 87 Pittsboro,NC 27312 Dear Sirs: Thank you for your letter of April 15 inviting me to participate in the nuclear security forum you are sponsoring on May 2 in Chapel Hill. As you know, nuclear plant licensees are required by federal law and regulation to have emergency plans in place for the protection of the public, Progress Energy takes its responsibilities in emergency planning very seriously and works closely with those at the federal, state and local level who share in that responsibility. We regularly meet with them, as well as local elected officials,to revise and update our plans. We would be pleased to meet with each of your Board of Commissioners to review our plans and the underlying requirements. We believe our current emergency plans are sound and in compliance with all government standards. From talking with your meeting organizer, we believe the meeting you have invited us to is mainly a policy forum on nuclear power and security. It is our understanding that no one from the federal government, FEMA, the NRC, the State of North Carolina or most of the counties involved in emergency planning for the Harris plant will be participating in the event. Given the lack of participation of these key participants responsible for emergency planning, we do not think that regional emergency preparation can be adequately addressed in this forum. This meeting appears to us to be primarily a policy forum. We follow the emergency planning and security procedures and policies set by the appropriate governmental and regulatory bodies and do not typically address those policy issues outside that process; therefore we do not plan to send a representative. Thank you again for your invitation, and let me reiterate my offer to discuss our emergency plans with your respective Commissions. Sincerely, P 0 Box 1551 Raleigh.NC 27602 r,919 546 3560 r,919 546 3210 News from Ed Markey United States Congress Massachusetts Seventh District EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Michal Freedhoff March 25,2002 12:01 AM or Israel Klein (202)225-2836 MARKEY RELEASES REPORT ON SECURITY GAPS AT NUCLEAR REACTOR SITES Analysis of regulatory agency correspondence reveals `troubling black holes in homeland security,' according to the lawmaker Washington,DC: Representative Edward J. Markey(D-MA), a senior Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today released a report entitled "Security Gap: A Hard Look At the Soft Spots in Our Civilian Nuclear Reactor Security" that analyzed more than 100 pages of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)correspondence sent to the Congressman in response to several letters. "There is little comfort to be found in the agency's response to my questions,"said Markey. "Black hole after black hole is described and left unaddressed. Post 9/11, a nuclear safety agency that does not know- - and seems little interested in finding out--the nationality of nuclear reactor workers or the level of resources being spent on security at these sensitive facilities is not doing its job." The report indicates that: • The NRC does not know how many foreign nationals are employed at nuclear reactors, and does not require adequate background checks of nuclear reactor employees that would determine whether an employee was a member of a terrorist organization. • The NRC does not know what its licensees spend on security or how many security guards are employed at each reactor, • Twenty-one U.S. nuclear reactors are located within 5 miles of an airport, but 96%of all U.S. reactors were designed without regard for the potential for impact from even a small aircraft. • Aircraft impact to the containment structure of a nuclear reactor is not the only way an aircraft could cause a full-scale core meltdown. • The NRC has rejected placing anti-aircraft capabilities at nuclear facilities, even though other countries have chosen to do so and even though many reactors are located very close to airports. • Spent nuclear fuel in significant quantities exists at reactors all across the U.S. and is stored in buildings that are not hardened structures, some of which reportedly have sheet metal roofs, • Security of spent nuclear fuel at decommissioned reactors is lower than that at operating reactors in part because licensees obtained exemptions to the security regulations. The NRC has assumed that spent fuel fires would only occur as a result of an accident and failed to consider fires that could occur as a result of a terrorist attack. • The NRC has not scientifically determined how long spent fuel casks can withstand a continued fire, and has not provided information on worst-case consequences of a breach of a spent fuel cask. • It took the NRC almost 6 months after 9/11 to require enhanced security at nuclear reactors. • The NRC has historically failed to adjust the security regulations to meet the evolving threat, and has yet to begin a permanent revision of security regulations following the events of September 11. • Security exercises at nuclear reactor sites are inadequate, and sites continue to fail the exercises about 50%of the time. For all correspondence on this issue, please refer to our website,www.house.gov/markev.