Emergency Management

E911 Cell Phone Emergency Notification System Registration

EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION
FOR AN EMERGENCY AT THE
GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLAN The Federal government requires that extensive measures be developed to inform everyone within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ) of Ginna station. Alerting devices for special facilities (i.e., industrial plants, nursing home and schools) and a system of sirens have been installed to effectively notify the population within a 10-mile radius should an emergency occur which could pose a potential danger to the public.

If a problem requiring a response occurred at Ginna station, the siren system and other alerting devices would be activated. Each siren would emit a steady three to five minute signal. When you hear that signal, tune in to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) over stations WHAM-AM 1180, WVOR-FM 100.5 MHz, OR WHEC-TV (Channel 10). By tuning to an EAS station, you will have the most timely and accurate emergency instructions concerning the emergency and how in may affect you and your family. Since all Emergency Response Planning Areas (ERPAs) in the 10-mile EPZ may not be affected, instructions will be given by ERPS, using the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

If you are boating on Lake Ontario within the 10-mile radius, you could be notified by the Coast Guard or local Sheriff's Department.

Activation of the sirens and other alerting devices MAY NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD EVACUATE. You should go indoors and listen for emergency instructions from your county or state officials.

Please do not use your telephone unless you need special assistance. Wayne County's emergency number is 946-5663 or 946-5573.

The purpose of this material is to give you information about emergency protection procedures in the event of a radiological emergency at the R.E. GINNA Nuclear Power station.

The fuel in a nuclear power station cannot explode or produce a nuclear explosion. It is, however, possible for airborne radioactive materials to be released during an accident. Safeguards and safety systems are built into the Ginna Nuclear Power Station to (1) make an accident unlikely and (2) in case of an accident, to confine the release of radioactivity within the station.

In the event that some radioactive materials are released from the power station, Wayne and Monroe Counties, New York State and Constellation Energy have jointly developed detailed emergency plans and procedures to keep you and your family from being exposed to radiological hazards.

Teams of personnel from Wayne and Monroe Counties, NY State and Constellation Energy have been organized to implement these plans. Their training is continuous, and both the plans and the personnel are tested on a regular basis by appropriate federal agencies.

Radiation is a normal part of our environment. It is emitted by the sun and by some radioactive elements in clean food, air and water in our bodies. It is used in medicine and dentistry for diagnosis and treatment in the form of x-rays and gamma rays.

Public health experts believe that we should keep our exposure to radiation as close to the natural background as practical. Consequently, plans were developed by Wayne and Monroe Counties and New York State to protect you and your family from exposure to any additional radioactive materials.

If you are in an affected area. You can receive a dose of radiation three ways"

By radiation emitted by contaminated air and ground. You can get away from this by moving to a clear area.
By radiation from contaminated hair, skin and clothing. This exposure does not stop until you wash the material off.
From radioactive material you have inhaled or swallowed. This exposure does not stop until the radioactive material has stopped emitting radiation* or until your body eliminates the radioactive material. *(This emission process is called decay and can last from a few seconds to many years.)

Duration of exposure and intensity of radiation are important in determining dose. Think about what happens when you spend time in the sun. The longer you stay in the sun and the brighter the sunlight, the more you are likely to get a sunburn. Similarly, the longer you are exposed, and the higher the level of radiation, the greater the resulting dose.

There are some important points to remember about radiation exposure if a release occurs. The most significant exposure would probably be limited to the time the air containing radioactive materials was passing through your area. Taking shelter in a building will reduce your possible contamination.

Normal operation of a nuclear power station may add one to two millirem per year to the total dose of its closest possible neighbor. Most people in our area receive about 300 millirem per year from natural background radiation.

Four classes of Emergency Action Levels have been established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and incorporated into all Radiological Emergency Preparedness planning. Each class requires a different degree of response actions by the state, counties and Constellation Energy. The four classes are:

Notification of an unusual event means a small problem has occurred. No radiation leak is expected. Federal, state and county officials will be told right away. No action on your part is necessary.

Alert means a small problem has occurred and small amount of radiation could leak inside the station. This will not affect you. Federal, state and county officials will stand by. You should not have to do anything.

A Site Area Emergency is a more serious problem. Small amounts of radiation could leak from the station. If necessary, state and county officials will act to assure public safety. Area sirens may be sounded. Listen to the radio or television for detailed information.

A General Emergency is the most serious classification. Radiation could leak outside the station and off site. The sirens will sound. Tune to an EAS Radio or television station for reports. State and county officials will act to assure public safety. Be prepared to follow their instructions promptly.

If an emergency requires you to take protective action, there are two courses of action you can be instructed to take: SHELTING or EVACUATION.

Sheltering means staying inside a structure such as your home or place of business and limiting ways outside air can enter the structure. If a release of radioactivity to the air is expected to pass quickly, sheltering would provide the most effective means of protection.

If the official message heard on an Emergency Alert System (EAS) station instructs you to take shelter, you should:

Go indoors and remain there.
Close all your doors and windows.
Turn off all window fans, air conditioners and other sources of outside air.
Extinguish the fire in your fireplace and close the flue as soon as the flue gases subside.
Keep listening to an EAS station for emergency instructions from your county or state officials about further precautions or the end of emergency conditions.

Emergency plans are designed to provide time for you and your family to leave the area if it is necessary to evacuate. It is important to understand that there should be time for an orderly evacuation.

It unlikely the entire 10-mile EPZ around the station would be evacuated. If an evacuation of a particular Emergency Response Planning Area (ERPA) is necessary, all people in the ERPA will be instructed to leave. Your county or state official will notify you of the affected ERPA or ERPAs by broadcasting this information over EAS stations. Be sure everyone in your family knows the ERPA number in which you are located, as well as the evacuation route to your reception center.

If you reside in 10-mile radius of the GINNA Nuclear Power Plant, follow the evacuation procedures outlined in the calendar that is distributed to residents each year.

Information about Potassium Iodide (KI)

Potassium Iodide is a simple mineral salt that can be helpful in preventing thyroid cancer in the event of a nuclear accident that releases radioactive iodine into the environment. KI does not protect any part of the body, other that the thyroid.

Growing concerns about terrorists have raised public interest in personal protection measures. Nuclear power facility accident can result in the release of radioactive iodine and other radioactive substances. Although KI may help in protecting you from the absorption of radioactive iodine into your thyroid, the best method of total protection in the event of a situation that would call for KI is to evacuate the area. Evacuation not only protects you from exposure to radioactive iodine, but also provides protection from all other radioactivity that could possibly be released during a nuclear emergency.

The use of KI is only indicated in emergencies where the public is likely to be exposed to radioactive iodine. The State and County Health Departments monitor all radiation emergencies and will immediately notify the public if KI should be taken to prevent a radiation dose to the thyroid. Of course, the health department will make this immediately known through public announcements, through the media and through the emergency alert system. When it is no longer necessary to take KI, that information will be widely publicized as well.

If your Emergency Response Planning Area (ERPA) is directed to evacuate, you will also be advised to take a 130-milligram tablet of Potassium Iodide (KI). Children one year old and above should also be given one 130-milligram tablet. Children below the age of one should be given one-half (1/2) tablet or 65- milligram of KI. If you do not have KI, you will be advised by EAS message on where to get it.

Currently KI is available in a limited number of pharmacies in the area and from the County. Some formulations of KI may be purchased without a doctor's prescription. Please consult your doctor to receive proper dosing information for each individual planning to take KI.

For more information you may contact the Wayne County Emergency Management Office at 315-946-5663.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

is the radioactivity that occurs naturally in our environment. The level of background radiation in the Rochester area is about 300 millirem per year.

us the removal of contaminating radioactive material from a structure, area, object or person.

is a system that gives government officials the ability to issue emergency instructions to the public, as warranted, in the event of a threatened or actual emergency. Instructions will be broadcast periodically over participating local radio and television stations. EAS programming on stations in this area normally originates through WHAM-AM 1180, WVOR-FM 100.5 MHz OR WHEC-TV (Channel 10). is area surrounding the nuclear power station site for which planning has been done to assure that prompt and effective actions can be taken to protect the public in the event of a radiological incident. A circle, approximately ten (10) miles around the site is called the plume exposure pathway; and a circle approximately fifty (50) miles around the site is called the ingestion exposure pathway.

is a defined area within the 10-mile EPZ for which emergency response plans have been developed, including notification of emergency protective actions, sheltering or evacuation. There are seven EPRAs in Wayne County designated as W-1, W-2, W-3, W-4, W-5, W-6 and W-7.

is a system of sirens installed throughout the 10-mile EPZ which can be activated for periods of three to five minutes. They are a signal for you to listen to your radio or television for specific emergency instructions by tuning to any local station that is carrying EAS programming. The signal does not mean your should evacuate the areas.

has the lead responsibility for all off-site nuclear emergency planning and response, FEMA is charged with establishing policy and coordinating all civil emergency planning and assistance functions for federal agencies.

are a form of electromagnetic high-energy radiation and are similar to x-rays.

is the time required for a radioactive substance to lose one-half of its original radioactivity. Half-life can vary from minutes to years according to the substance.

(50-mile EPZ) is, for planning purposes, the area within approximately a 50-mile radius surrounding a nuclear station. The principal exposure from this pathway would be from the ingestion of contaminated water or food.

receives and processes emergency information from utility, county and state officials for accurate and timely dissemination to the public through the news media.

is the unit used to measure radiation dosage. It is 1/1000th of a REM, REM stands for Roentgen Equivalent Man, a measure of radiation that indicates potential impact on human cells.

are radioactive gases that do not react chemically with other materials and are not accumulated or retained. Most of the radioactive materials released in a nuclear station emergency are noble gases such as xenon and krypton.

is the federal government agency that is responsible for the licensing, regulation and inspection of nuclear power stations.

(10-mile EPZ) is, for planning purposes, the area within a 10-mile radius, surrounding a nuclear station. The principal exposure sources from this pathway are: (1) whole body exposure to gamma radiation from the plume and deposited material and (2) inhalation exposure from the passing radioactive plume.

is a designated location at which initial assistance is provided for evacuees. The assistance includes registration, radiation monitoring and first aid, if necessary, and assignment to a medical facility, if needed.

means staying inside a structure such as your home or place of business, and limiting ways outside air can enter the structure. By limiting the exchange of air between outside and inside, you limit the amount of airborne radioactive material that you can come in contact with.

provides overall coordination of radiological preparedness and coordination between governmental agencies and the nuclear industry within the state.

has the lead responsibility for off-site nuclear emergency planning and operations for Wayne County residents. It functions as a coordinating agency for governmental and private/volunteer agency support in such emergencies.

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