1 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Role of USNRC

in

Emergency preparedness

Richard Emch, AdSTM

2 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Introduction

Objectives

•Understand importance of emergency preparedness

•Understand role and responsibilities of USNRC in

emergency preparedness

Licensing

Inspection

Preparedness

Response

3 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Introduction

Importance of emergency preparedness

•Implementation of a workable emergency preparedness

plan is considered to have a high level of safety

significance

•In the US, nuclear power plants are designed with multiple

layers of safety

•Emergency preparedness is considered to be the final

layer of safety – the safety net that helps protect the public

if the other safety measures fail

4 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Introduction

NRC is responsible for regulation of onsite emergency

preparedness plans at commercial nuclear facilities

• Nuclear power plants

• Research and test reactors

• Fuel cycle facilities – fuel enrichment and fabrication

• Waste repositories

• Medical facilities

• Transportation accidents

5 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Introduction

Roles of the NRC

•Development of requirements and guidance related to

emergency preparedness

•Licensing of nuclear power reactors and other commercial

nuclear facilities

•Oversight of emergency plans at operating nuclear power

plants – review of changes and inspection

•Participation in Federal Response Framework

•Response during nuclear accident – response and

oversight of licensee’s response

6 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Preparedness

Regulations

• 10 CFR 50.47(b)

• 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E

• 10 CFR 50.72

• 10 CFR Part 100

• 44 CFR Parts 350, 351 & 352 (Federal Emergency

Management Agency regulations)

7 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Preparedness

Guidance

• NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1, Rev. 1

• Regulatory Guide 1.101

• NUREG-0396

• NUREG-0696

• NUREG-0737, Supplement 1

• NUREG-0814

• NUREG/CR-6863

8 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Licensing of Nuclear Facilities

• Applications for licensing of nuclear power plants and

other commercial nuclear facilities reviewed to ensure

they meet the requirements

• FEMA reviews offsite plans and informs NRC regarding

finding that “reasonable assurance that adequate

protective measures can and will be taken in the event of

a radiological emergency”

• NRC responsible for determination on the overall state of

emergency preparedness – a nuclear safety issue

9 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Oversight of Operating Plants

• NRC reviews and approves changes to plant’s

emergency plan that might “reduce the overall

effectiveness” of the plan

• NRC experts perform inspections of emergency plan

implementation

• NRC inspectors observe and evaluate exercises

• NRC inspectors coordinate with FEMA exercise

evaluation teams

10 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• NRC is the coordinating agency for response to incidents

involving materials or facilities licensed by the NRC

• NRC maintains Emergency Operations Center at

headquarters

• Each Regional Office maintains a similar center

• Dedicated NRC telephone operators always on duty with

direct telephone lines to control rooms of all US nuclear

power plants (the red phone)

• NRC response is based on the declaration of the

accident – Notification of Unusual Event, Alert, Site Area

Emergency, or General Emergency

11 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

12 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

13 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

Full activation of Emergency Operations Center

•First rule – it is the licensee’s job to manage the accident,

not the NRC

•NRC’s job is to observe the licensee’s response and

confirm that response is appropriate

•NRC should not interfere in accident management unless

there is a problem with licensee’s response

•ERDS is activated and data from reactor & plant systems

begins streaming to NRC Emergency Operations Center

14 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• Emergency Management Team including NRC

Chairman or other Commissioner

Communicates with high level Federal officials such

as DHS

Decides if recommendations from the NRC to

licensee or State and local officials are necessary

Communicates with licensee emergency decision

makers

Communicates with State and local emergency

decision makers

15 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• Reactor Safety Team

Communicates with resident inspector (in control

room) and licensee experts evaluating the conditions

of the plant

Obtains and analyzes available data on reactor and

plant conditions

Makes projections about time to fuel uncovery and

containment failure

16 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• Protective Measures Team

Obtains available data on plant radiation readings,

meteorological conditions, and field radiation

measurements

Communicates with licensee’s experts evaluating the

radiological conditions

Communicates with State and local emergency

response personnel

Makes projections of potential doses using RASCAL

computer code

17 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• RASCAL - Radiological Assessment Systems for

Consequence AnaLysis

• Original version developed over 25 years ago

• Evaluates releases from nuclear power plants and other

nuclear facilities

• Designed for use by the NRC in the independent

assessment of dose projections during response to

radiological emergencies

• Can use a wide range of input information

• Latest version – 4.3 available for free from USNRC

18 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

19 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

20 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

• Federal Coordination Team – new team was added a

few years ago to help with communications with other

Federal agencies

• Safeguards Team - if event involves security issues such

an attack on the plant

• Public Affairs Team

• Liaison Team – State and Tribes

21 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Emergency Response

Response by NRC Regional Office

•NRC resident inspector reports to the control room and

establishes continuous contact with NRC Emergency

Operations Center

•Regional emergency operations center activated

•Regional emergency site team dispatched to the event

•NRC site team members go to control room, technical

support center, and emergency operations facility

22 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Actions after Fukushima Daiichi

NRC actions related to Fukushima Daiichi prioritized in

three tiers

•Tier 1

Assess staffing and communications to respond to

multi-reactor events

o NRC request for information (March 12, 2012)

o Industry initiative developed (NEI 12-01; May7,

2012)

o NRC endorsement of industry approach (May 12,

2012)

23 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Actions after Fukushima Daiichi

• Tier 1

Strengthen and integrate different types of emergency

procedures and capabilities at plants

o Rulemaking in progress for Mitigation of Beyond-

Design-Basis Events – Proof of Concept

(February 21, 2014)

o Extensive Damage Mitigation Guidelines (EDMGs)

o Severe Accident Management Guidelines

(SAMGs)

o Integration, Command, and Control

24 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

NRC Actions after Fukushima Daiichi

• Tier 2

NRC Orders addressed multi-reactor and loss of

power events (March 12, 2012)

o Training and exercises (drills)

o Equipment, facilities, and related resources

o Multi-unit dose assessment capability

• Tier 3 - Longer term

Additional enhancements such as decision-making,

radiation monitoring, and public education

Evaluation of EPZ size and KI pre-staging

25 AAEA/ANNuR

June 2014

Summary

• Emergency preparedness - final layer of defense-in-

depth

• Responsibilities of NRC include licensing, inspection,

preparedness, and response

• 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E and NUREG-0654/FEMA-

REP-1, Rev. 1

• NRC responsible for onsite preparedness and overall

emergency preparedness – a safety conclusion

• FEMA responsible for offsite emergency preparedness

• Emergency Operations Center and Site Team

• Improvements made based Fukushima Daiichi accident