Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 18, 1985, edition 1 / Page 9
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Officials Cit BY TERRY POPE For six hours last Wednesday evening, emergency workers scrambled about the sheriff's department in Bolivia, conducting an evacuation due to a "radiation leak" at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant in Southport. The exercise was just a simulated drill, but hardlyjust for fun. Practice helps prepare emergency workers for the real thing, and last Wednesday's practice drill included all the ingredients of a reai nuclear accident. In the end, those in charge of the Carolina Power and Light Company practice drill were pleased with how well the pmrricp u?ac carried cut. except for one u^cuvui breakdown in communications. "As far as the response of the people of Brunswick County, as far as going with our plan, I don't think it rnuld hnvp Wnnr> anv Knttop ?Knr> ; ;* ?~..W ?... uv.ivi Uiannuiu, SU1U V.UCU l.Ogail, Brunswick County Emergency Management Coordinator. lx>gan said a breakdown in communications between the state and CP&L officials presented the only drawback during the drill. Part-way through the six-hour exercise, CP&L officials began "assuming that the state had taken over at one point," Ix)gan said. "At that point, they quit calling the locals with information. The state had not assumed control at any point." What resulted was a delay before both Brunswick and New Hanover County Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) received any information following an alert call from the plant. Officials at the EOCs knew that two seismic activities had occurred, which were reported at 7:35 p.m. and 8:25 p.m. From there, a 35- to 40-minute blackout of news resulted from the communications breakdown while emergency workers at the EOCs began to wonder about the situation at the plant. "I don't think you can single out any individuals," l/)gan said. "Every one was doing what they thought they were suDDOsed to be dnine." The Scenario The simulated incident began at 6:42 p.m. WednesBr day when an "unusual event," the lowest category of accident recognized by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was noted at the Brunswick Nuclear Plant. According to Brunswick County Public Information Officer ; David Clegg, a seismic event was recorded at the-plant registering .09 g, with a "good possibility of a possible crack in a wall at the CP&I. plant." An ambulance from Southport was dispatched to the plant after one worker was injured while trying to put out ? a fire in a contained area. The worker was transported to Dosher Memorial Hospital in Southport for decontaminaNuclear Resp Always Reach For 16 people from New Hill, a the tests for ra J email * ? i vunn uuuiut rtjA.-A v?iiciu nume emergenc; the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power "You're lookii Plant is located, siinuliitcd emergen- $400,000' in sts cy drills occur at least three times ment," saidDar each year. the emergency r These 16 Carolina Power and Lig}it and others wl k Co. employees are members of the Emergency 0 f nuclear emergency response team (EOF) are envir tliat is always ready to roll, 24 hours for CP&I, wh ( a day, to the site of any nuclear acci- simulated drills dent to conduct tests for radioactivi- "We get roul L ty. week for test "Fortunately, we haven't had a "That's what ou j real situation," said Jim P?*arsall, radioactivity." j "but we do have at least three While Brunsw I simulated drills each year." conducted the si | Inside the Carolina blue tractor- cident drill at t! ! trailer rig is a complete nuclear plex in Bolivia h i laboratory equipped with com- ine. members of Iputerizcd monitors and gamma and parked in the coi alpha radiation detectors. When its feet away, condii doors are shut and sealed, about as part of the dr three inches of heavy plated walls The blue van protect the laboratory from the out- are part of eve side environment, which could affect CP&I. plant. Th? FORM YOURd Parking lots Patios Slabs A M AOtfA ITCH 01 NO JOB TOO Bk BUILDING N%r? Hwy. 179, Between O I, e Few Problems I - ^ COUNTY ATTORNEY DAVID CLEGG, County Manager Billy Carter and Health Director Thomas Blum (not visible) and Emergency Management Coor tion. He was reported in stable condition at 9:30 p.m. A fire in a protected area of the plant was also reported at 6:42 p.m., but at 8:25 p.m. another earthquake, stronger than the first, was reported, sending the plant into an "site area emergency" state. With that, l.ogan opened the EOC office in Bolivia and began calling in emergency personnel. Clegg onse Team / To Roll' dioactivity in a ge- tests for radioactivity in the event of y. a real emergency situation, ig at opproxiniately The EOF is stationed at New Hill itc-o^-the-art equip- and Is always ready to relocate to the i Cahill, a member of site of an emergency situation, Caliill esponse team. Cahill said. If an accident were to occur, ho work with the CP&I. officials would begin collecperating Facility ting samples from the area. The EOF onmental specialists would already be enroute. "So by the ten there are no time the sample is ready for us, we'd in progress. be ready for it," Cahill said, tine samples every The men never know where they ing," Cahill said, will be instructed to station the EOF r dutv is. to test for dnrinu Hrill In a genuine emergency, they would ick County officials never know how close they could acmulated nuclear ac- tually get to the plant itself until the ie government com- situation is assessed, ist Wednesday eventheCP&LEOF were The system is equipped with a *ner of the lot just 200 genenator and can be operateil on icting their own tests any level site. Parked in the corner of ill. the lot at the complex last Wednesand response team day, the EOF may have resembled a ry drill involving a set from a science fiction movie, but i state also conducts its job was for real. WCRETE NEEDS !fl? too ami! SUPPLIES xtojS^ ceon Isle & Sunset Beoch i THE BF During Nuclear A dinator Cecil Logan chart the progress of the drill at the Emergency Operations Center at Bolivia last Wednesday night. reported that Unit 1 at the plant had automatically shut down, while Unit 2 was in the process of being shut down. "Sheriff, I'm going to need some traffic control at three points," I-ogan stated at an 8:37 p.m. briefing. "In the event we have to evacuate, we need to keep all traffic moving in the same direction." By then, Brunswick County Commissioners Chris V 7 M A 11 / * ,*>1 ? w JIM PEARSAIX, shown here in a mobile laboratory set up near the Rrunswlck Nuclear plant, is one of 16 environmental specialists with the CP&L Emergency /W 4, THANK YOU FOR TWO GREAT YEARS - 'US m i tUNSWICK BEACON, Thursday, July 18, 1985?Page 9-A xrident Drill Chappell, Grace Beasley and Jim Poole were also called to the EOC, along with Health Director Thomas Blum, Social Services Acting Director Betty Varnum, school Transportation Supervisor Bill Turner, County Manager Billy Carter, American Red Cross representative Wayne Pearce, Salvation Army representatives and other volunteers. A state of "general alert" was declared by the plant at 10:08 p.m. when it was noted that a "main stream isolation valve failed to shut down," Clegg said. "Due to pivvauiiig muu v.uiiuiuviu, coiuvnu in aicas n, o, v, and D are being asked to remain indoors with their doors and windows closed and to turn off their air conditioning systems. Residents in all other areas are being asked to evacuate." The valve malfunction involved the "potential for radioactive release, but there is no release at this time," a news release from CP&L stated at 10:08 p.m. An evacuation shelter was opened at North Brunswick High School in Iceland while five other schools were placed on stand-by. Emergency sirens along a 10-mile radius of the plant and the Emergency Broadcast System were activated simultaneously in Brunswick and New Hanover counties at 10:22 p.m. "I love to see a plan come together," Logan said while listening to the EBS notification on the radio. "Do not be alarmed by the sirens," the FIBS broadcast stated. "No action by the public is necessary." At 10:40 p.m. another CP&L release stated tliat high levels of radioactivity had been recorded in the plant's turbine building due to a steam leak. Unit 2 was still onoralinw it ctot?H "There is indication of some damage to the nuclear fuel at the Brunswick plant," Clegg reported, "and there is a low level of radioactivity being released to the environment." By 10:15 p.m., decontamination stations had been established at two sites by the Boiling Spring Uikes and Bolivia Volunteer Fire Departments. Clegg said it should take approximately one hour and 20 minutes to evacuate the affected areas. By 11 -.20 p.m., there was good news. The reactor was cooling down at the Brunswick plant and the prognosis was improving. At midnight, the situation at the plant was secured with no casulties and no melt down. Evacuees and emergency personnel began returning home shortly after midnight. ' ' *?? , n . ? , > i Operation* Facility who respond at least three time* yearly to simulated nuclear accident drill* at CP&L plant*. ui.i ?t t?e re ceieorortng our ma Anniversary by offering... ENROLLMENT FOR NEW DIETERS AT OUR 1979 f PRICES \ You muni \ rati in on \THLHSDA Y OH n<m t Y, Jll.Y 18-19, i hrtween U-, m 7 am to 2:30 I'M m l ^ a fjfjotn^ f>W 1
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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July 18, 1985, edition 1
9
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