White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Riverkeeper Whistle Blower Critiques FEMA DRILLS

WPCNR Morning Sun. From Riverkeeper Press Office. (Edited)September 24, 2002:Speaking in White Plains, the day before the Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA) conducted a test of their Indian Point evacuation plan today, Riverkeeper and a group of elected officials raised concerns regarding weaknesses of the program.

Speaking at the press conference was Doug Harnett, national security campaign director at the Government Accountability Project.

"We have had scores of whistleblowers come forward that worked in nuclear weapons and energy facilities, in FEMA, the NRC and other agencies to expose the lack of preparedness, and the absurdly contrived nature of the exercises that are used to reassure the public," Doug Hartnett said. "Since September 11, the Government Accountability Project has had a dramatic increase in whistleblowers from nuclear facilities across the country. They have been warning their supervisors for years, but after the terrorist attacks, they simply could no longer allow the threats to be ignored or downplayed."

Local Whistle Blower Speaks.

According to federal whistleblower Linda Lewis, an eight-year veteran emergency programs specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the REP program and drills fail to protect public health and safety.

"In total, the problems with radiological emergency preparedness and evaluation describe a public safety program that has lost credibility," said Linda Lewis, who in 1998 was an evaluator assigned to the Rockland County Emergency Operations Center during an Indian Point drill.

No Evaluator Feedback?

Linda Lewis's overarching concern is that in numerous situations FEMA and other federal agencies have failed to incorporate evaluator feedback on REP drills over the years.

Several of Linda Lewis' specific concerns regarding REP drills and plans are that they:

* Fail to adequately address the needs of unsupervised children, which includes "latchkey" or "self care" children.

o This poses a dilemma in certain fast-breaking scenarios, for instance when a radiological emergency occurs when children have returned home from school in the afternoon and are without adult supervision, because their parents are still at work.

o The REP plan allows for early dismissal or cancellation of school activities in the event that an emergency is anticipated or underway.

o Emergency booklets, if available to a child, are not written for a young child's reading level. Although NUREG-0654 requires state and local authorities to have plans to evacuate other special populations with similar needs, children who lack adult supervision for part of the day are excluded from consideration. The REP program requires preparedness to consider the needs of children only when they are physically in school. Moreover, exercise scenarios rarely, if ever, occur in the late afternoon or summer, the times when children are most likely to be home alone.

o According to the Westchester and Putnam chapter of United Way, in their Issues and Resources Assessment, there is a "lack of accessible and affordable childcare." This suggests that many children are unsupervised at times.

* Fail to adequately address how visitors or even local people, who are away from home, would know the evacuation routes.

* Fail to adequately address protective actions for the "ingestion zone." The Cow Factor Alleged Not Configured

The Ingestion Zone goes out to 50 miles. It's the area within which people could be at risk if they eat or drink contaminated food or water. Contamination occurs when airborne radioactive materials come to rest on crops, pasture, gardens, lakes and rivers. For example, people can be affected if they drink milk from a cow that ate contaminated grass. Over, 11,000 dairy cows exist in New York state counties within a 50-mile radius of Indian Point. According to new data from the USDA (updated January 1, 2002):

* Orange County has 8000 Dairy Cows

* Dutchess County has 2500 Dairy Cows

* Ulster County has 600 Dairy Cows

* Westchester, Rockland, Putnam Counties has 100 Dairy Cows

Dramatizes Deficiencies

"Today's event illustrates the grave concerns that experts and citizens alike have about the effectiveness of Indian Point's evacuation plan," Alex Matthiessen, executive director of Riverkeeper told reporters.

"Our message to Governor Pataki and other top elected officials like Senators Schumer and Clinton is simple and clear -- this evacuation plan doesn't work and it's a travesty to continue allowing Indian Point to operate without a plan in place that would protect millions of New Yorkers from the horror of a nuclear accident. The writing is on the wall. It's time to shut Indian Point down."


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