FPL | Emergency Preparedness
 

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency planning is an important part of FPL's defense-in-depth philosophy in the operation of our nuclear power plants. Our plants are designed and constructed for safe, reliable operation, including multiple physical barriers, redundant safety systems and highly qualified employees.

Our top priority is the health and safety of the general public.

FPL has a 35-year record of safe, reliable plant operations, but in the unlikely event of an emergency, FPL has a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan. Our plan involves cooperative drills with federal, state and local agencies; onsite and off-site emergency facilities; a well-trained response team, and public awareness programs.

Routine drills

Turkey Point, St. Lucie, Seabrook, Duane Arnold and Point Beach plants test their emergency plans annually in close cooperation with local, state and federal agencies. In addition to providing practice, drills offer opportunities for continuous improvement and sharing information with the public to achieve a better understanding of nuclear plant safety.

These exercises are evaluated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency operations

As part of its plans, FPL operates the following for each of its sites:

  • Two on-site emergency support centers
  • An off-site but nearby emergency operations facility that is staffed by plant personnel and federal, state and local emergency management officials
  • Backup communications systems, and
  • Special training programs.

Trained employee response team

FPL has an employee response force that is trained, qualified and tested on emergency preparedness. Personnel involvement includes the following:

  • Hundreds of employees receive initial training and annual retraining on nuclear emergency response. They are available to staff the plant and emergency response centers around the clock.
  • Responders also participate in unannounced practice drills, quarterly plant training drills and an annual exercise involving local and state emergency management agencies.

Public awareness

As part of emergency planning, FPL and local emergency management agencies annually provide safety planning information to all persons and businesses living within a 10-mile radius of our nuclear power plants. The material tells residents what to do in an emergency and lists media outlets that would provide official emergency information.

In addition, the emergency response system involves regular testing of the plants' siren systems, activated by the local emergency management agencies, alerting residents to tune in to media outlets for information.

Incident categories

If an incident occurred at a nuclear power plant, the on-duty plant supervisor would take remedial action immediately. If the occurrence meets certain criteria, the supervisor must also classify the incident into four categories, which are defined in NRC regulations. Numerous federal, state and county agencies would participate in resolving an incident. The emergency classifications are:

  • Unusual event - a minor incident or condition at the plant for which no significant degradation of safety has occurred or is expected, such as a plant worker injury or severe weather. No public action is required.
  • Alert - an event that involves an actual or potential substantial degradation of safety, combined with a potential for limited uncontrolled releases of radioactivity from the plant. This is still a relatively minor incident, and no public action is required.
  • Site Area Emergency - an event that involves actual or likely major failures of plant functions needed for protection of the public, combined with a potential for significant uncontrolled releases of radioactivity.
  • General Emergency - an event involving actual or imminent substantial core degradation and potential loss of containment integrity combined with a likelihood of significant uncontrolled releases of radioactivity. This is the most severe emergency.

What happens when a site area emergency occurs?

Sirens within the 10-mile emergency planning zone around the plant would sound, alerting the public to tune to local media outlets for official information. This category involves a serious incident, such as a fire in a safety system.

What happens when a general emergency occurs?

Sirens within the 10-mile zone would sound, alerting people to tune to local media outlets for official information. Some public protection measures would be likely.

In a general emergency, the most severe situation, sheltering and evacuation decisions would be made by local emergency management agencies, which would be advised by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and FPL officials.

Responsibilities of agencies

In general, the plant and NRC officials are responsible for resolving the plant emergency, FEMA and state and local authorities are responsible for public protection, and the plant and the state are responsible for radiation monitoring.

More information

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