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FEMA Asked to Prove Plan for TMI Crisis is Adequate
By Garry Lenton
The Patriot-News, PA
June 22, 2006

The watchdog group Three Mile Island Alert is asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency for proof that child-care centers and nursery schools will be evacuated if another nuclear emergency hits Pennsylvania.

"We're saying, just present us with the factual evidence that they have transportation and an actual route," said Eric Epstein, chairman of TMI Alert.

In a letter to the agency, Epstein accused it of failing to verify that emergency plans for the 10-mile zone around the state's five nuclear power plants meet federal licensing requirements.

For three years, Epstein and Larry Christian of New Cumberland have asked FEMA and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to correct what they said are gaps in the emergency plans designed to protect the public from another nuclear emergency, such as the 1979 accident at TMI.

In April, the NRC said it lacked the authority to investigate the complaint because emergency planning around the nuclear plants was FEMA's responsibility.

TMI Alert is turning its attention to FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, Epstein said.

The NRC, which licenses nuclear plants, relies on FEMA to say whether federally mandated emergency plans are adequate. TMI Alert said they are not and it accused FEMA of submitting false findings to the NRC for the last 20 years.

The letter demanded a response from FEMA in 15 days. After that, TMI Alert plans to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.

The move is a precursor to what could become a federal lawsuit. A suit could stall Exelon Nuclear's efforts to buy New Jersey-based PublicService Enterprise Group, which owns two nuclear plants in New Jersey. The company that would be formed by the merger would not be able to accept the transfer of TMI's license if there is reason to believe the license does not comply with NRC requirements.

If FEMA does not respond, Epstein will ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the NRC and FEMA failed to enforce their own rules. It will also ask the Justice Department to block the merger of the two companies.

FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency said the nuclear evacuation plans meet NRC requirements.

John Comey, executive assistant to the director of PEMA, said the state has worked with day-care centers, providing packets showing how to develop a plan.

Ralph DeSantis, spokesman for TMI operator AmerGen Energy, said the plant and Exelon are meeting emergency management regulations.

FEMA tested the TMI emergency plan last May and found no problems, but no day-care centers were contacted in the drill.

Correspondent Phyllis Zimmerman contributed to this story.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1150939519221380.xml&coll=1

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