Oyster Creek Slated For NRC Emergency Exercise In October

By Daniel Nee

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a biennial graded emergency exercise for October, officials have announced.

The test, required every two years, evaluates on-site and off-site responses to an emergency situation, said NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan.

On-site responses will include a look into the plant's emergency communications and the preparedness of the facility. The off-site response evaluation will cover information sharing between the plant and local emergency responders and government agencies, among other measures.

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"They will look at how the states and the counties are taking action and what kind of recommendations they're making," said Sheehan.

Every nuclear generating station in the nation must undergo the test. Oyster Creek's is scheduled for Oct. 8, with preliminary results set to be released Oct. 11.

Local residents will likely not notice any unusual activity around the plant, as the exercises will largely be confined to the plant itself, according to plant spokeswoman Susan D'Ambrosio.

News of the date of the upcoming exercise came alongside the release of the NRC's mid-year performance review of the plant.

"The NRC determined that overall, Oyster Creek operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives," the review said.