520191027
United States
Environmental Protec
PROGRAM
READII
ERA'S
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RADIOLOGICAL
EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
AND RESPONSE
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BEADY TO Ri
e use radioactive materials for medical diagnosis and
Itreatments, defense activities, electric power generation, and
-industrial processes. There are some risks, however, when
'using radioactive materials for these beneficial activities.
; Careful planning and design help minimize these risks, but
even the best planning and design is not enough to prevent
f ,- accidents completely. We must be prepared. The accident at
Three Mile Island in 1979 made this need clear.
SETTING GUIDELINES TO
PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM
RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY
MONITORING AND ASSESSING
RADIATION
N THE ENVIRONMENT
/Jill
LEADING THE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO AN
EMERGENCY CAUSED BY RADIOACTIVITY
ORIGINATING IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY
The accident at Three Mile Island left many Americans
wondering, "Who protects the public in a nuclear emergency?"
President Carter answered by chartering a plan for Federal
agencies to work with State and local governments in
responding to peacetime radiological emergencies.
Approved in 1985 and revised in 1991, the Federal
Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP or Federal
Plan) assigns roles to several Federal agencies that contribute
to an emergency response, including the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
The Federal Plan assigns a Lead Federal Agency responsibility
for protecting the public and the environment at the site of
an accident, while assigning the State responsibility for
protecting the public and the environment beyond the
accident site. Other Federal agencies assist the Lead Federal
Agency and the State as needed.
EPA's three major responsibilities in the Federal Plan flow
from the Agency's overall mission: to protect human health
and the environment. EPA establishes guidelines for
protecting the public from radiation exposure, such as when
to evacuate or relocate citizens. EPA also monitors and assesses
radioactivity in the environment from an accident to define
the extent of exposure from that accident. In addition, as the
Lead Federal Agency, EPA leads the Federal response to an
emergency if a nuclear accident occurs in a foreign country
or if a domestic emergency involves unregulated material.
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A COMPOSITE
SATELLITE IMAOE OF
CHERNOBYL TAKEN ON
APRIL 29, 1986,
AFTER THE REACTOR'S
GRAPHITE CORE
HAD BEEN BURNING
FOR THREE DAYS.
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EPA LEADS
FEDERAL RESPONSE
TO CHERNOBYL
INCIDENT
n Saturday, April 26, 1986, the world experienced its worst civil radiological
accident ever when unauthorized testing of procedures on reactor number four at the Soviet
Union's Chernobyl nuclear power station caused it to explode and burn, emitting large quan-
tities of radioactive material. In the days following the accident, the Soviets released sparse
data on the severity of the accident and almost no data on the extent of radioactive fallout in
Europe and the rest of the world.
The White House designated EPA as the leader in coordinating the U.S. response to this
global emergency. EPA began monitoring and assessing radioactivity in the United States,
based in part on daily samples from its Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring
System (ERAMS). The system first detected radiation from the accident at ground level on
the West Coast one week after the accident. The radioactivity concentrations were well below
levels requiring protective action. In addition, EPA dispatched response personnel to Europe
to monitor and assess levels of radioactivity in United States' embassies. Since then, EPA
personnel have measured levels of radioactivity in the Black Sea and Kiev Reservoir under a
cooperative agreement with the Soviets.
Because Soviet-released information was limited and unsubstantiated, Americans remained
concerned about the possibility of adverse health effects in the United States. EPA
established a group, chaired by the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide
advice on preventing contamination of the food supply and protecting public health. EPA
also established an Information Center to assemble, coordinate, and disseminate
information to the public. Through the Information Center, EPA organized daily press
conferences to keep the public up-to-date and to address their concerns.
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SITTIN
GUIDELINE
TO PROTECT
THI PUBLIC
uring a radiological emergency, public officials must act
quickly to protect public health. EPA has developed a
system of Protective Action Guides (PAGs) to help
officials make critical decisions. These guidelines identify the
radiation levels at which State and local officials should take
various actions to protect human health during an accident.
State and local officials also use PAGs to develop their emergency
response plans and to guide preparation of their response exercises.
EPA's PAGs are widely distributed to the nuclear industry and
local, State, and Federal officials.
The PAGs identify three phases of an emergency: early,
intermediate, and late. In the early phase, usually lasting from
several hours to several days, evacuation and sheltering are the
principal actions to protect the public from exposure to direct
radiation and inhalation of airborne radioactive material. In the
intermediate phase, which can last from weeks to months,
protective actions may include limiting food and water
consumption to decrease ingestion of radioactive material, and
relocating people to protect them from radiation exposure. In the
late phase, which can last from months to years, the PAGs
address the decontamination of property.
PAGs are guidelines. Under emergency conditions, in addition
to the protective actions addressed by the PAGs, other protective
actions may be needed. During an actual emergency, the Federal
agencies may activate an Advisory Group on Environment,
Food, and Health, which is chaired by the EPA, the Department
of Health and Human Services, or the Department of Agriculture,
depending upon the nature of the accident. This group makes
recommendations on special protective actions to the Lead
Federal Agency. The group also provides data on the food
supply (especially milk and drinking water) and recommends
actions to protect against its contamination.
4 EPA PERSONNEL RESPOND TO A RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY
AT A SUPERFUND SITE. RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION AT
SUPERFUND AND FEDERAL FACILITY SITES IS A GROWING
CONCERN FOR THE COUNTRY.
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Understanding the extent
and nature of a radiolog-
ical emergency is essen-
tial for limiting its effects. In
the event of an emergency, the
Department of Energy (DOE)
and EPA establish a Federal
Radiological Monitoring and
Assessment Center (FRMAC)
to define and monitor the
radiological impact of an
emergency. EPA assumes the
long-term leadership of the
center after the emergency
phase of an accident. Infor-
mation gathered and inter-
preted by the FRMAC is used
by the Lead Federal Agency
along with EPA's health
protection guidelines to
recommend actions to the
State for protecting public
health and the environment.
Because the effects of radio-
logical contamination may last
beyond the immediate emer-
gency, long-term environmental
monitoring and assessment is
necessary. EPA coordinates
Federal, State and local radio-
logical monitoring, assessment,
evaluation, and reporting activ-
ities for the area surrounding
the incident, including planning
for a long-term environmental
monitoring program.
EPA also plans for decontamina-
tion and recovery of the area.
Through EPA's Superfund
program, the Agency assists in
cleanup actions not covered by
American Nuclear Insurers,
the Department of Defense
(DOD), or DOE.
EPA's Radiological Laboratories
EPA maintains three radiological laboratories that provide
quality monitoring and assessment services needed in an
emergency in addition to their valuable day-to-day services.
They are the National Air and Radiation Environmental
Laboratory (NAREL), located on Gunter Air Force Base in
Montgomery, Alabama, and the Las Vegas Facility and the
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory located near
Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. In an
emergency, these labs can provide radioanalytical services at
the lab or at the scene of the accident.
Experienced staff from these facilities and EPA Headquarters make
up two Radiological Emergency Response Teams (RERT). One
team is on standby alert at all times and, if needed, can reach
any site in the United States within 24 hours, using mobile
emergency response units transported by ground or by Air Force
cargo planes. As part of their training, the Teams regularly
participate in full-field exercises for simulated accidents.
Additionally, experienced EPA Regional Emergency Response
personnel can be activated to support assessment activities.
EPA's radiological labs have mobile laboratories, communications
and other support vehicles that can be deployed in various combi-
nations, depending on the type and magnitude of response
required. These support vehicles are equipped to provide com-
mand and control activities, sample preparation, sample storage,
and supply and equipment dispatch. Using mobile equipment, staff
provide radioanalytical services, including gamma spectroscopy,
alpha/beta analyses, and liquid scintillation analyses. Local VHP
and long-distance, shortwave communication capabilities help
them keep in touch with response personnel from other agencies.
Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System
NAREL also operates the Environmental Radiation Ambient
Monitoring System (ERAMS). The system consists of sampling
stations in each State that regularly collect air particulate,
surface water, precipitation, and milk samples for radioactivity
analyses. The system can also track airborne radioactivity from
any accidental release. If necessary, the ERAMS sampling
frequency can be increased to meet the needs of any radiological
emergency response. Since Chernobyl, EPA has participated in
the World Health Organization's efforts to develop a global
environmental monitoring program.
MONITORING AND
ASSISSIN O
AD IOLOOI C A L
INCUS
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THE SPACE SHUTTLE
ATLANTIS, CARRYING
A CREW OF FIVE
AND THE SPACECRAFT
GALILEO.
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PA tl
EPA ESTABLISHES uclear reactors provide power and maintain constant temperatures aboard the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) sophisticated Galileo and Ulysses
CONTINGENCY PLANS spacecraft. Launched from NASA's space shuttle Atlantis in 1989, Galileo is on a six-year,
2.4-billion-mile journey to survey Jupiter. Launched in 1990, Ulysses is also traveling towards
FOR SPACE SHUTTLE Jupiter, where it will use the planet's gravity to swing into a wide orbit of the sun to survey
the sun's southern and northern polar regions.
LAUNCHES
To prepare for a possible radiological emergency at launchtime, NASA and the State of
Florida requested that EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) assist in developing
contingency plans. EPA and DOE established an onsite capability to measure radiation and
to provide protective action recommendations in the event of an emergency. Fortunately,
both spacecraft were launched without incident.
EPA LEADS Trouble began at Radium Chemical Company's Woodside, Queens, facility when
inspections revealed continual violations of the law, including lost radium shipments and
CLEANUP OF excessive radiation levels in the plant. In fact, a person could exceed the yearly occupational
exposure limit after only one hour in the worst parts of the building. Despite repeated efforts
NIW YORK to bring the insolvent company's facility into compliance with State regulations, the situation
failed to improve, and EPA stepped in.
HOT SPOT
Due to the facility's potential to cause significant harm to the public, EPA led efforts to
remove dangerous radioactive material from the site. EPA's team, clad in highly protective
gear, used a remote-control apparatus to help pack 10,000 radium needles in specially
designed 1,600-pound, steel- and lead-lined drums. The team also packed 150 drums and
steel boxes with contaminated debris and shipped them to a low-level radioactive waste
disposal site. EPA also recommended that the State conduct health surveys of former Radium
Chemical Company employees.
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Ensuring that users of
"MKliological materials
' irt the United States follow
strict safety procedures is not
enough to eliminate the
possibility of a radiological
emergency in our country.
Radioactive fallout from an
accident in another country,
such as occurred at Chernobyl
in 1986, may also pose a threat
to the United States.
If radioactivity originating in
a foreign country poses actual,
potential, or perceived radio-
logical consequences in the
United States, its territories, or
possessions, EPA leads the
Federal response. The foreign
source could be a nuclear
power plant accident (for
example, Chernobyl), a space-
craft reentry (such as the Soviet
Cosmos satellite reentries),
or radioactive fallout from
atmospheric testing of nuclear
devices. EPA also leads the
Federal response for emergen-
cies involving domestic sources
of radiation that are not regu-
lated by DOE, the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission, or
Agreement States, such as
radioactive materials that pose
a hazard at Superfund sites.
As the Lead Federal Agency
in these situations, EPA per-
forms the major coordination
and leadership functions that
begin at initial notification of
an emergency and end when
all Federal agencies terminate
their activities. In this role,
EPA performs several functions:
> Designates the Lead
Federal Official;
> Notifies other Federal
agencies, and assists them
and State and local govern-
ments in determining the
best way to protect the
public health;
> Directs response operations
and deploys an onsite
response team, if appropriate;
* Establishes the FRMAC
when an emergency results
from a foreign source
located outside the U.S.;
> Convenes the Advisory
Group on Environment,
Food, and Health, if needed,
to analyze data and make
recommendations on pro-
tecting the environment, the
food and water supply, and
public health; and
> Collects information and
distributes it to the
President, the public and
Congress.
As the Lead Federal Agency,
EPA suggests ways in which
the local, State, and Federal
agencies can most effectively
integrate their actions to
protect the public, minimize
immediate hazards, and
gather information about the
emergency.
EPA continues to improve its
capabilities to effectively
respond to radiological
emergencies. EPA staff work
with other Federal agencies
and State and local officials to
enhance their capabilities to
protect public health and the
environment in the event of a
radiological incident. Whether
a satellite reentry, a space
shuttle launch emergency, a
nuclear reactor power plant
incident, or some other radio?
logical accident, EPA stands
ready to respond.
LEADING
THE FEDERAL
RESPONSE
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ERA'S RESPONSE
TO THREE MILE
ISLAND INCIDENT
2 Federal Plan was not yet in place,
when the accident at the Three Mile
Island nuclear power plant occurred in
1979. During the initial response, EPA
deployed offsite radiation monitoring and
assessment teams from its labs, and
provided onsite and Headquarters
assistance to the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) the Lead Federal
Agency for the response. These actions
formed the genesis for today's
Federal Radiological Monitoring and
Assessment Center and the Federal Plan.
For eight years after the incident, EPA
maintained a continuous environmental
radiation monitoring network in the area
surrounding the plant. The Common-
wealth of Pennsylvania took over the
responsibility of maintaining the
permanent radiation monitoring
network in January of 1988.
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DOE AND EPA
PERSONNEL SEARCH
FOR FRAGMENTS
OF THE FALLEN
COSMOS SATELLITE
IN CANADA.
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EPA'S RESPONSE
TO THE REENTRY
OF COSMOS
SATELLITES
n three occasions in the past 13 years, the Soviet Union announced that one of its
disabled nuclear-powered Cosmos satellites would reenter the atmosphere. Nations around
the world prepared for the possibility of radioactive fallout from the fuel contained in the
nuclear reactor-powered satellites.
In the United States, EPA, along with the Department of Energy and the Department of
Defense, developed contingency plans for addressing potential harm to public health if a
satellite reentered over the United States. Public health threats were averted, however, when
the satellites fell on uninhabited parts of the globe. In the first instance, in 1978, pieces of a
Cosmos satellite fell over the sparsely populated Northwest Territories of Canada. EPA
dispatched response personnel to help the Canadians assess the situation. In 1983, a Cosmos
satellite landed in distant reaches of the Indian Ocean and, in 1988, a Cosmos satellite failed
again, landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
For the 1988 reentry of the Cosmos 1900 satellite, EPA and the Department of Energy
readied the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) in case
radiation measurements were needed. EPA and the
Department of Health and Human Services also formed a
group to advise on possible environmental, food and health
matters. Fortunately, the satellite landed in the ocean and did
not pose a threat to public health.
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DERAL AGENCIES PLAY KEY
ES IN RESPONDING
RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
FEMA coordinates Federal offsite activities for functions other than radiological monitoring and
assessment. FEMA promotes the effective and efficient response by Federal agencies at the
national level and at the scene of the accident. It keeps the President informed of all aspects of an
emergency not covered by the Lead Federal Agency reports.
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
NRC is the Lead Federal Agency in an emergency at a licensed nuclear facility. NRC is
responsible for monitoring the licensee, assessing the nature and extent of the emergency, and
advising the licensee on recommendations for protective actions.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA provides environmental and water supply monitoring and analytical services, recommends
actions to protect public health, and assesses the consequences of radioactive releases to the envi-
ronment. EPA operates the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center after the ini-
tial emergency response phase. EPA is the Lead Federal Agency in an emergency involving
radioactivity originating in a foreign country or a domestic emergency involving unregulated
radioactive material. EPA also leads or actively participates with USDA and HHS on the
Advisory Group for Environment, Food, and Health, when convened.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
HHS assists with the assessment, preservation, and protection of human health and helps ensure
the availability of essential human services in case of a radiological accident. HHS provides
technical and nontechnical assistance in the form of advice, guidance, and resources to Federal,
State, and local officials. It also leads or actively participates with EPA. and USDA on the
Advisory Group for Environment, Food, and Health, when convened.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
USDA assists State and local governments in protecting and assessing damage to agriculture
caused by a radiological accident. USDA also leads or actively participates with EPA and HHS on
the Advisory Group for Environment, Food, and Health, when convened.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
DOE is the Lead Federal Agency in an emergency at one of its nuclear facilities, or in an
emergency involving the transportation of a nuclear weapon or other radioactive material in its
custody. DOE also heads the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center during
initial response to an emergency, with support from EPA and other agencies.
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