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EMA receives perfect score in nuclear drill

LISBON — The Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency again received a perfect score from federal officials grading the EMA’s response to this week’s simulated accident at a nearby nuclear power plant.

Observers from the U.S. Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission found all 34 major test criteria were met, along with all 130 possible points of evaluation within the criteria.

“My preliminary finding is everyone did great,” said Sean O’Leary from FEMA’s regional office in Chicago.

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, O’Leary delivered a preliminary assessment of the test of the EMA’s emergency response plan, which was carried out over three days in response to a simulated incident at the FirstEnergy nuclear power plant in neighboring Shippingport, Pa. Federal regulations require there be a response plan for areas within 10 miles of nuclear plants, which takes in the eastern and southern portions of the county.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires the county’s nuclear emergency response plan be tested every two years, and the plan was last tested in 2016, with the EMA achieving a perfect score.

The scenario for this year’s drill involved an earthquake that did not result in any damage to the two nuclear reactors. As with all drills, other scenarios are interjected as the drill moves forward, with participants graded on how they respond to the changing conditions.

In this instance, a series of aftershocks knocked out power to the plant and disabled the emergency generators, which means there was no electricity to operate the cooling systems that prevents the reactors from overheating. The simulated crisis ending when workers were able to restore power by repairing one of the emergency generators.

Unlike past drills, there was no release of radioactive steam interjected into the scenario. As a precaution, the EMA opened a decontamination center for emergency workers and vehicles at the Negley Fire Department, an emergency Red Cross shelter at United Local High School and a reception center for possible evacuees at the Beaver Local sports complex. Volunteer amateur radio operators also staffed each site.

The EMA also took the opportunity to test the East Liverpool school district’s plan for relocating students, the Ohio Highway Patrol’s plan for traffic and access control, and the Calcutta Fire Department’s plan for alerting residents should the emergency sirens in the area fail.

“It was a good scenario … and we had a lot of opportunities to test with the sequence of events,” O’Leary said.

“The point of the exam is to demonstrate good decision making on the part of participants,” said Sean Zalesny from the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., which operates FirstEnergy’s nuclear power plants.

O’Leary was impressed that of the 330 drill participants in the county, 100 were volunteers, “which we find is fantastic because it really shows the community is prepared,” he said.

County EMA Director Peggy Clark was again pleased they again received another perfect store.

“We’re pleased with the results and appreciate the efforts of all the volunteers that make it possible,” she said.

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