State emergency officials prepare for radiation safety month

SPRINGFIELD – While the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is widely

recognized for its efforts in emergency preparedness and response to events such as floods,

tornadoes and blizzards, the agency also administers more than two dozen radiation safety

programs that help protect people every day from unnecessary exposure to radiation.

As part of its 2012 preparedness campaign, IEMA will highlight these programs and let people

know what they can do to stay safe from radiation they may encounter in their lives.

“People may think if they don’t live near a nuclear power plant, radiation safety doesn’t affect

them,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken. “But if you’ve ever had an x-ray or nuclear

medicine procedure, live or work in a building that has radon gas, travel on highways where

nuclear spent fuel shipments or other radioactive materials travel, you’ve been affected by one or

more of our programs.”

As home to 11 operating nuclear power reactors at six sites, the most in the U.S., nuclear safety

is a top priority for the state of Illinois. IEMA’s program includes a state-of-the-art remote

monitoring system that transmits thousands of data points 24/7 from inside and around each

of the power plants to IEMA headquarters. The data is continuously monitored, and during an

incident at the plant is analyzed by experts to develop recommended actions for protecting the

public.

IEMA also has state Resident Inspectors stationed at each of the nuclear power stations. The

inspectors perform independent safety inspections of critical equipment at the plant, and report

findings to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which regulates the nuclear

facilities.

During an incident at the plant, the Resident Inspector would provide first-hand information

to analysts in the Radiological Emergency Assessment Center (REAC), located in the State

Emergency Operations Center in Springfield.

A comprehensive emergency plan, known as the Illinois Plan for Radiological Accidents, has

been developed for each of the six operating plants. The plan details actions local and state

response organizations will take to protect the public during a nuclear power plant incident.

The plan for each plant is practiced every two years through a graded exercise evaluated by the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

With six plants, Illinois in involved in three nuclear power plant drills each year.