Evacuation Planning & Indian Point

A direct outgrowth of the public’s concern regarding terrorism was whether Indian Point’s emergency preparedness plan could adequately protect people from exposure to high doses of radiation in the event of a fast-breaking release scenario. Nearly every aspect of the current emergency evacuation plan was criticized in a NYS-commissioned report released in 2003 by James Lee Witt, former FEMA director, and his associates.

The report stated, “It is our conclusion that the current radiological response system and capabilities are not adequate to overcome their combined weight and protect the people from an unacceptable dose of radiation in the event of a release from Indian Point. We believe this is especially true if the release is faster or larger than the typical exercise scenario.” The major findings of the Witt Report noted that:

• Plans are built to comply with regulations, not designed to protect from
radiation;
• Plans assume public will comply with government directions;
• Plans don’t consider terrorist-caused event;
• Plans don’t consider spontaneous evacuation; and
• Tabletop drills are limited in identifying inadequacies and improving subsequent responses.

In January 2003, upon the release of the Witt Report, the four Emergency Planning Zone counties refused to submit their Annual Certification Letters, a checklist indicating that emergency procedures are in place and able to protect the public. The State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), honoring New York’s long-held “home-rule” tradition, refused to cooperate with the Federal Emergency Management Office (FEMA).

In 2004, 2005, and 2006 Westchester, Rockland, and Orange Counties again refused to submit their ACLs. Much to the dismay of local, state, and federal elected officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed off on the evacuation plans in July 2003—disregarding concerns held by local emergency planners and first responders.

The failure of FEMA/DHS to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina has serious implications for the current status of emergency planning here in New York at Indian Point. For citizens living within the ten- and fifty-mile radii of the nuclear plant, the Katrina disaster raises serious doubts about whether FEMA properly scrutinized Indian Point’s emergency plan before approving it and whether the federal agency is equipped to handle a large-scale radiological evacuation.