The
mission of the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission is to license and regulate the
nation's commercial nuclear power plants;
the use of radioactive materials; and the
storage and disposal of nuclear waste, including
the decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
Hi I'm Jeff Kowalczik an emergency response
coordinator in the NRC's office of Nuclear
Security and Incident Response.
I'm here to give you an idea of how our agency
responds to an emergency related to any of
the facilities or materials that we regulate.
If one of our licensees experiences a natural
disaster, such as an earthquake or hurricane,
or a safety or security emergency, the NRC
will respond out of one of its response centers.
I'm here at our Headquarters Operations Center
where we perform some of our response functions.
We also have a similar Incident Response Center
at each of the four regional offices across
the United States.
We may also dispatch some of our responders
to the licensee's emergency centers to ensure
their experts are taking the proper steps
to resolve the emergency.
We coordinate with other federal agencies
under the National Response Framework, part
of the National Strategy for Homeland Security.
This framework offers guiding principles for
how the federal government and its partners
respond to disasters and emergencies.
If an emergency occurs at one of our licensees,
for example at a commercial nuclear power
plant, the NRC focuses on ensuring the licensee
restores a plant to a safe condition.
The NRC assesses the situation and supports
licensee response activities as needed.
We also support state and local response organizations
if there are any technical issues or questions.
Operations Officers work here 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, maintaining communications
with the plant and other licensees.
Most of the time the rest of the center looks
like this.
When an emergency occurs, or when we participate
in an exercise, as shown here, the Operations
Center comes to life.
Dozens of agency experts in nuclear reactors,
radiation safety, security and communications
gather to carryout the agency�s response
to the emergency and ensure the public�s
safety.
Here are the reactor safety experts.
They study the data, applying their hands-on
knowledge about the type of reactor involved
and what amounts to hundreds of years of experience
in nuclear power to hone in on the problem.
They will generate a series of status reports
and recommendations on how to restore the
plant to a safe condition.
Here are the experts in protective measures
related to radiation exposure.
They analyze data from a different perspective.
If significant radiation has the potential
to, or actually goes beyond the plant boundaries
into the surrounding communities, they assess
how it might affect nearby people and the
environment.
They model potential radiation doses to the
public based on the area�s geography, weather
patterns, and our understanding of how the
incident is unfolding.
They also work closely with state and local
officials, who are responsible for ordering
protective actions, such as evacuations or
sheltering in place.
Our security experts are located in a secure
room nearby to deal with security-related
matters, and to coordinate with local law
enforcement and the intelligence community.
Communications are also a vital part of our
emergency response.
Our liaisons ensure Congress, state and tribal
governments, other countries,and the International
Atomic Energy Agency are always kept in the
loop.
These team members also stay in touch with
other federal agencies that may be responding
as well, such as the Federal Emergency Management
Agency or the Department of Energy.
Communication with the public is also crucial.
Our Public Affairs staff write news releases
and other products to keep the public informed,and
respond to media inquiries.
They also post information on social media
platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and
monitor social media to keep track of rumors
and misinformation.
Several additional personnel are in charge
of planning and logistics support during an
emergency.
They track event information and anticipate
what actions maybe needed in the near future.
And they make sure the technology is working
to display the necessary updates and facilitate
effective communication and action.
All of the technical teams, as well as the
coordination, liaison and communication staffs,
report to NRC senior leaders who coordinate
the response effort.
They are in regular contact with the plant
operators who are dealing with the emergency,
as well as with NRC experts sent to assist
the licensee.
And they advise the NRC Chairman, who in turn
provides priorities and direction to the response
staff.
The NRC regularly participates in exercises
like we�ve shown you here, so we can practice
and be ready in case a real event occurs.
After each exercise, we make improvements,
then do it all over again.
I hope that this short visit gives you a good
idea of how the NRC�s response program works.
Thanks for watching
