ORAU White Paper: Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants

Publication Outlines ORAU’s Capabilities in Helping Nuclear Power Industry Prepare for NRC Regulation Changes

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced plans to implement significant changes to the regulations governing the commercial nuclear industry. The changes for the most part involve the emergency preparedness requirements for nuclear facilities involved in both the production of nuclear fuel and the utilization of nuclear power.

These changes come as a result of the events of 9/11/2001 as well as the recent growth in the construction of new commercial nuclear power plants. The new changes to NRC regulations 10 CFR Parts 50 and 52 aim to protect public health and safety, nuclear facilities, and plant personnel from man-made threats, accidents, and natural disasters.

Thanks to decades of experience in emergency planning, ORAU stands uniquely ready to help the nuclear power industry prepare for both the changes in the law as well as the actual threats acts of terrorism, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other hazards.

To help nuclear facility managers understand the changes in the NRC laws and how ORAU can help, ORAU has prepared a white paper titled Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants. To view this document you will need the free Adobe Reader plugin.

This white paper provides insight into what nuclear power facilities must do in the area of emergency preparedness to achieve compliance with the proposed NRC regulations. It also provides information on how ORAU can help nuclear power facility managers to:

• assess existing emergency plans and procedures,
• develop tailored solutions to update or modify emergency preparedness programs,
• implement solutions to help organizations achieve compliance with the new NRC regulations,
• and manage the costs of these processes by using highly efficient technological solutions.

For more background information about ORAU’s experience in emergency preparedness, please read about our work in the following areas:

• Exercises and Planning
• Technology Solutions and Training