TMI Emergency

Emergency Planning for the Three Mile Island Area

Exelon Nuclear has provided the following safety information in the event of an emergency.

Nuclear Power and Public Safety Benefits and Potential Risks of Nuclear Power

Used properly, nuclear fission (the "splitting" of uranium atoms) is a safe, dependable source of electricity. It is reasonable though, to be concerned about what might happen in the event of a serious incident at a power plant.

A power plant reactor cannot produce a nuclear explosion. The uranium fuel contains very little fissionable material. As for radiation, the complex structure of a nuclear power plant is designed to prevent the release of radiation. A serious incident, however, could allow some radiation to escape, most likely as a cloud, or "plume," of radioactive steam that would be carried away from the plant by the wind. The degree of risk to the public would depend on the size of the plume, the direction and speed of the wind, and other factors.

Emergency Planning for the Three Mile Island Area

Special plans have already been developed to protect the public in the event of a nuclear incident in your area. These plans give specific attention to people who - like you - live, work or visit within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. Procedures are in place to help protect you and other members of the public in the unlikely event of a nuclear emergency. If necessary, area officials would declare an emergency and take measures to ensure public safety.

Warning Sirens - Communities across the United States use outdoor sirens to warn of fire, flood or other threatening events. The sirens generate a loud, continuous pitch for at least three minutes. If you hear sirens and are not sure what they mean, tune to one of the following radio stations: WRVV 97.3, WWKL 99.3, WITF 89.5, WNNK 104.1, WMSS 91.1

Public Information Telephone Numbers - (717) 558-6800

Siren Malfunction - A siren may malfunction and inadvertently sound. Some indications of a siren malfunction are a siren sounding for more than five minutes, or a siren sounding with no accompanying message on the Emergency Alert System.

Shelter-in-Place or Evacuation - Officials might recommend that people either take shelter indoors or evacuate an area. It is critically important that you follow the recommended course of action. Staying home when instructed to evacuate, or driving around when urged to stay indoors, could expose you to danger unnecessarily.

Potassium Iodide (KI)

The use of potassium iodide (KI) is an additional protective action. State and local officials will announce when the public should take KI in Emergency Alert System messages. KI is a nonprescription medication that blocks the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. KI does not protect a person or the thyroid from direct exposure to radiation. Taking KI only saturates the thyroid with nonradioactive iodide. For most individuals, taking KI is safe; however, adverse reactions are possible in persons having existing thyroid conditions and those with an allergy to iodine. Consult your physician if you have concerns about the safety of KI for your child or yourself. Follow the directions for storage and use that were included with the product. Residents living within the 10-mile radius, who have not already done so, may obtain more information about KI or obtain KI by contacting: Pennsylvania Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH, or http://www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/.

Classification of Accidents

Unusual Event: Unusual events indicate a potential degradation of the level of safety of the plant. No releases of radioactive material requiring off-site response or monitoring are expected.
Alert: Alerts are issued for events that involve an actual or potential substantial degradation of the level of safety of the plant. Any releases are expected to be limited to small fractions of exposure levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Site Area Emergency: These are events that involve actual or likely major failures of plant functions needed for protection of the public. Any releases are not expected to exceed EPA exposure levels except near the plant boundary.
General Emergency: These are events that involve actual or imminent substantial core degradations or melting with potential for loss of containment integrity. Releases can be reasonably expected to exceed EPA exposure levels off site for more than the immediate plant area.