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HARRISBURG, Pa., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- A simulated accident at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County Tuesday evening, May 22, will trigger a federally required exercise to review the ability of state, county and municipal governments, and the utility to respond to an accident at the nuclear facility.
This exercise will begin at approximately 4 p.m., and will involve more than 1,000 full-time and volunteer staffs in Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties, 36 municipalities, and 15 school districts.
``It is essential that disaster-response personnel be prepared for all emergencies, including a nuclear-power accident,'' said Lt. Gov. Mark Schweiker, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council.
``Full-scale exercises, which involve state, county and municipal emergency personnel, are conducted with Pennsylvania's nuclear-generating facilities on a regular basis. We anticipate that several hundred plant staff, elected officials, emergency managers and responders will participate both on site and in the communities surrounding the power plant.''
PEMA Director David Smith said the exercise will begin with a simulated problem at the plant with the prescribed off-site notifications. Activation of state, county and municipal emergency operating centers with full staff response during the exercise would be the same as response to an actual emergency.
``While this is a federally required test, it also is a good training opportunity for local officials, emergency managers and responders to review their emergency plans and procedures in a non-emergency environment,'' Smith said. ``Through exercises, we are collectively better prepared to respond in an effective and coordinated manner if actual emergencies do occur.''
Adams, Franklin and Schuylkill counties will participate as support counties.
Federal regulations require a full-scale exercise of community emergency-response procedures to an accident at nuclear-generating stations every two years.
CONTACT: Marko Bourne, Press Secretary of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, 717-651-2139.
SOURCE: Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency