In Support of Vermont Yankee Emergency Planning

Steve Skibniowsky

Chemistry Instructor

Vermont Yankee Training Department

 ABSTRACT

 Following the Vermont Yankee annual emergency plan exercise conducted in 1998, it was determined that improvements in state response personnel sample collection techniques and awareness of radiological concerns during sampling were needed. State employees are designated to collect ingestion pathway samples out to the 50-mile Emergency Planning Zone during emergency exercises so as to prepare them for response to a real emergency at Vermont Yankee. These workers are drafted from various state agencies including the Occupational Health Department, the Department of Agriculture, the Rad Health Department, the Department of Foods and Markets and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

State personnel responsible for organizing this sampling team requested assistance from Vermont Yankee to provide training for these workers and upgrade their response capabilities.

Vermont Yankee training personnel reviewed the state’s emergency response procedures, developed training materials and, for calendar years 1999 and 2000, in collaboration with state Rad Health management, have provided training to state responders on topics related to collection of environmental sample media during nuclear emergencies at nuclear power plants. Significant improvements were noted in state sample collection personnel response during subsequent emergency exercises.

This presentation will discuss the methods utilized during the preparation of training materials, the topics covered during presentation of this training and lessons-learned from this utility-state joint training effort.