1 1 NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 2 DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY AND HEALTH 3 PUBLIC HEARING 4 ---------------------------------x 5 IN RE: : 6 THE NEW JERSEY RADIOLOGICAL : 7 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR : 8 NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS : 9 ---------------------------------x 10 11 LOCATION: Woodland Country Day School 12 1216 Roadstown Road 13 Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302 14 DATE: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 15 TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 16 17 18 19 GUY J. RENZI & ASSOCIATES, INC. 20 CERTIFIED COURT REPORTERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS 21 GOLDEN CREST CORPORATE CENTER 22 2277 STATE HIGHWAY #33, SUITE 410 23 TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08690 24 TEL: (609) 989-9199 TOLL FREE: (800) 368-7652 25 www.renziassociates.com 2 1 Computer-aided transcript of the 2 public hearing, taken stenographically in the 3 above-entitled matter before LISA C. BRADLEY, a 4 Certified Court Reporter, License #30XI00228700, and 5 Notary Public of the State of New Jersey, at the. 6 Woodland Country Day School, 1216 Roadstown Road 7 Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302, commencing at 6:00 p.m. 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 P A N E L: 2 3 ANN PFAFF, Hearing Officer 4 ALLEN SMITH, New Jersey State Police 5 PATRICK MULLIGAN, New Jersey Department of 6 Environmental Protection 7 JEFFREY WINEGAR, New Jersey Department of Health 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 4 1 MS. PFAFF: My name is Ann Pfaff. I'm 2 the Supervisor of the Nuclear Emergency Preparedness 3 Section in the Bureau of Nuclear Engineering within 4 the New Jersey of Environmental Protection. I will 5 be the Hearing Officer this evening. 6 The purpose of this hearing is to 7 receive comments and questions regarding the 8 adequacy and effectiveness of the New Jersey 9 Radiological Emergency Response Plan for Nuclear 10 Power Plants. 11 In order for this hearing to be 12 properly documented, these proceedings are being 13 recording by a Certified Shorthand Reporter. 14 Everyone attending this meeting is asked to sign the 15 attendance sheet before leaving. The attendance 16 sheets for these hearings are used to update the 17 Bureau of Nuclear Engineering public hearing mailing 18 list. 19 Public notice of this meeting was 20 published in the New Jersey Register on June 16th 21 and July 7th, 2014. In addition, public notice was 22 published in the South Jersey Times from June 30th 23 through July 14th, 2014. Copies of the public 24 notice for the hearings were mailed in June to all 25 persons who attended last year's hearings. 5 1 This hearing will proceed as follows: 2 I will provide a brief background on why we are 3 conducting this hearing. Then I will introduce the 4 Panel Members and ask them to briefly describe the 5 role of their organization in nuclear emergency 6 preparedness and response. Finally, I will open the 7 hearing for comments and questions from the public. 8 The New Jersey Radiation Accident 9 Response Act requires that the Department of 10 Environmental Protection, in cooperate with the New 11 Jersey Division of State Police, conduct public 12 hearings to take comment on and to address questions 13 relevant to the adequacy and effectiveness of the 14 New Jersey Radiological Emergency Response Plan for 15 Nuclear Power Plants. 16 These public hearings are held 17 annually in each of the three counties affected by 18 the plan: Ocean County for Oyster Creek Nuclear 19 Generating Station; and Salem and Cumberland 20 Counties for Salem Unit 1, Salem Unit 2, and Hope 21 Creek Nuclear Generating Stations. We are here 22 tonight to listen to your questions and comments on 23 New Jersey's Nuclear Emergency Response Plan. 24 Comments on more general nuclear power issues or 25 issues that relate to licensing and regulatory 6 1 matters at nuclear power plants are not within the 2 purview of this meeting and hence are not 3 appropriate and will not be addressed. 4 The purpose of the plan is to 5 coordinate and implement an immediate and 6 comprehensive response at the state, county, and 7 municipal levels to a radiological emergency 8 associated with any nuclear power plant affecting 9 New Jersey. Copies of the plan are available for 10 public inspection at the Salem County Emergency 11 Management Office in Mannington Township, the 12 Cumberland County Office of Emergency Management in 13 Bridgeton, and the Ocean County Office of Emergency 14 Management in Berkeley Township, and the New Jersey 15 Office of Emergency Management in West Trenton. 16 Now I would like to introduce the 17 members of the Panel: 18 Mr. Allen Smith is representing the 19 New Jersey Division of State Police. Mr. Smith is a 20 Site Specialist in the Office of Emergency 21 Management Radiological Emergency Response Planning 22 and Technical Unit. 23 Mr. Patrick Mulligan is representing 24 the New Jersey Department of Environmental 25 Protection. Mr. Mulligan is Manager of the Bureau 7 1 of Nuclear Engineering within the New Jersey 2 Department of Environmental Protection. 3 Representing the New Jersey Department 4 of Health on the far end is Mr. Jeff Winegar. Mr. 5 Winegar is Emergency Response Coordinator in the 6 Division of Public Health Infrastructure, 7 Laboratories, and Emergency Preparedness. If 8 questions arise that involve the responsibilities of 9 the Department of Health. I will call on him for a 10 response. 11 Now I will ask Mr. Smith to briefly 12 describe the role of the State Police in the plan. 13 MR. SMITH: Good evening. My name is 14 Al Smith, as Ann said. I am a Senior Planner with 15 the State Police and also Emergency Management. And 16 the background for the hearings tonight is in 17 accordance with New Jersey Statute 26:2D-37, 18 Radiation Response Act, the State of New Jersey 19 Radiological Emergency Response Plan for Nuclear 20 Power Plants was developed and has been maintained 21 as a joint effort by the New Jersey Division of 22 State Police and the New Jersey Department of 23 Environmental Protection. 24 New Jersey Radiological Emergency 25 Response Plan is based NUREG-0654/FEMA-REP-1 and 8 1 provides onsite and offsite planning guidance to 2 protect public health and safety in the event of a 3 nuclear power plant incident. 4 The New Jersey Radiological Emergency 5 Response Plan includes 16 Planning Standards and 6 associated Evaluation Criteria for assessing whether 7 the licensee and the affected Offsite Response 8 Organizations have plans and procedures in place 9 that provide reasonable assurance that adequate 10 protective measures can and will be taken. 11 The Radiological Plan itself consists 12 of basic plan section, 16 planning sections, and 13 attachments. 14 The Basic Plan provides a general 15 background and basis for the New Jersey planning 16 effort. Key elements include legislative 17 authorities nor NJSP, New Jersey State Police, and 18 Department Environmental Protection to develop plans 19 for nuclear power plants to coordinate the state, 20 county, and municipal emergency operations, and to 21 initiate Memoranda of Understanding; a Concept of 22 Operations for radiological emergency response; 23 description of the Federal Planning basis; a 24 description of the two Nuclear Power Plant sites in 25 New Jersey; a listing of planning assumptions; and a 9 1 listing of state, federal, and private agencies with 2 their assigned emergency functions and missions. 3 MS. PFAFF: Thank you, Mr. Smith. 4 Now I will ask Mulligan role of the 5 Department of Environmental Protection in the Plan. 6 MR. MULLIGAN: Good evening. My name 7 is Patrick Mulligan. I am the Manager of the Bureau 8 of Nuclear Engineering. I will briefly discuss the 9 role of the Department of Environmental Protection 10 in New Jersey Radiological Emergency Response Plan. 11 The New Jersey Radiological Emergency 12 Response Plan identifies all responsible state 13 agencies and outlines their specific roles in the 14 event of a nuclear emergency. The Plan includes 15 Standard Operating Procedures which contain detailed 16 instructions and guidelines used by each agency when 17 performing their specific duties. The Standard 18 Operating Procedures are reviewed and tested 19 annually through drills and exercises. The 20 procedures are then revised as necessary in order to 21 enhance emergency response. 22 Under the New Jersey Radiation 23 Accident Response Act, the Department of 24 Environmental Protection has the lead role in 25 accident assessment and control of food, water, and 10 1 milk following an incident. Accident assessment 2 involves two separate analyses: An engineering 3 analysis of the event at the plant as it unfolds; 4 and an analysis of the amount of radiation to which 5 the public may be exposed in the event of a release. 6 Depending upon the severity of the 7 event, the Department provides Protective Action 8 Recommendations to the Governor, who will make a 9 final decision on actions to be implemented to 10 protect public health and safety. Protective Action 11 Recommendations for the public may include the 12 administration of potassium iodide, evacuation, 13 sheltering, and access control within the affected 14 or potentially affected areas. 15 The Act also specifies that the 16 Department develop and implement a comprehensive 17 monitoring strategy that includes the daily 18 monitoring of levels of radioactivity in the 19 environment. The Department provides public health, 20 safety, and technical guidance with respect to the 21 preparation and implementation of the plan. The 22 Department's final responsibility under the Act is 23 to conduct, in cooperation with the State Police, 24 public hearings annually in each designated county 25 to determine the adequacy and effectiveness of the 11 1 plan. 2 Thank you. 3 MS. PFAFF: Thank you, Mr. Mulligan. 4 I will now ask Mr. Winegar to briefly 5 describe the role of the Department of Health. 6 MR. WINEGAR: Good evening. My name 7 Jeffrey Winegar, and I'm here tonight representing 8 the New Jersey Department of Health. 9 In the event of a radiological 10 incident at a nuclear power plant, the New Jersey 11 Department of Health functions in a supportive role 12 to the New Jersey State Police regarding protective 13 actions for the general public. In addition, New 14 Jersey Department of Health will support the New 15 Jersey State Police in the area of evacuation and 16 sheltering operations of the public, as well as 17 public health and sanitation issues. 18 The New Jersey Department of Health 19 will coordinate with the State EOC to lead 20 state-level emergency medical services operations. 21 The New Jersey Department of Health will also 22 coordinate hospital and nursing home preparations 23 and transfers, as requested by the County Medical 24 and Health Coordinators. 25 The New Jersey Department of Health 12 1 will function in the supportive role to the New 2 Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 3 Bureau of Nuclear Engineering, for technical counsel 4 and guidance on public health and medical 5 implications of radiation exposures. 6 Upon the declaration of a General 7 Emergency, the New Jersey Department of Health has 8 in place a standing order that authorizes the 9 voluntary use of potassium iodide, KI, by emergency 10 workers and the general public. KI has been 11 distributed to local and emergency agencies in 12 Ocean, Cumberland, and Salem Counties. In addition, 13 KI is in possession of the New Jersey State Police. 14 And the remaining supply resides with the State 15 Strategic Stockpile in Trenton. 16 The New Jersey Department of Health 17 serves as the lead state agency for personnel 18 monitoring and recordkeeping of emergency workers 19 radiation dosimetry results. The monitoring of 20 emergency workers is critical to ensuring that 21 radiation exposure levels are kept as low as 22 reasonably achievable. 23 Once the emergency phase of a 24 radiological incident is under control, for example, 25 no further release of ionizing radiation, the New 13 1 Jersey Department of Health will assist with the 2 recovery phase. Representatives of the New Jersey 3 Department of Health Consumer and Environmental 4 Health Services, Food and Drug Safety Program may, 5 for example, be deployed with the BNE for field 6 activities involving the collection of milk and 7 other food samples for radiological analysis. 8 MS. PFAFF: Thank you, Mr. Winegar. 9 We will now proceed with the public's 10 questions and comments. Those individuals who wish 11 to speak should complete a speaker registration card 12 and hand it to one of the staff. I will call the 13 speakers' names in the same order as I receive the 14 registration cards. Please be certain to clearly 15 print your name and address on the registration card 16 so that we may contact you if we need to respond to 17 your comments and questions more fully in writing. 18 When I call your name. Come forward, 19 face the Panel and make yourself comfortable. 20 Before you begin your comments, please state and 21 spell your name for the reporter. Speakers will be 22 limited to five minutes each. If time still remains 23 after everyone has had a chance to speak, I will 24 invite additional comments from those individuals 25 who have already spoken. 14 1 In fairness to the speaker and in 2 order that we can make the best use of this time, I 3 ask the cooperation of the audience in refraining 4 from calling out. Comments from the audience will 5 only delay the proceedings and disrupt our ability 6 to hear and accurately record the speakers' 7 statements. 8 Again, I would emphasize that we are 9 here tonight to listen to your questions and 10 comments on the New Jersey's Nuclear Emergency 11 Response Plan. Comments on more general nuclear 12 power issues or issues that relate to licensing and 13 regulatory matters at nuclear power plants are not 14 within the purview of this meeting and hence are not 15 appropriate and they will not be addressed. 16 Thank you. We will now proceed with 17 our first commenter, although I don't appear to have 18 any registration cards from the public that want to 19 make comments. So I suggest that we will 20 temporarily adjourn for 15 minutes and see if any 21 public come to make comments, and we will reconvene 22 at 6:30 and take comments at that time or close the 23 meeting. Thank you. 24 (Recess.) 25 MS. PFAFF: It's 6:30 p.m., so I am 15 1 reconvening our public hearing. 2 Are there any members of the public, 3 any registration cards of those that want to provide 4 comment? 5 Okay. That was our last call. I am 6 formally closing this public hearing. 7 Thank you all for attending. 8 (Hearing concluded at 6:30 p.m.) 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 16 1 C E R T I F I C A T E 2 3 I, Lisa C. Bradley, a Certified Court 4 Reporter and Notary Public of the State of New 5 Jersey, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a 6 true and accurate transcript of the hearing as taken 7 stenographically by and before me at the time, place 8 and on the date hereinbefore set forth, to the best 9 of my ability. 10 11 12 13 __________________________________________________ 14 LISA C. BRADLEY, CCR 15 CCR NO. 30XI00228700 16 Dated: July 22, 2014 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25