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New Emergency Operations Facility to support Perry Nuclear Power PlantJul 16, 2012 (The News-Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A new Emergency Operations Facility for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant is slated to open shortly in Concord Township. FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house at 10 a.m. Tuesday for government and safety officials at the 7755 Auburn Road facility. Scheduled to provide remarks are Vito Kaminskas, vice president of Perry Nuclear Power Plant; state Sen. John Eklund, R-Munson Township; Lake County Commissioners Raymond E. Sines and Robert E. Aufuldish; and county Emergency Management Agency Director Larry Greene. FENOC spokeswoman Jennifer Young said the facility should be up and running within the month as final training is completed. The state-of-the-art 12,000-square-foot facility will be utilized by Perry plant personnel for quarterly training exercises as well as to coordinate with state and local emergency management agencies during the unlikely event of an emergency at the plant, Young said. The facility replaces an Emergency Operations Facility located at the Perry plant in North Perry Village, and it has enhanced technology to better monitor operations in case there is an emergency at the North Perry Village plant, she said. New U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission rules indicate that the backup Emergency Operations Facility needed to have the same communications technologies as any on-site facility, Young said. It also must be outside the 10-mile perimeter of the plant in the event of a hostile action emergency The Concord Township facility, which sits just outside that boundary, complies with those rules, she said. A few highlights of the facility include: --Comprehensive dose assessment software -- this new user-friendly software will provide real-time dose calculations to guide emergency response actions. --Web-based database -- will allow company, county and state representatives access to the same pertinent information disseminated during an emergency; and will communicate a single set of priorities back to each facility, allowing for customized actions plans for each to be developed. --Enhanced technology -- increased availability of updated computer equipment, fiber optic capabilities, and on-line access to plant drawings and procedures. --Power supply redundancy -- an uninterruptable power supply will power critical equipment until the diesel generator at the facility autostarts to provide back-up power. ___ (c)2012 The News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio) Visit The News-Herald (Willoughby, Ohio) at www.news-herald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |