A handful of EM cleanup sites across the DOE complex recently conducted a wide range of intricate emergency response exercises, and initial reports show the practice scenarios were successful, with employees trained and prepared to respond quickly and safely. 

   EM employees and contractors and a host of other organizations took part in the exercises at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) in N.Y., Savannah River Site (SRS) in S.C., and Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in N.M.

   They tested their abilities in a multitude of simulated events, including a contamination incident resulting from a collision involving a tanker truck containing nitric acid; an altercation between employees that escalated into gunfire; an earthquake that led to a radioactive waste spill, injuries and a dam failure; and an underground fire and radiological release.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

   WIPP’s exercise on June 22 was held to demonstrate the capability of employees to recognize, respond, and mitigate emergency situations.

   More than 100 external evaluators assessed the performance of WIPP safety management programs at the day-long exercise, including a simulated underground fire and radiological release. Participants were evaluated on their ability to follow and implement plans and procedures and their overall response to simulated events. Post-exercise critiques identified activities that went well and areas where there are opportunities for improvement.

   The exercise required the activation of the WIPP Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC), and included involvement of WIPP’s emergency responders in the field and various offsite agencies, allowing these organizations an opportunity to work together on a coordinated response.

   Many significant improvements have been made to the Emergency Response Organization to ensure that WIPP will be able to safely resume waste emplacement operations later this year. Improvements include the new, state-of-the art EOC facility in Carlsbad, which was used during this exercise. An official report will be developed in the next few weeks that will highlight the strengths and areas for improvement in the WIPP response, as observed during the exercise, and recommend improvements.

   Participating organizations included the DOE Headquarters Emergency Management Team; National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center; DOE Region IV Radiological Assistance Program Team; New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management State EOC; Mine Safety and Health Administration; New Mexico State Mine EOC; Regional Emergency Dispatch Authority; Eddy County EOC and Office of Emergency Management; Lea County EOC and Office of Emergency Management; Carlsbad Fire Department; and Carlsbad Medical Center. Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Emergency Preparedness provided support for the JIC, including simulated media interest.

West Valley Demonstration Project

   Home to an EM cleanup site, West Valley is a quiet hamlet in western New York.  

   Nevertheless, West Valley seemed to be the center of attention on a sunny afternoon on June 21 when the community participated in an emergency training exercise, which is conducted every three years. EM, its cleanup contractor and subcontractors, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, county emergency services, a hospital, medical center, sheriff’s office and several other organizations took part.

   The site exercise involved multiple scenarios with several entities in different locations. A tanker truck containing nitric acid collides with a vehicle driven by a WVDP employee (offsite). A road closure allows for cleanup and medical assistance. An employee falls from an elevated surface, injuring and contaminating himself. A coworker assists and becomes contaminated in the process. An employee is injured while exiting a work location and suffers profuse bleeding from a leg laceration and chest puncture. The employee is contaminated and subsequently transported to a medical center. Radiological surveys are performed on all contaminated individuals.

   In each scenario, participants responded in a timely manner, creating an example of how the community can successfully work together to prepare and respond to an unplanned event. 

   “It took a coordinated effort with the entire community,” said Emergency Coordinator Vito Czyz. “Overall the exercise was viewed as a success by the Core Exercise Team. Thanks to the many individuals who contributed hours to the extensive planning for this." 

Savannah River Site

   More than 300 people in the SRS emergency response organization (ERO) successfully responded to the mock magnitude-6.9 earthquake near Charleston, S.C., that led to a radioactive waste spill, injuring three employees and causing a dam failure at an on-site lake on May 18.

   “Although the scenario was very complex, this exercise demonstrated significant improvement since last year, and also demonstrated some emerging best practices. Correcting deficiencies from the last exercise and having senior management engagement and sponsorship are all hallmarks of operational excellence in emergency preparedness,” EM Safety, Security and Quality Programs Deputy Assistant Secretary Jim Hutton said.  

   Though the final analysis is not yet complete, the initial indications show proof that SRS is trained, prepared and ready to respond to any emergency successfully.

   “The response was outstanding, especially given the complex scenario and many moving parts,” DOE-Savannah River Deputy Manager Terry Spears said. “In addition, the use of our aerial assets and the Radiological Assistance Program Team, use of realistic looking wounds and injuries, and the training of drill-injured personnel to enhance realism were best practices used in the response.”

   The exercise was the culmination of more than six months of detailed planning involving multiple organizations.

   “Emergency response is a team effort,” said Spears, who observed the drill response. “An activity of this scope requires tremendous coordination between everyone involved.”

   Once the exercise began, facility-level responders immediately took action to stop the simulated release of radioactive waste and to provide first aid to employees playing the role of injured victims. The SRS Fire Department provided more advanced medical assistance and transported the victims to other medical facilities.

   Shortly after, the site-level ERO was notified of the emergency and directed to report to the Emergency Operations Center. Upon arrival, the ERO received a briefing of the known information and assumed command of the site’s response efforts, modifying plans and strategies as the event progressed to ensure the safety and health of all site employees.

   Once enough information was gathered, SRS executives held a mock news conference for ERO members acting as the media to allow the executives to demonstrate how they would answer media questions in a real event. The ERO also developed a comprehensive plan to address the damage caused by the earthquake and return the site to normal operations.

   Participants in the exercise included Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the SRS management and operations contractor; Savannah River Remediation, the liquid waste contractor; DOE-Savannah River; National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA)-Savannah River Field Office; NNSA Region 3 Radiological Assistance Program Aerial Measuring System; Centerra-SRS; Aiken County Emergency Medical Services; Augusta University Medical Center; Doctors Hospital; Aiken Regional Medical Center; and several agencies from Georgia and South Carolina. A team of evaluators from DOE headquarters provided an independent assessment from DOE’s perspective.