Tracy Nollenberg
Emergency Management Director, Kewaunee County
Office: (920) 845-9701
Email: nollenberg.tracy@kewaueeco.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2023
Kewaunee County Demonstrates Ability to Handle Nuclear Plant Incidents in FEMA Evaluated Emergency Response Exercise
LUXEMBURG, WI – Kewaunee County was successful in passing its portion of the Biennial Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program, Full-Participation, Hostile Action Based, Plume Exposure Pathway Exercise, meeting evaluated criteria of how to handle a potential incident at Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP) in Two Rivers.
On August 15, 2023, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) evaluated Kewaunee County, Manitowoc County and the State of Wisconsin in a full-scale exercise to test emergency response plans and on August 18, 2023 gave each pass marks. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) evaluated PBNP and passed them as well.
During the exercise, agents were stationed at Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in Luxemburg, Manitowoc and Madison, the Joint Information Center (JIC) in Green Bay, at the Staging Area and at Incident Command to grade participants. FEMA & NRC officials monitored coordination between the different EOCs, the JIC, and PBNP, and evaluated everyone on tasks that included the ability to handle an evolving situation at PBNP, internal communication as well as external communication to the public through the media, how well each group protected the health and safety of the public potentially at risk in the 10-mile radius of PBNP, shelter-in-place protocols, traffic impediments that could impact evacuation routes, and response to rumor control.
For Kewaunee County, this exercise included a FEMA evaluation conducted in June regarding procedures at the County’s reception center, which would be located at Luxemburg Casco Intermediate School in case of an emergency. The reception center is where local residents would go to be monitored for any radiological contamination and to obtain any further assistance that they may need if evacuated. Kewaunee County also passed this portion of the exercise.
There were 88 demonstrations and 22 capabilities to evaluate that generated 100’s if not 1000’s of observations between Kewaunee County, Manitowoc County and the State of Wisconsin. According to FEMA’s preliminary results for Kewaunee County, the County performed well during the exercise and had no Level 1, Level 2, or planning issues detected. The agency also recognized the strong leadership at the Kewaunee County EOC from Kewaunee County Emergency Management Director Tracy Nollenberg and the ability of the Emergency Operations Center to handle an incident within and incident.
“The Biennial Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program, Full-Participation, Hostile Action Based, Plume Exposure Pathway Exercise scenario is held once in an 8-year cycle and is no small task to organize. Kewaunee County itself has dozens of participating players, and it’s the actions of each and every one of them that helps us receive our passing marks,” says Nollenberg. “It’s important to be continuously practicing emergency response as a large group as every time we get together, we find new ways to improve and adapt to different scenarios.”
The finalized report from FEMA is expected to be made available in 90 days.
###