FEMA Seeking Public Comment on Alerting and Notification Plan in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Alerting and Notification exercise scheduled for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station

PHILADELPHIA - The Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will host a public meeting to seek public comment on a significant plan change to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's alert and notification system for nuclear power plant emergencies within the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station emergency planning zone. FEMA will conduct an exercise to evaluate the new system on May 9, 2024.

"FEMA is seeking the public's comments on the proposed plan change to replace sirens with wireless emergency alerts via cellular phones as the primary alert and notification system. This drill will test the government's ability to alert and notify the public with the new system in the event of an emergency at the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station," said MaryAnn Tierney, Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 3. "We will assess the plan changes that replace the sirens with wireless emergency alerts received through cellular phones within the emergency planning zone of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station."

FEMA will use the exercise results to make its decision on approving the significant plan change.

FEMA will hear from members of the public and present preliminary findings of the exercise during a public meeting at 10:00 a.m. on May 10, 2024. The meeting will be conducted Talen Energy East Mountain Business Center, 1190 East Mountain Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre, PA. Planned speakers include representatives from FEMA.
At the public meeting, FEMA may request that questions or comments be submitted in writing for review and response. Written comments may also be submitted after the meeting by emailing [email protected] or by mail to:

MaryAnn Tierney
Regional Administrator
FEMA Region 3
615 Chestnut Street, 6^th Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19106

FEMA created the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program to (1) ensure the health and safety of citizens living around commercial nuclear power plants would be adequately protected in the event of a nuclear power plant accident and (2) inform and educate the public about radiological emergency preparedness.

REP Program responsibilities cover only "offsite" activities, that is, state and local government emergency planning and preparedness activities that take place beyond the nuclear power plant boundaries. Onsite activities continue to be the responsibility of the NRC.

More information about FEMA IPAWS/WEA can be found at Integrated Public Alert & Warning System.

Additional information on FEMA's REP Program is available online at FEMA.gov/Radiological-Emergency-Preparedness-Program.