Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability Pilot Project at Two Nuclear Power Plants and Associated State Offices of Emergency Preparedness

摘要

A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) sponsored project to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability (ARAC) limited service with commercial nuclear power plants and their associated state offices of emergency preparedness is discussed herein. Preliminary planning, installation and testing to the ARAC site facilities at Indian Point Nuclear Power Station, New York State; at New York State Office of Emergency Preparedness, Albany, New York; at Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station, California; and at the State of California Office of Emergency Services, Sacramento, California, are summarized. This pilot project, has pointed out both weaknesses and strengths in the ARAC software and hardware. A number of hardware breakdowns occurred during this project due, in part, to the age of the equipment. During testing, site system users reported several software errors in communications to ARAC. As a result of this study, the philosophy of the next-generation ARAC system will differ greatly from that of the present system. The next-generation system will treat the ARAC center as a large computational and data source available to the user at his request, as opposed to sending large quantities of information to the user at the discretion of the ARAC staff. This philosophy will reduce the computer power required at the sites and allow the user to receive only necessary data at the time it is needed.