A radiological release from a nuclear power plant presents a challenging scenario for government and private industry responders. During the week of July 20 EMSI helped responders prepare for that very scenario by providing support to Southern Exposure 2015, the largest nuclear power plant exercise in over 20 years.

Southern Exposure 2015 was a three day, national level exercise lead by the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD), and Duke Energy. The exercise was in large part motivated by lessons learned from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan. The complex scenario included a radiological release from the H.B. Robinson Nuclear Generating Station in Darlington, SC, with offsite consequences throughout South Carolina. The exercise lasted three full days and included over 1000 participants, in addition to several VIP delegations and nearly 50 international observers.

During the exercise EMSI provided exercise control, evaluation, coaching, and training for exercise responders. EMSI facilitated interactions between the South Carolina IMT and the radiological responders from the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, including federal responders from DOE/NNSA, EPA, FDA, CDC, USDA, NRC, FEMA, and DOD. Several of the responders were also involved in the 2011 response to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster, including one of the EMSI staff members.

In addition to participating in the exercise, EMSI was integral to the overall exercise planning process, a process that lasted well over a year. In November 2014, EMSI facilitated an incident management workshop focused on the coordinated local, state, federal, and industry response to a release at H.B. Robinson. EMSI also provided training for various DOE/NNSA responders in the months leading up to the exercise.

EMSI’s vast experience in complex incident management and hazardous materials response has helped inform some of the advanced incident management approaches to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incident management. EMSI personnel have been involved in the management of several complex hazardous materials incidents including Anthrax at the Capital (2001), the oil and hazardous materials response following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (2005), Deepwater Horizon oil spill (2010), the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster (2011), and the oil and hazardous materials response following Hurricane Sandy (2012).

EMSI has provided ICS and incident management training and support to DOE/NNSA for over eight years and routinely provides support to DOE/NNSA exercises. Contact us to learn more about EMSI exercise planning and support services.

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