Nuclear

A nuclear blast is a massive explosion of ferocious intensity with a destructive pressure wave and widespread radioactive material that can contaminate the air, water and ground surfaces for miles around. While the threat of nuclear attack is certainly less with the end of the cold war, it is a popular opinion that terrorist networks have set their sights on obtaining nuclear weapons for mass destruction.

Lake County has many areas requiring Emergency Preparedness, including the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.  The Lake County Emergency Management Agency, along with the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Ashtabula and Geauga Counties, the State and Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have devised emergency plans for Lake County in the event of an emergency at the Perry Nuclear Power Plant.

Radiation and Nuclear Energy...............

Everything on earth is made up of tiny particles called atoms.  Some atoms give off radiation.  People cannot see, taste, feel, hear or smell radiation, but there are instruments that can detect it.

We are exposed to small amounts of radiation everyday.  It's in the air we breath, the food we eat, even inside our own bodies.  It's normal to be exposed to small amounts of radiation, but to be safe, you should limit the amount.  The average American receives over 300 millirem of radiation a year from natural resources.  Radiation also comes from man-made sources used by doctors and dentists, and in helpful medical ways.

Radiation levels at nuclear plants are checked constantly.  The law limits levels released from a plant.

Examples of Radiation Doses:

• The Earth and Air:..............................56 millirem per year
• Natural radioactivity in the body:..........................39 millirem per year
• Building materials (brick or stone):..........................3.6 millirem per year
• Chest X-rays:................................6 millirem each
• Color TV:...............................less than 1 millirem per year

(sources: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP Report No. 93), 1987

What is Nuclear Power???????

The emergency of the atom is called nuclear energy.

A nuclear energy plant is much like a power plant that burns coal or oil.  The difference is the source of heat.  At the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, heat comes from uranium instead of coal or oil.  Uranium atoms are split to produce heat.  The heat is used to boil large amounts of water.  The water is turned into steam, which runs a turbine generator to make electricity.  When uranium atoms are split, radiation is produced.  Normally, a nuclear power plant releases very small amounts of radiation as a gas.  At most, this will add only one or two millirem to the normal dose received by people in Lake County.  This radiation is less than the limit set by the law.  No radiation is released by the cooling towers.

Safety Built In !

When a nuclear power plant makes electricity, it's fuel becomes more radioactive.  But the plant is built to protect the public.  The fuel is kept in special metal tubes.  The tubes are kept in a steel reactor, around which are thick walls of concrete and steel.

Only a very RARE accident could allow too much radiation to escape from a plant.  This kind of accident has never occurred in the United States.

In 1979, an accident occurred at the Three Mile Island Plant in Pennsylvania.  Larger than normal amounts of radiation were released.  However, studies showed they were too small to be a hazard to the public.  The highest radiation dose could have been 85 millirem.  Only a person who would have stood in the open, day and night, right across the river from the plant could have received that dose.  It is about the same as the extra radiation people would receive if they lived in Denver, Colorado for a year.  Denver is at a higher altitude than we are, here in Northeast Ohio.  This means that people are exposed to more radiation at higher altitudes from the sun than those who live closer to sea level.

For more information on Nuclear Energy or the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, visit the Perry Nuclear Power Plant at www.firstenergycorp.com/perryepi

Emergency Preparedness

Planning
You should identify a place in your home or business for shelter in the case of a nuclear explosion. This area should be surrounded by thick concrete walls and supplied with emergency items necessary for survival, including:

• First aid kit / essential medications
• Canned food and can opener
• At least three gallons of water per person
• Protective clothing, bedding, or sleeping bags
• Battery-powered radio, flashlight, and extra batteries
• Special items for infant, elderly, or disabled family members
• Ask your health care provider in advance about what protective measures make sense for your family in the case of nuclear attack

Preparedness
If there is a nuclear blast, quickly assess the situation and take cover immediately, below ground if possible, though any shield or shelter will help protect you from the immediate effects of the blast and the pressure wave.

• In order to limit the amount of radiation you are exposed to, think about shielding, distance and time.
• If it is unsafe to vacate your present location, take appropriate steps to "shelter-in-place."
• If possible, contact health care authorities for assistance

Response
In order to limit the amount of radiation you are exposed to, consider the following:

• Shielding: If you have a thick shield between you and the radioactive materials, more of the radiation will be absorbed, and you will be exposed to less.
• Distance: The farther away you are from the blast and the fallout the lower your exposure.
• Time: Minimizing time spent exposed will reduce your risk.

Send mail to cheral.white@lakecountyohio.gov with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: 05/01/08