The full-scale plume and ingestion pathway federally evaluated radiological emergency

preparedness and response exercise held for the Salem Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station

on May 18-20,2010. We identified two issues that will require timely corrective actions and redemonstration.

These issues have been discussed with your REP unit staff at the Participant's

Briefing on May 21, 2010 and a meeting to discuss remediation is scheduled for June 3, 2010.

The first issue concerns the timeliness in developing and issuing a protective action decision to

appropriate decision. The process for preparing and approving messages needs to be streamlined

in the procedures and re-demonstrated at a remedial drill that includes the State EOC, the

Emergency News Center, and Salem and Cumberland Counties.

The second issue is that the New Jersey response organization provided inadequate and

inaccurate information to the public in a Special News Broadcast and several Press Releases that

was not corrected in a timely manner.

Due to the potential negative impact on public health and safety, we have classified these issues

as Deficiencies, the most serious category. FEMA defines a Deficiency as " ... an observed or

identified inadequacy of organizational perfonnance in an exercise that could cause a finding that

offsite emergency preparedness is not adequate to provide reasonable assurance that appropriate

protective measures can be taken in the event of a radiological emergency to protect the health

and safety of the public living in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant." 44 CFR 353, App .A.

'

corrected within 120 days of the date of the exercise, or no later than September 18,2010.

Questions on this matter can be addressed to Rebecca S. Thomson, Technological Hazards

Branch Chief, at 212-680-8509. .

Sincerely,

Lynn Canton

Regional Administrator

Samuel Collins, Regional Administrator, NRC R. I