Nuclear Power

TEMA’s REP planning and coordination includes Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear power plants in and near Tennessee. Each plant has specific emergency planning information, including evacuation zones, routes, and public safety guidance.

Sequoyah Nuclear Plant

The Sequoyah Nuclear Plant is located near Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee. REP planning for Sequoyah includes coordination among TEMA, TVA, local emergency management agencies, and other response partners to support public safety in the surrounding emergency planning area.

Watts Bar Nuclear Plant

The Watts Bar Nuclear Plant is located near Spring City, Tennessee. REP planning for Watts Bar includes coordinated emergency plans, public alerting procedures, evacuation routes, sheltering guidance, and exercises for communities near the plant.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant is located near Athens, Alabama. While the plant is outside Tennessee, emergency planning may involve coordination with Tennessee partners because of the plant’s location near the Tennessee border and the broader regional planning area.

Emergency planning around nuclear power plants includes defined areas called Emergency Planning Zones, or EPZs. These zones help emergency managers plan protective actions before an incident occurs.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission describes emergency planning zones as a key part of protective action planning around nuclear plants. The size and shape of each zone may vary based on site conditions, geography, and population information. 

Federal regulations describe emergency planning zones of about 10 miles for the plume exposure pathway and about 50 miles for the ingestion exposure pathway. 

10-Mile Emergency Planning Zone

The 10-mile emergency planning zone focuses on actions that may be needed to protect people from direct exposure during a release. Protective actions in this area may include monitoring the situation, sheltering indoors, or evacuating if directed by officials.

50-Mile Ingestion Planning Zone

The 50-mile ingestion planning zone focuses on actions that may be needed to protect food, milk, water, crops, and livestock from contamination. This planning helps support public health, agriculture, and food safety decisions following a radiological emergency.

If protective actions are needed during a nuclear plant emergency, the public should follow instructions from local and state officials. Alerts and emergency information may be shared through outdoor warning sirens, the Emergency Alert System, local media, official websites, social media, and other local notification systems.

Outdoor warning sirens are designed to alert people to seek additional information. Hearing a siren does not automatically mean people should evacuate. Sirens and other warning systems are part of the Prompt Notification System used to quickly inform the public of a potential threat. 

During an emergency, residents should use official information sources and follow the protective action instructions provided for their area.

During a nuclear plant emergency, officials may ask people in specific areas to take protective actions. These actions may include monitoring the situation, going inside and staying inside, sheltering in place, or evacuating.

Protective action instructions may vary based on the type of incident, the location of the emergency, weather conditions, security concerns, and the areas that could be affected. While radiological emergencies are a primary focus of nuclear power plant preparedness, TEMA and its partners also plan and exercise for other types of incidents, including hostile action-based incidents.

Residents should follow official instructions from local and state emergency officials.

Monitor and Prepare

Residents may be asked to monitor the situation and prepare for the possibility of additional protective actions. This means they should stay informed, review their emergency plan, gather essential items, and be ready to act if instructions change.

Go Inside, Stay Inside

“Go Inside, Stay Inside” is a protective action that may be used when people need to quickly move indoors and remain there until officials provide additional instructions. This action may be used during different types of incidents, including radiological emergencies or hostile action-based incidents.

If residents are told to go inside and stay inside, they should get inside the nearest safe building as quickly as possible. Once indoors, they should stay away from windows and exterior doors when possible, bring pets indoors if it is safe to do so, and stay tuned to official information.

The purpose of this action is to quickly move people out of harm’s way and keep them in a safer location while officials assess the situation and determine whether additional protective actions are needed.

Shelter in Place

Shelter in place is a more specific protective action that may be ordered when people should stay where they are and take additional steps to reduce exposure to outside air, contamination, or other hazards.

If residents are told to shelter in place, they should go indoors, close and lock doors and windows, turn off systems that bring outside air into the building, and move to an interior room if directed. This may include turning off fans, heating and cooling systems, fireplace dampers, and other ventilation systems that draw in outside air.

Residents should continue to follow official instructions until they are told it is safe to leave or take another action.

Evacuate

If residents are told to evacuate, they should remain calm and follow the evacuation route or instructions provided for their area.

Residents should take essential items, use their own transportation if possible, keep car windows and vents closed, and listen for emergency information while they travel. They should not evacuate unless directed by officials, because leaving at the wrong time or using the wrong route could put them at greater risk depending on the type of incident.

REP planning includes consideration for individuals who may need additional assistance before, during, or after an emergency. This may include people with disabilities, older adults, individuals without reliable transportation, people who rely on medical equipment, people with limited English proficiency, or others who may need help receiving alerts, evacuating, or accessing emergency services.

Individuals who may need additional assistance should plan ahead with their local emergency management agency. Local emergency management agencies can help residents understand available planning resources and how to receive emergency information before an incident occurs.

Radiological emergency planning also includes steps to protect agriculture, food, milk, crops, livestock, and water supplies. If an incident occurs, state and local officials will provide instructions for farmers, food producers, home gardeners, agricultural businesses, and residents in affected areas.

Protective actions may include sheltering livestock when possible, protecting feed and water sources, storing harvested crops indoors, and following guidance from agricultural, public health, and environmental officials.

The 50-mile ingestion planning zone helps emergency managers and partner agencies plan for decisions related to food safety, water safety, agriculture, and potential contamination following a radiological emergency.

Training and exercises are an important part of the REP Program. These activities help emergency managers, responders, public health officials, utility partners, local governments, and other agencies understand their roles before an emergency occurs.

REP exercises help test emergency plans, strengthen coordination, identify gaps, and support improvements over time. Exercises may include activities related to public alerting, emergency operations, protective action decisions, evacuation coordination, reception centers, monitoring, communications, and public information.

FEMA’s REP Program provides planning, training, exercise guidance, and policies to help ensure the state has appropriate capabilities for incidents involving commercial nuclear power plants.