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Radiological Preparedness

 Thanks to technological development, the United States realizes many comforts that our parents, grandparents and so on were not able to enjoy. Many of those comforts are energy dependant and rely on renewable energy sources. With these sources, come the possibilities of adverse affects from them. Nuclear power generation, a major source of this energy, is no different. There are several Federal and State regulatory agencies that govern these operations. Each has very specific safety policies, procedures and guidelines in place to minimize the potential for the release of harmful contaminates to our environment.

Each nuclear generating station has two zones for which they are responsible to Federal and State Governments for notification in the event of an incident at their facility. The initial zone, or the “Plume Zone,” is a 10 mile radius around the facility. The secondary zone or “Ingestion Pathway” is a 50 mile radius around the facility. Each zone has specific notification and action requirements in the unlikely event of an incident or even the potential for an incident at the facility. It is important to remember that while rare, almost all of the reports of incidents or potential incidents at these facilities have nothing to do with public safety or welfare; rather they simply qualify for reporting due to the very strict requirements of the Federal and State regulatory agencies.

Residents and visitors to Queen Anne’s County should be aware that portions of the County are in the secondary zone for several nuclear power generating facilities. These facilities are in Calvert Cliffs in Maryland, Peach Bottom in Pennsylvania and Hope Creek and Salem in New Jersey.

While we are in the secondary zone, or ingestion pathway for these facilities, Queen Anne’s County Emergency Management works closely with the State of Maryland, Department of the Environment and Constellation Energy, the operator of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. We participate in the required Ingestion Pathways exercises and are part of their response plans in the unlikely event of an emergency at their facility.

This page should provide our residents and visitors with links to the information necessary to be a well informed and prepared population. Should any of the links not work or provide the specific information you request, please contact our office and we will do our best to provide the answer or direct you to the proper contact for the answer.

Constellation Energy has produced the following document providing vital information for farmers and food producers/processors in the unlikely event of an emergency requiring action on their part.

Radiological Info for Farmers and Food Processors

Please click below for the 50 mile ingestion pathway map for Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP)

CCNP 50 mile.pdf

Please click on the pictures below for information from each power generation station.