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Emergency Response:
Experience
Emergency Preparedness
and Response
Over the years, EPA's Radiological Emergency Response Team (RERT) has responded to a variety of situations with the potential to require an emergency response. The table below presents some of the more significant examples of the RERT's response experience:
- Nuclear Power Plant Accidents
- Space Satellite Launches and Reentries
- Radioactively Contaminated Sites
- Other Radiological Incidents
| Incident | Description | EPA Response |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Power Plant Accidents | ||
| Three Mile Island (1979) | A series of mechanical, electrical, and human failures led to the accidental release of radioactive vapor and water into the environment. | EPA provided off-site monitoring and assessment, assistance to the Lead Federal Agency, NRC, long-term monitoring after the accident. |
| Chernobyl (1986) | Reactor No. 4 exploded and burned, emitting large quantities of radiation. | EPA was the Lead Federal Agency, conducting monitoring and assessment in the U.S., and providing public information. |
| Space Satellite Launches and Reentries | ||
| Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini, Mars Rovers, and New Horizons Launches (1989, 1990, 1997, 2003, 2006) | Onboard radioisotope thermal generators required preparation for possible radiation incident during launches. | EPA assisted NASA, the State of Florida, and DOE by developing contingency plans. |
| Cosmos Re-Entry (1978, 1988) | Soviet satellites containing radioactive materials re-entered the atmosphere. | EPA, DOE, and DOD developed contingency plans for possible re-entry over U.S. territory. |
| Radioactively Contaminated Sites | ||
| Gulf Nuclear Response (2005) | A a radioactive source manufacturing facility had large scale contamination of soil and materials. | RERT surveyed and analyzed facilities for contamination. They provided guidance and technical assistance to contractors remediating these Superfund removal sites. |
| Preservation Aviation (2005) | The company had improperly and dangerously stored over one million WWII-era radium dial aircraft gauges. | RERT provided consultation and on-site assistance to EPA Region 9's clean-up operation and the development of a remediation plan. |
| Ramp Industries (1994) | This abandoned facility contained about 5,000 drums of chemical and radioactive waste. | EPA's Region 8 supervised waste characterization and recommended disposal and decontamination options. |
| Bear Lake Site (1994) | A home business for refurbishing radium aircraft dials had caused heavy radium contamination in and around the home. | EPA relocated the family and attempted to decontaminate the home, but ultimately had to demolish it, dispose of possessions, and remove substantial quantities of soil. |
| Radium Chemical Company (1989) | This abandoned property was so severely contaminated that a person at the site could exceed the annual dose limit in one hour. | EPA used a remote-control apparatus to pack radioactive material in canisters, demolished buildings, and cleaned up the site. |
| Other Radiological Incidents | ||
| Los Alamos Fire (also know as the Cerro Grande Fire) (2000) | The Bandolier National Monument fire in New Mexico spread into the Los Alamos National Laboratory reservation, threatening areas with historical radiological contamination. | EPA set up low-volume air samplers and a mobile laboratory to monitor the air and ensure that no radiation was released. |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory (1997) | A long-standing tritium leak and cobalt plumes contaminated a large area around the Laboratory. | EPA's Region 2 assisted DOE in a major cleanup effort. |
| Royal Green Scrap Metal Recycling Facility (1997) | An undetected americium sealed source was processed with scrap metal. | EPA led a team that included DOE and NRC to recover the main part of the radioactive capsule;the remainder was safely contained in the scrap which was disposed of. |
| Brush Fires at DOE Hanford Reservation (2000) | Fires on the Reservation threatened to spread radioactivity to adjacent land. | EPA performed off-site air monitoring during the emergency to monitor for radioactivity. |
