NRC, FEMA sign revised MOU on emergency preparedness

July 2, 2024, 12:00PMNuclear News

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have signed a revised memorandum of understanding establishing a framework for the agencies to cooperate on emergency preparedness for commercial nuclear power plants.

History: The MOU was first signed in 1980 and has been revised three times since then, most recently in 2015. This fourth revision was signed on July 1 at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Md., by FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell and NRC acting executive director for operations Ray Furstenau.

One goal: The NRC and FEMA work together to assure adequate protection of public health and safety in the event of a radiological emergency. The MOU clarifies the role of each agency in assisting state and local governments to respond appropriately and alert the public.

What’s new: A new addition to the MOU is the NRC commitment to inform FEMA of applications received for small modular reactors or advanced reactor designs and other nuclear technologies. A steering committee will provide guidance for cooperation between the agencies.


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