There may be more activity at TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant next week, but it’s all part of a regular drill the federal utility does to test its preparations for emergencies.
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority and its local partners will participate in an exercise that will demonstrate to federal officials their readiness to respond to nuclear emergencies and provide accurate, timely information to the public.
(READ MORE: TVA’s biggest nuclear plant turns 50)
TVA has always passed these tests, which are required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, agency spokesperson Scott Fiedler said.
“I care to say that we have one of the best joint information centers in the nation,” Fiedler said in a phone call. “We work continually with our state and county partners.”
Fiedler said there may be more personnel going in and out of the nuclear plant on Wednesday because of the drill, and there may be more activity at the joint information center downtown, which will be staffed with county, state and TVA officials.
Officials will share the results of the exercise during a public meeting Dec. 13 in the Ochs Room at the Chattanoogan Hotel, 1201 Broad St.
Amy Maxwell, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, said her agency participates in the exercise every two years.
The test includes first responders, hospitals and local agencies. It takes into account how leaders would evacuate schools and residents with disabilities in the event of a radiological emergency.
“We have not ever failed in the 25 years that I have been with emergency management and the spokesperson for the county,” Maxwell said in a phone call.
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.