Energy Northwest's

Columbia Generating Station

Benton County Emergency Management, in coordination with Franklin and Grant counties, the state of Washington, and Energy Northwest, has developed plans to respond in the unlikely event of an accident at the Columbia Generating Station (CGS), the Northwest's only commercial nuclear power plant, owned and operated by Energy Northwest.  The plans are designed to help protect area residents, specifically those living within the Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ) around the nuclear plant.

You are the key player in any emergency preparedness plan. If you live in one of the six CGS EPZs, you need to know what actions you might be asked to take if there is an accidental release of radioactive material from the plant.

It is important for farmers, food processors and producers to know what steps local and state officials may ask them to take to protect both crops and livestock. For information please see the publications "Radiological Emergency Information for Farmers, Food Processors and Distributors" and  "Emergency Preparedness for Nuclear Facilities in Washington State."

Each year, local emergency officials provide a calendar with emergency instructions in both English and Spanish to all residents living within the CGS EPZs.  This calendar contains important emergency information about what steps you need to take to protect yourself and your family if there is an accident at the nuclear plant.  If you have not received a copy of the current year's calendar, please call us at 628-2600.

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY AT THE COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION. 

1. Listen to the emergency instructions carefully. Keep your radio tuned to Benton County's primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) radio stations -- KONA 610 AM or 105.3 FM.

2. Alert your neighbors/employees (by other means than the telephone) and make sure they understand the emergency instructions.

• If asked to shelter in place:

  • Remain in your home.

  • Close and lock all doors and windows.

  • Close anything that might bring air in from the outside, such as heating and cooling systems, fireplace dampers, range fans, bathroom vents or clothes dryers.

  • Use phone only for life-threatening emergencies.

  • Keep pets inside.

  • If you must go outside, cover your nose and mouth with a wet cloth.

  • Listen to primary EAS radio station KONA 610 AM or 105.3 FM for further instructions.

  • Start planning for possible evacuation.

• If asked to evacuate:

  • Listen to instructions carefully. Make sure your location is area being evacuated before you follow the next steps.

  • Take items such as medicines, clothing, baby food, blankets, pillows, sanitary supplies, checkbook, credit cards, and a portable radio.

  • Turn off stoves and space heaters.

  • If there is time, shelter animals and leave stored feed and water.

  • Lock your doors and windows.

  • Take your own car if possible. Take neighbors if they need a ride. If you don’t have a car, ask your neighbor for a ride.

  • Drive away from the nuclear facility. Once outside the EPZ, go to the nearest Assistance Center announced over the radio that is receiving evacuees.

  • Stay tuned to your primary EAS radio station, drive carefully and remain calm.

  • Register at the Assistance Center, so friends and relatives can locate you easily.

WHICH Benton County ROADS SHOULD I TAKE IF ASKED TO EVACUATE?

The following EPZs are in Benton County:

SECTION 3—This area is north of Battelle Boulevard between Stevens Drive and the Columbia River and north of Highway 240 west of Stevens Drive. It also includes the Horn Rapids Master Planned Community and homes and businesses that are accessed from Harrington Road, Yakima River Drive, Snively Road, Grosscup Road and Weidle Road. Not included are businesses accessed from Logston, Robertson or Snyder Roads.

SECTION 4—This section is on the Hanford Site and under jurisdiction of the Department of Energy. There are no permanent residents in this area. Hanford workers would be notified if any protective actions were necessary.

SECTION 7—This section is located between the western Hanford Site boundary and the Yakima/Benton County line. It is bordered on the North by the Columbia River and on the South by the tip of Rattlesnake Ridge.

Click here for evacuation routes. Please note that Southridge High School in Kennewick is now the designated Benton County evacuation center for the Columbia Generating Station.  It replaces Ki-Be High School in Benton City.

HOW WOULD I BE NOTIFIED OF AN EMERGENCY?

• Sirens or loudspeakers would alert people around the Columbia Generating Station of an emergency.

• Persons on or near the Columbia and Yakima rivers will hear sirens sound continuously for three minutes or longer, followed by an audible message. These sirens are a signal for people using the rivers to evacuate the river and tune to the primary Emergency Alert System Radio Station KONA 610 AM or 105.3 FM for more information.

• For any radiological emergency CGS, personnel and boats provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the County Sheriffs’ Departments may also warn people to evacuate the river. If there has been no radiological release, boaters will be advised to return to their launch points. If there has been a radiological release, boaters will be instructed to proceed to a monitoring station. Boaters would then receive further instructions from emergency officials.

• Additional notification will be made by Coast Guard broadcast of a “Notice to Mariners” over Marine Band Channel 16. The notice and emergency instructions then will be broadcast over Channel 22 every 15 minutes.

• Residents within the EPZ in Benton County have emergency tone alert radios. These radios would be turned on automatically by a signal transmitted just before an EAS message is broadcast.  If you live within one of the EPZs around the nuclear plant and do not have a tone alert radio or if you have questions regarding their use, please call us at 628-2600.

• Persons within the EPZ using the Richland Off-Road Vehicle Park, the Horn Rapids Park, and the Rattlesnake Mountain Shooting Facility would be notified by sirens sounding continuously for three minutes, followed by an audible message. They would be told to evacuate the area and tune their radios to KONA 610 AM or 105.3 FM for more information.

• People outside the EPZ would be notified by an EAS message on commercial broadcasting radio and TV stations. People outside the EPZ should monitor KONA 610 AM or 105.3 FM. Please stay off the phone unless you have a life-threatening emergency!

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