Field Implementation of an Emergency Assessment System

A computerized Emergency Assessment and Response System (EARS) was developed as a means to characterize and evaluate the offsite radiological consequences of potential accidents at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP). The system consists of a central computer at the Technical Support Center, provisions for live-time collection of meteorological and monitor data, and a distributed network of minicomputer display stations at selected plant and offsite locations. During use in two full-scale emergency exercises at DCPP, the system demonstrated the capability to collect information, perform dose projections, and communicate the information effectively to remote participants. Problems observed during the first exercise, such as slowness in defining release rate terms and unavailability of certain data as needed by participants, were corrected prior to the second exercise. EARS is now a proven, integral part of the emergency response capabilities of DCPP, and is being extended for routine use in training, meteorological data processing, and gaseous effluent control programs.