By Star-News staff

LUXEMBURG – Kewaunee County recently passes a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-evaluated full-scale exercise to test emergency response plans.

“Kewaunee County was successful in passing its portion of the Biennial Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program, Full-Participation, Hostile Action Based, Plume Exposure Pathway Exercise, meeting evaluated criteria of how to handle a potential incident at Point Beach Nuclear Plant (PBNP) in Two Rivers,” a release from Kewaunee County Emergency Management Director Tracy Nollenberg stated.

On Aug. 15, the county, alongside Manitowoc County and the state of Wisconsin, ran a full-scale exercise, and on Aug. 18 received passing evaluations.

The plant was also evaluated and approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

“During the exercise, agents were stationed at Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) in

Luxemburg, Manitowoc and Madison, the Joint Information Center (JIC) in Green Bay, at the Staging Area and at Incident Command to grade participants. FEMA & NRC officials monitored coordination between the different EOCs, the JIC, and PBNP, and evaluated everyone on tasks that included the ability to handle an evolving situation at PBNP, internal communication as well as external communication to the public through the media, how well each group protected the health and safety of the public potentially at risk in the 10-mile radius of PBNP, shelter-in-place protocols, traffic impediments that could impact evacuation routes, and response to rumor control,” the release added.

“For Kewaunee County, this exercise included a FEMA evaluation conducted in June regarding procedures at the County’s reception center, which would be located at Luxemburg-Casco Intermediate School in case of an emergency. The reception center is where local residents would go to be monitored for any radiological contamination and to obtain any further assistance that they may need if evacuated. Kewaunee County also passed this portion of the exercise.”

According to FEMA’s preliminary results for Kewaunee County, the county performed well during the exercise and had “no Level 1, Level 2, or planning issues detected.”

Nollenberg and the Kewaunee County EOC were also recognized for their strong leadership.

“The Biennial Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program, Full-Participation, Hostile Action

Based, Plume Exposure Pathway Exercise scenario is held once in an eight-year cycle and is no small task to organize. Kewaunee County itself has dozens of participating players, and it’s the actions of each and every one of them that helps us receive our passing marks,” said Nollenberg.

“It’s important to be continuously practicing emergency response as a large group as every time

we get together, we find new ways to improve and adapt to different scenarios.”

The finalized report from FEMA is expected to be made available this fall.