Does anyone else find this document fom the NRC website on the October Y2k nuclear exercise somewhat alarming?

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 15 OCTOBER 1999 Y2K EXERCISE LESSONS LEARNED

As the scenarios were played out by the attendees, scenario issues and lessons learned were created. The scenario lessons learned are as follows:

Question: What are some of the more significant lessons learned from the October 15 Y2K exercise?

Answer: Although the exercise was highly successful, several valuable lessons were learned which will allow the NRC to further improve its high state of readiness:

To date, the Y2K contingency planning procedures have focused on Y2K response team that will be in place as the Y2K transition occurs in the United States. More effort is necessary to fully prepare the earlier team that will be monitoring the Y2K problems overseas. This should include working closer with our Federal partners, including the Department of State (DOS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) to coordinate the Federal government's response to a problem at a nuclear facility outside of the United States. Additional planning and training sessions are being planned to ensure that the earlier team is fully prepared to respond to potential problems overseas. Representatives from DOS, EPA, and DOE will be invited to participate in these sessions.

Although NRC Region IV in Arlington, Texas was successful in their back-up role to Headquarters, the telecommunication systems in the regional office were not optimized to handle the volume of calls they ultimately received. The telecommunication systems in Region IV will be upgraded, as necessary, to ensure that Region IV will have capabilities functionally equivalent to those available at NRC headquarters.

The Y2K Early Warning System (YEWS), developed by NRC, was used successfully during the exercise by the NRC and its regulatory counterparts in twelve other countries. This was the first time the system was used extensively in an exercise environment. Consequently, a number of constructive suggestions have been made for how the system can be improved. For example, a modified report entry is shown as a separate report, which can cause confusion. NRC plans on improving YEWS to address comments received as a result of the exercise. Most NRC nuclear power plant licensees have access to YEWS information on a read-only basis.

The NRC established a mock White House Information Coordination Center (ICC) cell in the NRC auditorium and conducted briefings to graduate journalism students playing the role of the media. However, there were instances where the procedures for the NRC ICC team were incomplete. For example, the ICC team procedures did not include instructions for contacting Region IV once headquarters was no longer in the lead. These procedures will be completed as more information regarding the ICC becomes available. NRC is participating in ICC exercises on November 3 and December 8.

A number of recommendations were made on how to enhance the flow of information to the senior NRC decision-makers. One suggestion was to increase the number of satellite phones available to the senior decision makers in the headquarters Operations Center. These recommendations are currently being pursued.

Incident Response Operations 10/19/1999

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1999

Answers

Why do we need to learn "significant" and "valuable" lessons for a non-event? Why is "more effort necessary" to plan for a non-event? Why worry about "Telecommunications" that won't be needed? Why improve an "early warning system" when there is nothing to be early warned about? Why worry about "incomplete procedures" when no procedures are even going to be needed? Why add additional satellite phones for communications when there will be nothing to talk about? Why ask why?

Why Not!!!?

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1999

JP, What is the information that you base your optimism on? The electric industry felt these tests should be done. Is your confidence based on the value of remedial work done or on expected insignificance of the date roll-over? You appear to have confident opinions, without explaining the basis for your opinions I am at a loss to attach any value one way or another to them.

-- Anonymous, November 14, 1999

PD,

Sorry if my intended tone did not come across in the typed word. I was being facetious of course. The official word seems to be that everything will be hunky dory, maybe a misfire, but the engine will purr along just fine so don't you worry. Meanwhile, officials are seeing to it that extreme measures be prepared for an event, that we are told, is only going to be a "bump in the road". At least that's what I thought the document was implying.

I still think that if things are really going to turn sour, (anywhere from a really big bump in the road to the bridge being washed out) the "powers that be" would not directly hint at it. They fear that everyone knowing at once, and the possible chaos before and after 2K, would be a worse scenario than just the chaos after 2K alone.

Anyway, the few preparations I have made for my family will be put to use no matter what the outcome. Let's just hope we really are wackos, I can accept that a heck of a lot easier than I can accept, and face, what my gut says may be ahead. Clicking our heels together three times isn't gonna' help us this time Toto.

Regards and good luck, it won't be long now. Jim

-- Anonymous, November 15, 1999

JP,

Clicking your heels together for Toto won't help? Are you sure? Cause I wonder why all those military types are getting ready to click their heels, for Toto, then. Hmmmm. Maybe they know something we don't. Old McDougal had a plan, EO,EO,Aye. Oh my!

-- Anonymous, November 17, 1999