WHO: Participants in the exercise include Union Pacific, Fort Hall Police, Fort Hall Fire and EMS, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Tribal Fish & Game Department, Idaho State Police, Bannock County Sheriff, Bingham County Sheriff, Bingham County Office of Emergency Management, Tribal Office of Emergency Management, Shoshone-Bannock Transportation Department, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Environmental Waste Management Program, 101stCivil Support Team, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Energy Region 6 Radiological Assistance Program, Pocatello Fire Department – HAZMAT Regional Response Team 6, Pocatello Police Department, State of Idaho Office of Emergency Management, the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, and Naval Nuclear Laboratories.
WHAT: A transportation accident exercise will be jointly conducted by tribal, federal, state, and local government agencies and the commercial rail carrier. In the exercise scenario, a vehicle hits a moving railcar carrying an empty (but simulated to be full) Naval spent nuclear fuel shipping container. There will be no release of radioactivity.
WHERE: The exercise will take place in Pocatello, Idaho, in the Union Pacific Railyard. The railyard address is 257 E Day St, Pocatello, ID 83201. Please follow all posted signage to reserved media parking area.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 18
Media desiring to observe the exercise are requested to bring credentials and arrive at the Union Pacific Railyard between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. MDT where they will be provided with further instructions. After 9:30 a.m., there will be no access to the exercise. The exercise will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. Egress from the site will not be possible until after the exercise concludes, which is anticipated to end at about 11:30 a.m. Spokespersons will be available to answer questions before and after the exercise. Media personnel are advised to wear sturdy closed toe shoes.
WHY: This exercise and the planning leading up to it provide local emergency responders an opportunity to train, evaluate, and improve their response actions. Since the mid-1990s, the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program has periodically held transportation accident exercises involving tribal, federal, state, and local emergency preparedness officials. These exercises provide training opportunities and further the existing communications among emergency responders.
CONTACT: Please confirm your participation in this event no later than Friday, September 13.
Questions may be addressed to Feliciana Fullmer, Shoshone Bannock Public Information Officer at 208-479-5885 or Naval Nuclear Laboratory Public Affairs at 412-476-7640.