1. Federal and state agencies, as well as the utility,
should make adequate preparation for a systematic public information
program so that in time of a radiation-related emergency, they can
provide timely and accurate information to the news media and the public
in a form that is understandable. There should be sufficient division of
briefing responsibilities as well as availability of informed sources to
reduce confused and inaccurate information. The Commission therefore
recommends:
a. Since the utility must be responsible for the management
of the accident, it should also be primarily responsible for providing
information on the status of the plant to the news media and to the
public; but the restructured NRC should also play a supporting role
and be available to provide background information and technical
briefings.
b. Since the state government is responsible for decisions
concerning protective actions, including evacuations, a designated
state agency should be charged with issuing all information on this
subject. This agency is also charged with the development of and
dissemination of accurate and timely information on off-site radiation
doses resulting from releases of radioactivity. This information
should be derived from appropriate sources. (See recommendation F.I.)
This agency should also set up the machinery to keep local officials
fully informed of developments and to coordinate briefings to discuss
any federal involvement in evacuation matters.
2. The provision of accurate and timely information places
special responsibilities on the official sources of this information.
The effort must meet the needs of the news media for information but
without compromising the ability of operational personnel to manage the
accident. The Commission therefore recommends that:
a. Those who brief the news media must have direct access to
informed sources of information.
b. Technical liaison people should be designated to inform
the briefers and to serve as a resource for the news media.
c. The primary official news sources should have plans for
the prompt establishment of press centers reasonably close to the
site. These must be properly equipped, have appropriate visual aids
and reference materials, and be staffed with individuals who are
knowledgeable in dealing with the news media. These press centers must
be operational promptly upon the declaration of a general emergency or
its equivalent.
3. The coverage of nuclear emergencies places special
responsibilities on the news media to provide accurate and timely
information. The Commission therefore recommends that:
a. All major media outlets (wire services, broadcast
networks, news magazines, and metropolitan daily newspapers) hire and
train specialists who have more than a passing familiarity with
reactors and the language of radiation. All other news media,
regardless of their size, located near nuclear power plants should
attempt to acquire similar knowledge or make plans to secure it during
an emergency.
b. Reporters discipline themselves to place complex
information in a context that is understandable to the public and that
allows members of the public to make decisions regarding their health
and safety.
c. Reporters educate themselves to understand the pitfalls
in interpreting answers to "what if" questions. Those covering an
accident should have the ability to understand uncertainties expressed
by sources of information and probabilities assigned to various
possible dangers.
4. State emergency plans should include provision for
creation of local broadcast media networks for emergencies that will
supply timely and accurate information. Arrangements should be made to
make available knowledgeable briefers to go on the air to clear up
rumors and explain conditions at the plant. Communications between state
officials, the utility, and the network should be prearranged to handle
the possibility of an evacuation announcement.
5. The Commission recommends that the public in the vicinity
of a nuclear power plant be routinely informed of local radiation
measurements that depart appreciably from normal background radiation,
whether from normal or abnormal operation of the nuclear power plant,
from a radioactivity cleanup operation such as that at TMI-2, or from
other sources.
