THIS IS AN EXERCISE. THIS IS ONLY AN EXERCISE.

THIS IS AN EXERCISE. THIS IS ONLY AN EXERCISE.

Alert Declared, No Protective Actions Necessary

Raleigh – At 8:08 a.m. on November 17 Progress Energy informed the N.C. Division of Emergency Management that an Alert was declared today at the Harris Nuclear Plant in southwestern Wake County. An alert is an emergency classification used by plant personnel when abnormal events have the potential to impact plant equipment or public health and safety.

Doug Hoell, NCEM director, said the current situation at the plant poses no threat to public health and safety, and there is no need for protective actions at this time.

Progress Energy informed state and county officials of an event earlier today at the Harris Plant. Officials from the state, Chatham, Harnett, Lee and Wake counties are monitoring the situation.

At the direction of Gov. Beverly Perdue, the State Emergency Response Team has activated the State Emergency Operations Center where they will continue to monitor the situation.

“Representatives of key state agencies have assembled at the EOC and are prepared to coordinate response activities which may be necessary,” said Gov. Perdue. The governor stressed that the activation is only a precautionary measure and that at this time there is no threat to the public. While there has been no release of radiation from the facility, the Radiation Protection Section in the Division of Environmental Health, Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, has sent field teams to the area around the plant to monitor for releases of radioactivity.

Lee County Emergency Operations Center activated at 8:13 a.m.

Emergency Personnel are on standby at this time.

THIS IS AN EXERCISE. THIS IS ONLY AN EXERCISE.