Nuclear evacuation: is U.S. prepared?

More than 20 million people living within 50 miles of the Indian point energy Center in Buchanan, New York.Dozens of U.S. cities with more than 100,000 people are required for 50 miles of a nuclear PlantNRC evacuation plan for areas within 10 miles of a nuclear PlantBut say FBI agents, if problem was similar to Fukushima in United States, she wants 50 miles of EvacuationWestchester County, New York, official: "we should to return to the drawing board"

(CNN) - when a serious nuclear accident in the United States should be done, we would be able to evacuate security? This issue now seems more than academic and all too realistic, like the Japanese, the release of lethal radiation from which try to limit Fukushima Daiichi crippled nuclear power plant.

The chances of an accident are extremely remote, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but in terms of the Japanese accident, that possibility must be taken into account.

It is a particularly apt problem for residents in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant. Millions do. There are 25 nuclear reactors in the United States is located within of 25 miles of the cities with a population of at least 100,000 people. A further 98 cities of this size are 50 miles or closer to a nuclear power plant. (To see how far you live from nuclear facilities, click here.)

City centres in the vicinity of nuclear reactors include: Charlotte, North Carolina, 15 miles from the McGuire plant; Rochester, New York, 17 miles from the plant Ginna; Omaha, Nebraska, 18 km from the Fort Calhoun reactor; and Miami, 25 km from Turkey point.

Close to the largest population Center of the country is Entergy's Indian point energy Center in Buchanan, New York. Two reactors work about 40 km from the borders of New York City and about 35 km from Midtown Manhattan. About 310,000 people living within 10 miles of the plant; more than 20 million lives within 50 miles of it.

"There is no way that was able to evacuate 21 million people within a 50 mile radius," says Republic Nita Lowey, D - New York.

Some residents in the vicinity of Indian point are especially worried she could suffer health consequences of an accident.

"I don't think that we can evacuate enough," said Michael Crawford, a resident of Peekskill, New York, New York, only two miles from the power plant. "Everyone is scared to come, and you will leave the people at the same time of the panic."

Westchester County, where the plant is located, has plans to evacuate a 10-mile radius around Indian point, detailed how the nuclear regulatory Commission for all such facilities is required. Westchester's plan includes not routing, qist schoolchildren on security and reception areas outside the 10-mile zone. The exodus would occur in gradually, with which the nuclear power plant first leave to the next.

"When we plan our evacuations, the evacuation can be first downwind span for the people in a two mile ring and a five-mile." If conditions worsen and we need more people to move and then we in a five mile ring and a 10 miles downwind can move span, ", said Tony Sutton, Commissioner of Westchester County emergency services." The county would take forecasts, about nine and a half hours for the 310,000 inhabitants, the 10-mile zone to leave.

Drills keep Westchester officials regularly to an underground facility, where practice they respond to different crisis scenarios. The Federal Emergency Management Agency monitored the exercise.

While detailed plans for 10 miles evacuations, the crisis in Japan is another dimension. American has the United States to evacuate Fukushima Daiichi rely for 50 miles of the crippled nuclear power plant. NRC of Chairman Gregory Jaczko said Congress, that is, what he would advise for a similar situation in the United States.

"It is a complete game-changer." Should we go tomorrow back to the drawing board and work day and night with several agencies, multiple jurisdictions, "Said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino."

Astorino added, that his Office was questioning the NRC on his advice in Japan has because the County for the evacuation of a 10-mile zone around the plant is not ready.

Despite the Jaczko of of warning for Americans in Japan point operators say Indian, they imagine, a crisis as severe as in Fukushima, the six reactors, compared with two in Buchanan has.

"It is not a scenario we have where the dose rates or the radiation would require the evacuation of New York City, which has been identified at least up to this point," said Joseph Pollock, Vice President of operations at the Indian point energy Center.

While Office of emergency management for numerous disasters is the city of New York it plans not only for evacuation in response to a serious accident at the Indian point.

"Plans are there, to which people move around, but plans are not specific to Indian point." It is an all-hazard plan, said Chris Gilbride, spokesman of New York's Office of emergency management.

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