Brunswick Nuclear Plant will tests sirens on the 14th

SOUTHPORT – Tests of the public notification sirens located within 10 miles of the Brunswick Nuclear Plant will be conducted Wednesday, April 14 starting at 10 a.m. The tests are part of Progress Energy’s comprehensive emergency planning program performed in cooperation with the State of North Carolina and Brunswick and New Hanover counties.

During these tests, the sirens will be sounded for short periods of time lasting approximately 10 seconds. The sirens are tested on a regular basis to ensure the system is in good working order. Short-duration “Growl Tests” such as those to be performed April 14 are conducted quarterly to make sure the sirens respond and operate properly. Full-volume tests lasting for about three minutes are conducted once per calendar year, with the full-volume test for 2010 scheduled for November 10.

Because the April 14 siren activation is a test, local television and radio stations will not interrupt their regular programming to broadcast Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages. Progress Energy distributes a Safety Information brochure each year to citizens residing within 10 miles of the Brunswick Plant. For more information regarding safety and emergency preparedness at the Brunswick Plant, refer to the Safety Information brochure, visit the company’s web page at www.progress-energy.com or call the Brunswick Plant Corporate Communications Department at 910-457-2900.

The Brunswick Nuclear Plant has two boiling water reactors that generate 1,875 megawatts of electricity, and is a vital part of the mix of resources Progress Energy uses to meet the needs of 1.5 million customers in the Carolinas.

INFORMATION FROM A NEWS RELEASE SENT TO THE WWAY NEWSCHANNEL 3 NEWSROOM.