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NANTICOKE — The city council unanimously approved a new Radiological Emergency Response Plan at Wednesday night’s meeting.
Every city within a 10-mile radius of a nuclear power plant is required by federal law to update its plan every two years. The Honey Pot section of Nanticoke falls within that radius for Talen Energy’s Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Township.
The city’s deputy director for emergency management, Chet Prymowicz, said the only change typically made to the plan is to update it with the names of newly elected officials. However, this year, changes were made in the wording of the document due to the city’s home rule charter.
“We now have a strong mayor who makes the call to evacuate,” Prymowicz said.
Prymowicz said he doesn’t believe the city will ever need to use the plan.
If it does, however, there will be route management teams assembled to help evacuees on their way to a reception center, which would be located at the Big Lots Shopping Center in Dunmore.
Since the last update, Nanticoke lost four medical centers, which means the city needs fewer ambulances to transport patients, Prymowicz said. The closing of the centers also benefits the city given that the city has fewer volunteer first responders, who would be needed to assist patient evacuations.
The city also removed two traffic control points from the plan. The ongoing construction of new roundabouts on Middle Road, Prymowicz said, will “drastically change” the routes out of the city in case of radioactive emergencies. The roundabout changes won’t be added to the plan until 2018.
“It will change for the better,” Prymowicz noted.
Newport Township approved its plan last week, and Prymowicz said every plan is different based on where they are in the radius. The Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency also has a plan in case of emergency.
In other business, the council read an executive order from Mayor Richard Wiaterowski hiring Dane Aukstankalnis as a full-time firefighter. Resident Hank Marks asked why the hiring wasn’t on the agenda and why Wiaterowski hired him.
“The city is budgeted for 10 (firefighters) and the chief,” Council President William Brown said in response. “We don’t decide (who) to hire.”
Marks asked what the salary was and if Aukstankalnis had benefits.
Donna Wall, interim city manager, didn’t quote a figure because she didn’t have the contract in hand.
“They taxpayers deserve to know,” Marks said.