Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
NUCLEAR ACCIDENT
NUCLEAR ACCIDENT. In the event there was an accident or problem at the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo, Iowa, about 60 miles southwest of Dubuque, plans needed to be made. This was the purpose of a meeting held in Dubuque on June 4, 1985.
Dubuque County was designated as one of the host sites for an evacuation at the energy plant. It was proposed that Dubuque County would accept a maximum of 10,000 people for which food, clothing and shelter would need to be found. The worst case scenario would result with radioactive particles from the power plant released into the air forcing the evacuation of portions of Cedar Rapids.
The plan involved setting up traffic checkpoints to direct people to their host counties. These site would also be used to detect people contaminated with radiation. Once they arrived in Dubuque County, they would be registered and set up temporarily at Dubuque and Western Dubuque public schools. This was the basis of the state plan. Details beyond this would be set up in the county.
Partially set up to comply with federal regulations, the planning was also done to avoid the miscommunication which was said to have occurred at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania in 1979. The 1985 plan was expected to be ready for testing in the fall after which one family would go through the procedures.
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Source:
1. Blocker, Sue, "Dubuque Could Host 10,000 in Nuke Accident," Telegraph Herald, June 5, 1985, p. 1