Title: Wisconsin. Division of Emergency Government: Nuclear Disaster Planning and Exercise Files
Inclusive Dates: 1978-1998

Creator:

• Wisconsin. Division of Emergency Government

Call Number: Series 2551; 2005/135; 2015/092

Quantity: 2.0 cubic feet (2 records center cartons); plus additions of 4.2 cubic feet and 10 photographs

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

See the catalog entry for information of possible additional materials and shelf locations.

Abstract:

Correspondence, reports, message logs, press releases, and minutes relating to nuclear power plant response exercises conducted under federal regulation NUREG 0654 FEMA-REP-1 Rev. 1, “Criteria for Preparation and Evaluation of Radiological Emergency Response Plan and Preparedness in Support of Nuclear Power Plants,” from the state Division of Emergency Government. Exercises were conducted at nuclear power plants in Genoa, Wisconsin; Kewaunee, Wisconsin; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Point Beach, Wisconsin; Prairie Island, Minnesota; and Zion, Illinois, and involved plant staff and federal, state, and local government officials.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ser02551

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Chapter 75, Laws of 1967, which reorganized the executive branch of state government in Wisconsin, transferred the Bureau of Civil Defense from the Executive Office to the new Department of Local Affairs and Development where it became the Division of Emergency Government. In 1979 the Division was transferred to the Department of Administration and on October 1, 1989, to the Department of Military Affairs.

The Division of Emergency Government implements and coordinates statewide programs of emergency preparedness for enemy attack and natural or man-made disasters; coordinates state and federal resources in the repair or restoration of vital public facilities destroyed by such disasters; administers federal disaster and emergency funds; and conducts programs of emergency planning, training, and education for state and local government, business and industry, and the general public. The division is also responsible for the state's role in nuclear power plant incident response exercises mandated by federal law.

The state's emergency government function has gradually shifted from civil defense to natural and man-made disaster emergency response. Accordingly, records from the 1950s and 1960s document two basic roles of the Office of Civil Defense and its successors: 1) planning for evacuation and survival in the event of a nuclear attack; 2) coordinating the development of a state and local warning and emergency response system. Records from the 1970s to the present focus more on emergency response to natural disasters, nuclear power plant accidents, hazardous materials spills and in rare instances civil unrest. Thus, the two basic roles of the Division of Emergency Government have been: 1) planning for natural and man made disasters; 2) emergency response to actual disasters or unrest.

This collection was received in multiple parts from the donor(s) and is organized into 3 major parts. These materials have not been physically interfiled and researchers might need to consult more than one part to locate similar materials.

• Part 1 (Series 2551): Original Collection, 1979-1982
• Part 2 (2005/135): Additions, 1980-1998
• Part 3 (2015/092): Additions, 1978-1983

Acquisition Information

Accession Number: 1987/139, 1991/124, 1992/033, 2005/135, 2015/092

Processing Information

Original Collection processed by Lee C. Grady, July 14, 1998.

Series 2551	Part 1 (Series 2551): Original Collection, 1979-1982 Physical Description: 2.0 cubic feet (2 records center cartons)  Arrangement of the Materials: Collection is alphabetical by name/location of nuclear power plant and thereunder chronological by the date of the exercise. Scope and Content Note: Records include exercise objectives, disaster scenarios, staffing plans, exercise reports, evaluations, and schedules of corrective actions for each nuclear power plant exercise. Exercises were conducted at nuclear power plants in Genoa, Wisconsin; Kewaunee, Wisconsin; Point Beach, Wisconsin; Prairie Island, Minnesota; and Zion, Illinois, and involved plant staff and federal, state, and local government officials.
Box   1 Folder   1	Peace Time Radiological Emergencies
	Genoa Exercises
	October 21, 1981
Box   1 Folder   2	Assignments
Box   1 Folder   3	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   4	Cost
Box   1 Folder   5	Meetings and Minutes
Box   1 Folder   6	Message Log
Box   1 Folder   7	Press Releases
Box   1 Folder   8	Scenario
	August 3, 1982
Box   1 Folder   9	Assignments
Box   1 Folder   10	Contacts
Box   1 Folder   11	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   12	Critique
Box   1 Folder   13	Follow-Up Letters
Box   1 Folder   14	Meetings and Minutes
Box   1 Folder   15	Message Log
Box   1 Folder   16	Press Releases
Box   1 Folder   17	Scenario
	Kewaunee Exercise, February 22, 1982
Box   1 Folder   18	General
Box   1 Folder   19	Communications Drill - Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   20	Messages
	Kewaunee/Manitowoc Exercise, January 21, 1981
Box   1 Folder   21	Assignments
Box   1 Folder   22	Contacts
Box   1 Folder   23	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   24	Costs
Box   1 Folder   25	Evaluations
Box   1 Folder   26	Meetings and Minutes
Box   1 Folder   27	Message Log
Box   1 Folder   28	Press Releases
Box   1 Folder   29	Scenario
	Point Beach Exercise, March 9, 1982
Box   1 Folder   30	General
Box   1 Folder   31	Assignments
Box   1 Folder   32	Contacts
Box   1 Folder   33	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   34	Costs
Box   1 Folder   35	Critique
Box   1 Folder   36	Meetings and Minutes
Box   1 Folder   37	Message Log
Box   1 Folder   38	Press Releases
Box   1 Folder   39	Scenario
	Prairie Island (Minnesota) Exercises
	October 15, 1980
Box   1 Folder   40	Assignments
Box   1 Folder   41	Contacts
Box   1 Folder   42	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   43	Cost
Box   1 Folder   44	Evaluations
Box   1 Folder   45	Meetings and Minutes
Box   1 Folder   46	Message Log
Box   1 Folder   47	Press Releases
Box   1 Folder   48	Scenario
	December 8, 1981
Box   2 Folder   1	Assignments
Box   2 Folder   2	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   3	Evaluations
Box   2 Folder   4	Meetings and Minutes
Box   2 Folder   5	Pierce County Planning Documents
Box   2 Folder   6	Scenario
	August 3, 1982
Box   2 Folder   7	Assignments
Box   2 Folder   8	Contacts
Box   2 Folder   9	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   10	Critique
Box   2 Folder   11	Follow-Up Letters
Box   2 Folder   12	Meetings and Minutes
Box   2 Folder   13	Message Log
Box   2 Folder   14	Scenario
	Zion Station (Illinois) Exercises
	July 29, 1981
Box   2 Folder   15	Assignments
Box   2 Folder   16	Commonwealth Edison Company Controller's Manual
Box   2 Folder   17	Contacts
Box   2 Folder   18	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   19	Evaluations
Box   2 Folder   20	Meetings and Minutes
Box   2 Folder   21-22	Message Log
Box   2 Folder   23	Press Releases
Box   2 Folder   24	Scenario
	October 7, 1981 (“Re-exercise”)
Box   2 Folder   25	Assignments
Box   2 Folder   26	Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   27	Cost
Box   2 Folder   28-29	Evaluation
Box   2 Folder   30	Message Log
Box   2 Folder   31	Press Releases
Box   2 Folder   32	Scenario
2005/135	Part 2 (2005/135): Additions, 1980-1998 Physical Description: 3.8 cubic feet (3 records center cartons and 2 archives boxes) and 10 photographs  Scope and Content Note: Correspondence, objectives, scenarios, press materials, logs, evaluations, draft and final reports to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other planning materials for nuclear disaster exercises, 1980-1998, for power plants at Kewaunee, La Crosse, Point Beach, Prairie Island, and Zion. Earlier files consist primarily of final reports, while later files contain more planning materials. Also included are extensive planning materials, reports, and photographs for the federal field exercise that took place at Zion, Illinois, in 1987, only the second occasion in which the federal government exercised its radiological emergency response plan in support of state and local governments. The files are arranged into state and federal exercises files, with the state files then arranged chronologically and alphabetically by plant name.	⇧
	State Exercises
Box   1 Folder   1	, Pre-1981 information
Box   1 Folder   2-27	1980, La Crosse-, 1990, Prairie Island
Box   2 Folder   1-23	1990, Prairie Island (continued)-, 1995, Unannounced
Box   3 Folder   1-35	1995, Zion-, 1997, Zion
Box   4 Folder   1	1998, Prairie Island Note: Incomplete file.
	Federal Field Exercise, 1986-1987
Box   4 Folder   2	Exercise development plan
Box   4 Folder   3	Florida meeting, 1987
Box   4 Folder   4	Management work group
Box   4 Folder   5	Administrative work group
Box   4 Folder   6	Public affairs work group
Box   4 Folder   7	Scenario work group
Box   5 Folder   1	Visitors work group
Box   5 Folder   2	Table top meeting, 1987
Box   5 Folder   3	Players handbook
Box   5 Folder   4	Training
Box   5 Folder   5	Staffing
Box   5 Folder   6	Photographic report
Box   5 Folder   7	Public information
Box   5 Folder   8-9	Reports
2015/092	Part 3 (2015/092): Additions, 1978-1983 Physical Description: 0.4 cubic feet (1 archives box)  Scope and Content Note: Materials for radiological defense officer training including memoranda, notes on topics covered, student evaluations, and lists of names and grades, 1978-1983, together with form letters concerning the handling of Cobalt 60 and other nuclear materials during local training exercises, 1962-1985. These files reflect a change in organizational responsibility from the Division of Health, Section of Emergency Health Services to the Division of Emergency Government in 1977.	⇧