Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today about the current state of emergency preparedness at commercial nuclear power plants in the United States.

My experience includes 23 years in the commercial nuclear power industry. During my career I have been a participant, observer, or evaluator in more than 500 drills and exercises. And, for many years I have co-sponsored and taught an emergency preparedness continuing education program at Harvard University.

I have served as the manager of two nuclear power plant emergency preparedness programs. A benefit of being at the two utilities that have multi-jurisdictional emergency planning zones, is that I have been involved in developing the interface between the utility and the federal, state and local agencies, and know, first hand, that they are well-founded and effective.

During my 14 years at the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, I completed over 280 evaluation or reviews of emergency preparedness programs. I have been to every plant in the United States and many outside the United States.

I look at my testimony today as an opportunity to provide information about an area that has, since September 11, 2001, generated considerable concern and much speculation among many Americans, and that is, the safety of the public in regard to emergency preparedness programs.