Recently, 20,000 Columbiana County residents who live within 10 miles of the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant in nearby Shippingport opened their mailboxes to find a special delivery of sorts.

Every year at this time, they receive a 16-page pamphlet via snail mail, detailing emergency response information in case of a problem at the plant. In the case of an emergency, there might be damage from radiation, necessitating an evacuation of the East Liverpool-Negley area in the case of a serious accident.

The pamphlet details those plans, which include what to do if one hears the emergency sirens, how to “shelter-in-place” and how to evacuate, according to Peggy Clark, director of the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency.

The 10-mile planning zone covers portions of Columbiana County — places like East Liverpool, Calcutta and St. Clair Township.

When sounded steadily (not wailing or warbling) for three minutes, one should turn on local radio or TV Emergency Alert System (EAS), such as WKBN; stay off the phone and follow the directions on the EAS.

“Pretty much everything a person who lives within that 10-mile zone needs to know is contained in this document,” Clark said, who adds the information is still available in phone books and online.

Although there has never been a radiation release at the Beaver Valley plant, the plan has been in place since the Three Mile Island incident, where there was a partial meltdown of a reactor near Harrisburg and a subsequent radiation leak in 1979. As Clark explained, the response drew attention to the lack of communication to the public and programs, such as the production of this annual brochure, resulted.

“Shelter-in-place” means residents go indoors with their pets and stay there, closing all fans, doors, windows, vents and air conditioners or sources of outside air as well as refrain from picking produce or fruit not already in one’s home.

If an evacuation order is issued on EAS stations, local residents are asked to make their way to one of their reception areas, Negley Fire Department or the Beaver Local Sports Complex. They can register and receive general information, including how to get into an American Red Cross-managed care center if needing temporary housing.

Clark explained that in her shelter experience, most recently in East Palestine when the EMA had to set them up for residents to keep warms, she found that only around 20 percent may go to a shelter. The other 80 percent elects to stay with family and friends.

There are two information cards included in the brochure that one can complete. One card details special medical needs, such as disability or transportation dependent, while the other addresses agricultural concerns during a radiological emergency.

Pickup points for those with transportation limitations include Hall China, Dixonville Fire Department, LaCroft Elementary School, Westgate Middle School, East Liverpool High School and Calcutta Fire Department.

As part of the plan, all East Liverpool High School children are relocated to the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center along with those who attend the Employment Development Inc. South. All other East Liverpool elementary and middle school children are transported to the David Anderson High School in Lisbon, where children all can be picked up away from the emergency.

Although FirstEnergy plans to close the Beaver Valley Plant in 2021, Clark said that the county EMA still is prepared to send out brochures and drill through 2022. The plant, which has 800 employees, still will have radioactive fuel on site.

She urges residents and their loved ones to sign up for the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), which is a free service offered through the agency’s website that allows emergency service to immediately send out text messages, voice calls, emails and pages in the event of any emergency or severe weather event. There is no charge for the service.

For more information, visit www.ccoema.org or call 866-998-9367.