If you live in the Midwest and see a bunch of emergency employees who look like they are responding to an explosion of a nuclear power plant over the next week, don’t be alarming. The United States and Canadian governments are conducting exercise through numerous states to prepare for any possible nuclear disaster. And as long as you don’t see a fungal cloud in the distance, you’re probably fine.
The Energy Department released a press release on Thursday announcing that 70 local, state, provincial, and federal agencies from the United States and Canada will hold an exercise called Cobalt Magneto 25 of March 14-21. At least 3,000 people will participate in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Ontario, which simulates a nuclear power plant accident.
Cobalt Magneto 25 has been in the works for 18 months and will enable corresponding equipment to practice scanning for radiological materials and deliver crisis services to the population. Getting essential services online is also part of the drill. The National Nuclear Security Administration, part of the Department of Energy, puts out the word so that people do not panic if they see emergency respondents run around.
“During the exercise, members of the public can see corresponding personnel in protective clothing using radiological monitoring and detection equipment, low-flying aircraft making data collecting overflows, and groups of first responders and others staged at various locations. “Cobalt Magneto 25 is part of a regular program of training, exercises and planning for the partners to prepare in the event of public health and security emergency.”
These types of drills appeared in the 1970s as a way to train for the unthinkable. The United States has experienced an eruption of nuclear extinction trials, which led to the creation of the nuclear emergency team, now known as the nuclear relief team (NEST).
“The nuclear relief team-or nest-is trained to give decision-makers timely scientific advice during radiological incidents,” said Dr. Wendin Smith, the deputy under secretary of counterterrorism and anti-proliferation at the Energy Department.
The Nest team often trains for a worst case case, whether it is an intended terrorist act involving nuclear material or random incident like those at Chernobyl or three miles island in the 1970s and 80s.
“We exercise to validate our ability to quickly determine the scope and severity of radiological dangers, whether and how the public is affected, and enables the optimal response,” Smith said. “If such a scenario happened, that would save lives and reduce public effects. Nest’s core mission is to deliver these critical information to local, state, and federal leaders as quickly as possible.”
Unfortunately, President Donald Trump and his billionaire Stooge Elon Musk don’t seem to understand how essential the work of a nest is. They shot hundreds of staff at NNSA, only to hire them after these idiots learned that the energy department is the agency responsible for maintaining our nuclear weapons secure and responding to some nuclear accidents.
Again, you probably don’t need to worry if you see a set of nuclear specialists in the Midwest this weekend. But it seems that noteworthy these exercises still involve friends from the United States from Canada. Trump has repeatedly suggested that he would invade the country, historically one of the largest allies in the United States. And Canadians, of course, upset the completely unnecessary provocation, as Trump says he wants to make it the “51st state.”
It is hoping that Cobalt Magneto 26 still has many Canadians participating. Because if they are not, it means that the United States will be much less secure for many reasons.
