A2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18,1981
Officers elected at the Pa. Jersey Cattle Club’s annual
meeting were president Joseph Shields; vice president, Bob
Robison; secretary, Florence Robison; and second vice
president Craig Rhien.
Pennsylvania’s Jersey queen, Karla Martin from Cham
bersburg, stands with alternate Marilyn Deaven,
Fredericksburg, and Mrs. Gerald Moose, R 2, New
Wilmington.
HARRISBURG - State
veterinarians John Cable and Max
Vanßuskirk testified in front of the
Atomic Safety and Licensing
Board recently to inform all
parties involved in the controversy
of restarting the Unit 1 reactor at
Three Mile Island about the
Commonwealth’s Disaster
Operations Plan.
The Commonwealth’s plan
identifies the Department of
Agriculture as the lead state
agency, working with USDA, in
guiding counties and agricultural
communities in plans and actions
in the event of radioactive con
tamination.
The plan was developed and
published after TMI-2 and was
revised this past February
In his testimony to the board on
April 8, Dr Cable said, in the event
of a nuclear emergency, the state
has no plans for an overall
evacuation of livestock found on
the 90 to 95 farms within a 5 mile
area of TMI The decision to
evacuate would come from the
Secretary of Agriculture
He pointed out the state has a
network or agreement with USDA
and other federal agencies for
emergency animal disease control
programs for any type of
emergency
When asked if an animal that has
been radiated poses a threat to the
farmer or caretaker, Cable stated,
“External ratiation to the animal
would pose no threat to the farmer
You may have particulate matter
Pa.
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BAI vets defend emergency plan
in the fur which could cause ad
ditional hazards to the farmer ”
Concerning dairy cattle that
might miss milkings if an accident
involving Unit 1 should occur, Dr.
Vanßuskirk explained the udder of
the cow would become congested
for a few days, but gradually the
fluids would be reabsorbed and the
udder would becdme dry
Claims were made by area
farmers that mastitis would result,
along with other physical stress to
the cattle (See front page story)
These same farmers claimed the
state’s emergency plan is im
practical
Responding to this contention,
Vanßuskirk stated, “The planned
protective actions for livestock
emphasize sheltering and the use
of feed and water that has been
protected from contamination
The guidance takes into
consideration the tolerance
livestock have to the effects of low
level radiation and it minimizes
exposure on the part of the farmer
during the release of raHifnrtive
material ’’
The plan calls for coordination at
the local level through the efforts
of Extension personnel and advises
farm operators to report their
status and the status of livestock to
them in case of an emergency
If the need to evacuate people
from the area becomes necessary,
Vanßuskirk stated the Com
monwealth can assist in arranging
for livestock care And if the
situation worsens, the evacuation
Jersey Cattle Club meets
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Receiving trophies for high cow at the Robison, Coal Center, and for high he
Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle Club’s annual and Dick Moose of New Wilmington
meeting April 1
of livestock would be made on a
case to case basis
‘...We will not attempt to
evacuate immediately because of
logistical problems and because of
the problems related to confining
disease to the original problem
area,” he said
“The mingling of livestock and
sharing of equipment enroute to
and at relocation sites increases
the chances of exposure to
dangerous transmissible diseases,
like brucellosis, tuberculosis,
mastitis and pseudorabies ”
The plan calls for minimum
exposure to radiation for both
people and livestock through
preparation. It suggests survival
rations be stored in bams to keep
livestock fed and watered for 48
hours And equipment and
emergency generators should be
located inside to prevent the
farmer from having to be exposed
to unnecessary risks
Fact sheets describe minimum
ventilation needed for livestock to
survive so windows and openings
can be closed with bales of hay 01
sacks of gram, explamed Robert
Furrer, emergency management
coordinator for PDA.
“If you continue to ventilate fuh
. .*v, fjang von’!l be p,
everything in from the outside air,
lessening the shielding provided b;
the bam,” he said “There is
always the risk of too little ven
tilation the farmers must choose
between the two risks, radiation or
ventilation
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Placing for high mil
and Dr. Robert Dries bach. Photos by Leslie Firth
Tables for radiation levels and
their effects on livestock are listed
in the plan starting at 500 rads, a
measure of the radioactivity per
unit of tune According to Furrer,
the radiation level during TMI-2
never reached 1 rad
Furrer said the assistance
during a disaster depends on
government and its respon
siveness
Furrer and a PDA spokesman
said after TMI-2, the Department
visited farms in the area and
(Continued from Page Al)
Lytle went on to testify that
trying to move a herd like his
would take from six to eight hours,
“just to get loaded up and out of
there ”
The state’s emergency plan,
however, does not call for
evacuatmg animals, necessarily,
but provides recommendations on
how the animals can be protected
from the effects of radiation
through housing
It suggests ‘placing earth, hay,
sacked feed or fertilizer, concrete
blocks or other materials over and
around exposed walls of barns and
shelters to increase the radiation
shielding effectiveness ” It also
rates the protection offered from
various types of structures, from
open sheds to bank barns
When asked if he would say it
was practical, under any cir
listened to experiences and
feelings of fanners and local
veterinarians
“PDA is not pro or con for
nuclear plants,” Furrer con
cluded “Our interest is to have a
plan in place if there is an
emergency anywhere.
“Human life is our first priority
with livestock second We do not
equate livestock to human life in
our planning effort I don’t know
anyone who would recommend we
do SM
plan
State
cumstances, to build a wall of hay
or bags of feed to close in a barn
big enough to house his cattle,
numbering over 200, Lytle
responded negatively
“It would take an army to move
everything around,” he said “Plus
the animals would be in it just as
fast as they can ” He then called
the Commonwealth’s suggestions
on sheltermg impractical
Lytle explained his housing
situation back at the farm is loose
housing, a three-sided shed with an
open front. The cattle have free
choice to go in or out
There is no means of closing the
front,” Lytle sai(J. “And we use
tnat as natural ventilation.”
In commenting on the livestock's
need for air, water, feed, and
milking, Lytle expressed concern
He testified that from missing a
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