Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. ...

Federal Communications Commission FCC 02-64is redundant and unnecessary if the Radiological Hazard Warning code is adopted. 57 One commentersubmits that separate Radiological Hazard Warning and Nuclear Power Plant Warning event codes areappropriate because the risk posed by a nuclear plant is greater and could impact a much widergeographical area; this commenter suggests that we add NPP for Nuclear Power Plant Warning to avoidany conflicts with internal NWS codes. 5822. We will add a NUW event code for Nuclear Power Plant Warnings in lieu of the codessuggested in the NPRM. This code will not conflict with the internal non-precipitation warning codesused by NWS. Moreover, while a nuclear power plant emergency could fall under the general categoryof radiological hazards, we believe that it is appropriate to add a separate, more specific code for nuclearpower plant emergencies because they pose a greater risk to the public. We think that the NUW code ispreferable to the NPP code suggested by one commenter because it conforms with the naming conventionwe are adopting in this proceeding.23. School Closing Statement Code. In the NPRM, we requested comment on arecommendation to add a School Closing Statement (SCS) event code. 59 Two commenters oppose addingthis code, arguing, among other things, that the media already does an adequate job of announcing schoolclosures due to inclement weather and other causes and that school closings are typically done on adistrict-by-district or school-by-school basis so there would have to be separate alerts for each districtand school. 60 None of the commenters expressly support addition of this code. We concur with thearguments made by commenters and therefore will not add the School Closing Statement event code.24. Dam Break Warning Code. We requested comment in the NPRM on the addition of aDam Break Warning (DBW) event code. 61 NWS opposes the addition of this code. 62 NWS states that, aspart of its legislatively-mandated mission, it issues Flash Flood Warnings and other messages for dambreak emergencies based on information provided by federal, state and local land and water managementauthorities through agreements with appropriate agencies. NWS contends that adding another code forthe same event would create operational conflicts and possible public confusion during emergencies.SBE disagrees with NWS, arguing that the Dam Break Warning is more than a simple Flash FloodWarning and would reach parties that would not normally require notification and call to action fortypical flash flood situations. 63 We will not add the Dam Break Warning event code. We will defer toNWS’s view that this code is unnecessary in light of its expertise as the agency primarily responsible forissuing alerts for dam break emergencies.received into a different code to be transmitted, and that an operator error could result in the NWS sending a nuclearpower plant warning inadvertently. WSAB/WA SECC Comments at 6.57585960616263NWS Comments at 4.SBE Comments at 18; SBE Reply Comments at 4.NPRM, 16 FCC Rcd at 7269.WSAB/WA SECC Comments at 5; SBE Reply Comments at 5-6.NPRM, 16 FCC Rcd at 7269.NWS Comments at 3.SBE Reply Comments at 5.12