Opinion ID: 518889
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Bus Driver Resolution

Text: 45 Petitioners also argue that a union resolution by school bus drivers not to participate in the event of a radiological emergency was a serious inadequacy in the plan, making it uncertain whether evacuation could be carried out successfully. In his decision the Director concluded that the bus driver resolution did not substantially threaten the adequacy of the plan, since FEMA had characterized the drivers' resolution as nonbinding and had further indicated that measures were being taken to resolve the union's remaining problems to ensure their full participation in the plan. In FEMA's view the union members are willing to cooperate, attend meetings and participate in training related to their emergency duties. 46 The Director's conclusion on this issue is supported not only by FEMA's findings, but by the planning standards set forth at 10 C.F.R. Sec. 50.47. Although this section lists a variety of protective actions to be included for the plume exposure pathway EPZs, including evacuation planning, it fails to set forth any specific requirements, particularly with regard to the issue of driver availability. Cf. San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace v. NRC, 789 F.2d 26, 44 (D.C.Cir.1986) (Because the NRC was not required by its regulations to consider the potential complication effects of earthquakes on emergency planning in its decision to license ... there is no merit to petitioners' claim that they were denied a hearing on the issue). Additionally, the regulations advise the NRC to defer to FEMA findings on points within its expertise, which the Director did in this instance. Since NRC and FEMA were closest to the threatened strike, and since the agency is to be afforded broad discretion, we abide by the Director's decision. The Second Circuit in County of Rockland v. NRC, 709 F.2d 766, 776-77 (2d Cir.1983), reached a similar conclusion in holding that NRC's refusal to take enforcement action on the bus drivers' threatened lack of cooperation was not improper. 47 In summary, although this issue has been troubling to us, based on the Director's findings and the language of the regulations, we conclude that the Director did not act arbitrarily or capriciously in denying the request for further proceedings. A contrary ruling on our part might be construed as holding that a resolution by possible participants not to participate in an emergency plan amounts to mandatory grounds for granting section 2.206 requests. While we do not hold that such a circumstance can never be the basis for finding the existence of an abuse of discretion, certainly such an abuse is not suggested by the showing made here in support of the request for a hearing. 48