James A. FitzPatrick Clean Energy Center

Nuclear: An Ideal Foundation for Our Clean Energy Future

James A. FitzPatrick Clean Energy Center’s single nuclear reactor in Oswego, New York can generate up to 842 megawatts (MW) of clean, carbon-free energy, enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 600,000 homes. The plant was named for James Anthony FitzPatrick, who was chairman of the New York Power Authority from 1963 to 1977.

U.S. nuclear energy facilities are initially licensed to operate for 40 years and a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) rule allows licensees to apply for initial and subsequent license renewals of up to 20 years each after the initial 40-year term. The NRC approved initial license renewal for the James A. FitzPatrick Clean Energy Center on September 8, 2008, authorizing it to operate through 2034.

Safety is Constellation’s first and highest obligation. Nuclear power plants are among the best-protected private sector facilities in America, with monitoring and inspections by plant owners, local officials, and the federal government.

Learn more about the measures that we take to keep our employees, customers, and communities safe. 

James A. FitzPatrick Clean Energy Center has been part of the community in Oswego, New York and the surrounding area for more than four decades. We provide hundreds of well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in economic support, including about $12 million in taxes annually for schools, roads, and other public services.

James A. FitzPatrick Clean Energy Center is referenced in legal and regulatory filings as James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant.


Evacuation Basics

 

Designated Evacuation Routes
Download Designated Evacuation Route Map
This map shows the designated evacuation routes for the entire emergency planning zone. The zone is divided into emergency response planning areas (ERPAs). Designated evacuation routes are indicated on the map by arrows. These routes have been chosen to minimize traffic congestion and provide the quickest way out of the emergency planning zone. Locate the designated route nearest your home and follow that route out of the emergency planning zone regardless of your final destination. Be sure your route does not take you back into the emergency planning zone.

Bus Pickup Point
Download Evacuation Map with Bus Pickup Points
The maps on this page provide a reference for important emergency planning information. They contain the emergency response planning areas and bus pickup points along the evacuation routes. During a recommended evacuation, EAS messages will announce the time buses will begin traveling to pick up points.

Emergency Reception Center
The Reception Center for your area is the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. The Reception Center will be operated by county and state health and social services personnel.

If you are advised to leave the area, please follow the directions given on the Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations. You and your family will be advised to go directly to the Reception Center for registration and/or radiation monitoring. The location of the Reception Center is shown below.

If you don’t have a place to stay outside the 10-mile emergency planning zone (EPZ), you will be assigned to a nearby congregate care center operated by the American Red Cross. Families may use the Reception Center as a meeting point and message center.

Congregate care centers will offer food, medical care and communications facilities. No firearms, alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs will be allowed at either the reception center or congregate care centers.

Certified Service Animals & Pets (including emotional support, comfort, & therapy animals) 
Certified service animals as defined under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be permitted to enter all areas of the reception center and congregate care facilities.

For the safety of you, your pet, and other evacuees a dedicated area within the NYS Fairgrounds Reception Center will be available to provide radiological monitoring, decontamination and registration services for evacuees and their pets.  It is advised that you have an evacuation/sheltering plan for your pet(s) prior to your arrival as there will be NO BOARDING ACCOMODATIONS (short or long term) at the NYS Fairgrounds Reception Center.  Additional information can be obtained from your veterinarian and shelters located outside of the Emergency Planning Zone.

Emergency Reception Center Location
581 State Fair Blvd; Syracuse, NY 13209
GPS coordinates are: 43.073857,-76.215708
From the 10-mile EPZ:

  • From 481: Take 481 South to Exit 9S to I-81 South into Syracuse to Exit 22. Follow Bear Street (Rt. 298) to I-690 West to Exit 7 to NYS Fairgrounds.
  • From I-81: Take I-81S into Syracuse to Exit 22. Follow Bear Street (Rt. 298) to I-690 West to Exit 7 to NYS Fairgrounds.
  • From NY-48: Take NY-48 South to NY-690 South to NY-690 East to Exit 7 to NYS Fairgrounds.

Information for Farmers
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will provide further instructions regarding the protection of livestock and foodstuffs. For more information for the agricultural community, click here.

School Information
If your child’s school is in session at the time evacuation is recommended, children attending schools located within the emergency planning zone will be transported to the designated Reception Center at NYS Fairgrounds in Syracuse. They will remain under supervision until picked up by parents or guardians. Children whose homes are inside the emergency planning zone, but who attend school outside the emergency planning zone, will not be sent home if an evacuation is recommended. They will remain at the school under supervision until picked up by parents or guardians. Contact school officials for more information.

Non-Public School and Day Care Information
Parents and guardians with children attending non-public schools or day care facilities within the emergency planning zone should become familiar with the facilities’ emergency plans. Contact the facility operator for more information.


EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM / SIRENS

The Emergency Alert System will provide you with official information in case of tornadoes, floods, nuclear plant accidents or other emergencies. Turn on your radio or TV to one of the stations below for official information and instructions. Additional information will also be posted at www.oswegocounty.com/emo website.

Emergency Alert Radio Stations:

PRIMARY broadcast stations

  • WSYR AM 570
  • WHEN AM 620
  • WSYR FM 106.9
  • WYYY FM 94.5
  • WWHT FM 107.9
  • WBBS FM 104.7
  • WSTM Channel 3
  • NOAA Weather Radio

May also be broadcast on:

  • WYNO FM 88.9
  • WRVO FM 89.9
  • WTVH Channel 5
  • WSYR Channel 9
  • WNYS Channel 43*
  • WSYT Channel 68*

* Check your local service provider

Warning Sirens
Communities across the United States may use outdoor warning sirens for many purposes. Sirens are not exclusive to nuclear power facilities. Sirens are designed to warn the public of many hazards, including fires, flooding, and other events that warrant public notifications. The warning sirens for the Nine Mile Point and James A. FitzPatrick Emergency Planning Zone, when activated, emit a three-minute steady sound.

If you hear a siren, you should tune to one of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) stations listed on this site for official information. 

Siren Testing
Warning sirens surrounding the Nine Mile Point and James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Stations are routinely tested weekly on Tuesdays at 1:00 pm. Full sound testing is conducted on the first Tuesday of June and December.

Siren Malfunction
Report siren malfunctions to Oswego County Emergency Management at 315.591.9150 during normal working hours and off-hours by dialing 911.

Public Inquiry Telephone Number (During Emergencies Only)
800.285.6811


EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Oswego County Emergency Management Office
200 North Second Street
Fulton, NY 13069
315.591.9150
www.oswegocounty.com/emo

New York State Office of Emergency Management
Building No. 22, Suite 101
1220 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12226-2251
518.292.2311
Radiological Emergency Preparedness | Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (ny.gov)

American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

New York State Department of Health
www.health.ny.gov

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
www.nrc.gov

Nuclear Energy Institute
www.nei.org

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane SW
Washington, DC 20528-0075
202.282.8000
www.dhs.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency
www.fema.gov

Potassium Iodide (KI)
Potassium iodide (KI) is an additional protective action to sheltering or evacuation. Following an EAS message, State and local officials will announce when the public should take KI in news broadcasts on radio and TV and at www.oswegocounty.com/emo. KI is a nonprescription medication that blocks the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. KI does not protect a person or the thyroid from direct exposure to radiation. Taking KI only saturates the thyroid with nonradioactive iodine. For most individuals, taking KI is safe; however, adverse reactions are possible in persons having existing thyroid conditions and those with an allergy to iodine. Consult your physician if you have concerns about the safety of KI for your child or yourself. Follow the directions for storage and use that were provided with the product. Remember, taking KI is not an alternative to evacuating the area. The current allotment of KI expires on 10/31/2029.  Residents living within the 10-mile radius may obtain more information about KI by contacting: Oswego County Emergency Management Office at 315.591.9150

Access & Functional Needs Card Instructions
This information will be kept confidential and used only in the case of an emergency or disaster.

Please update this information annually.
Use this card if you will need special assistance in the event of an emergency. This information is used by emergency workers and will be kept confidential by the Oswego County Emergency Management Office. Please submit this information by calling 315.591.9150 or update the card and mail.


BROCHURE

Nuclear power plant licensees, including Constellation, are required by the federal government to provide emergency planning information to the public annually.

Constellation provides emergency planning information to the public by mailing postcards to all homes and businesses within the 10-mile Emergency Planning Zone surrounding each nuclear plant.  The postcard has this website address along with a number to request a printed brochure.

This website is designed to provide emergency planning information in an interactive electronic format compatible with your smart phone or personal computer.

A PDF copy of the public information brochure can be downloaded below. It is recommended that you download an electronic copy of the brochure and save it to your phone or computer for reference in the event of an Internet outage during an emergency. You may also print a copy for your reference. If you do not have a printer, please call Constellation at (800) 220-2159 for a printed brochure.

Download Brochure