Lucas Valley Evacuation Zone

California Department of Homeland Security (CDHS) officials entered the large conference chamber at the impressive executive office complex in downtown Sacramento. Leading them was Secretary of Homeland Security Rory Callahan, flanked by several top CDHS officials of various departments, including J.P. Redman of F.A.T.E. The meeting had become a daily chore; it was the crisis management and response to the nuclear disaster unfolding at Drakes Bay. Many other officials from organizations across CFS were present, including but not limited to: the California Nuclear Regulatory Commission, California Emergency Management Agency, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Nuclear Security Administration.

It was rare to have so many powerful executives in a single meeting, though some had a holoprojected telepresence. It was an example of California's bureaucracy at its finest; the taskforce had been assembled quickly, and so far the response to the disaster has been swift and decisive, likely saving many lives. Only J.P. and his boss knew of F.A.T.E.'s involvement in the disaster. Most criticism for the crisis was being directed at Shiawase Atomics and the lax regulators at the California Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The first portion of the meeting was spent discussing the progress Shiawase has made at containing the situation at Reactor No. 2. It was still emitting radiation, though at much smaller levels than the first days of the incident. J.P. had overestimated Shiawase's ability to get the situation under control, a miscalculation he hoped did not come back to haunt him.

Various groups took turns giving their daily report. The EPA announced that it had found high levels of radioactive iodine in San Francisco's water supply, and made plans to notify the public that the water was not safe for infants to consume. The Nuclear Detection Office reported the daily radiation readings from the sensors they deployed in the region, which led into the next major topic: the expansion of the evacuation zone.

Secretary Callahan spoke up, "In addition to the health risks of long-term exposure to fallout in these areas, Director J.P. Redman of our Thaumaturgical division has brought to my attention additional reasons to expand the mandatory evacuation zone. Mr. Redman,"

J.P. spoke, "Thank you Mr. Callahan. Due to the unique composition of the fuel used of the Drakes Bay facility, the fallout contains trace amounts of exotic chemicals of an awakened nature that our scientists warn could have a negative impact on plant and animal life in the affected areas. Most of these regions are sparsely populated; we propose the mandatory evacuation order be expanded to cover these regions while our team performs a full investigation into the effects of these trace chemical compounds."

Mr. Callahan added, "We would create a quarantine zone from Lucas Valley to Point Reyes. The zone will be evacuated and residents subject to inspection and decontamination."

The chairman of the meeting replied, "Are there any objections to the expansion of the mandatory evacuation zone, as described by Secretary Callahan?"

The room was silent.

"Mr. Callahan, you have the authority to proceed. Please provide periodic updates on the evacuation, decontamination, and any health or environmental findings from a thaumaturgical perspective."