All language subtitles for The West Wing (1999) - S07E12 - Duck & Cover (1080p AMZN WEB-DL x265 ImE)_track3_[eng]

Previously on The West Wing:

LOU:
You got a four point bump,

Vinick only got
a two point bump.

When we're talking
about education,

we are talking about
our most precious resource.

Matt Santos is a lot smarter
and tougher than you think.

We got to take it to him.
We got to put Santos in a jam.

Kazakhstan isn't China's
only oil source.
Their most promising one.

The Kazakh people, meanwhile,
are rioting in the streets,

'cause they've just been
screwed out of an election.

Worst case scenario--

two nuclear powers are
positioning themselves

to actively engage
in an armed conflict over oil.

Did the Chinese invade?

No, Kazakhstan is stable.

What is it?
Some kind of nuclear accident.

A weapon?
Power plant.

Is it Russia?

San Andreo, California.

They think it might blow up.

What do
we know?

17 minutes ago,
at 6:02 Pacific Time,

emergency sirens went off

at the Nuclear
Generating Station

in San Andreo,
California.

The main feedwater
pump failed.

Everything proceeded
as expected.

A relief valve opened
to let the water escape,

the reactor scrammed.

It shut itself down.

But now a valve's
malfunctioning,

and coolant's stopped
flowing into the
reactor's core.

If they can't get coolant
into the core...

The uranium fuel
rods become exposed,

which makes them
highly combustible.

We could be looking
at a full-scale
nuclear meltdown.

Full-scale, as in...
FEMA thinks the plume

could cover all
of San Andreo.

Population 42,000.

Federal response
teams are on the way.

Any word on the cause?

It could be human error,
a design flaw...

It's not likely

terrorists would
sneak in there
and jam a valve.

We're rechecking all
the relevant intel.

Has the public been notified?

No, but when they
shut down the reactor,

there was a steam release
that sounded something

like a Concorde landing,

and CNN's already running
rumors of an explosion.

I want the FEMA
Director and the Chair

of the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission in here right away.

Get CNN to stop
running rumors.

I'll make a statement
in 15 minutes.

Sir, you really
don't want to
notify the public

till there's a
plan in place.

There could be
widespread panic.

Then we'd better get moving
on a plan,

'cause I'm making a statement
in 15 minutes.

C.J.:
Yes, sir.

KATE:
Thank you,
Mr. President.

SANTOS:
Yes, we worry about

what's happening
in the culture.

We have two young children.

But censorship's like saying,

I can't have a steak because

a baby can't
chew it.

( laughter )
Let's be careful.

SANTOS:
Yeah.
He's good tonight.

As long as he keeps
pivoting to the
issues, I'm fine.

MAN:
You told Rolling Stone
you like

Bob Dylan-- I was just wondering
which is your favorite album?

My favorite Bob
Dylan album.

Uh, I guess I should say,
uh, Highway 61 Revisited,

and then we can just ease
into transportation policy.

( laughter )

But really, it's, uh,
Blonde on Blonde.

Believe me, there's no
policy implications to that.

( laughter )

Did he just imply...

Jay Leno's gonna
have a field day.

No big issue's captivated
the voters.

You're surprised it's come down
to geezer rock trivia?

( sighs )

Wrap it up.

What?

There was a nuclear
accident in California.

Get to television,
a laptop, get any
details you can.

( sirens blaring )

BRUNO:
Santos is doing that
"Rock the Vote" event in
Tampa.

Probably pandering like mad

to a bunch of pre-teens.

Better be some
post-teens.

You're sending me
up there tomorrow.
( phone ringing )

I'm sending you 'cause you talk
like a President,

not some latter-day
Mick Jagger-in-chief.

Yeah. Bruno.

I can tell 'em about
my psychedelic phase,

when I wore brown socks
on the Senate floor.

Call me the second
you get confirmation.

Confirmation
on what?

A, uh, problem with a nuclear
plant in California--

San Andreo.

Might be an explosion.

San Andreo.

It's near San Diego.

Yeah, I know where it is.

What?

I pushed
the licensing commission

to get San Andreo up
and running 25 years ago.

Pushed?

I helped get that plant online.

( sirens blaring )

We're waiting for confirmation

of what appears to be some kind
of nuclear accident.

All the PDDs
from the past month.

The Office
of Cabinet Affairs.

Just make sure I have an open
line to the field director.

The entire office,
page them all.

Yeah, it's an emergency.

We received numerous reports
of a loud explosion,

as well as reports
of Arab tourists

seen near the facility
in the last two days...

How can they run
these crazy rumors?

The only thing certain
in cases like this--

first reports are
always wrong.

PRESIDENT:
How we handle this

in the next 90 minutes
will determine

whether there's panic
within a 100 miles

of every nuclear
plant in this country.

We don't get a second chance
to make a first impression.

Harry?

The coolant in the reactor
has dropped at least a foot,

exposing an eighth
of the fuel rods.

How can they get
cool water in there?

They're running a temporary
feed line

to bypass the broken valve while
they figure out what's wrong.

In the meantime?

They're activating an
emergency heat removal pump.

The hope is that it'll
lower temperatures enough

to prevent
a meltdown.

There's a second problem.

Yes, another valve
is stuck open.

With the temperatures
rising in the reactor,

an awful lot of radioactive
steam is being generated,

and it's pouring into
the containment building.

Are we worried
about a radiation leak?

We're worried they
might have to pump
radioactive gases

into an auxiliary
building,

which is not built
to hold them.

One poorly-welded
seam...

How much radiation
are we talking about?

It's unclear, but
administrators

at Cal Vista Gas
and Electric...

They run the San Andreo plant.
RAVITCH:
Yes.

They believe any
leak would pose little

or no threat to
the public health.

Without knowing how
big it might be.

It's chaos over there.

I couldn't even get them
on the phone.

I want the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission

to take command
of that plant,

and I want
to evacuate the area.

It's a state
and local matter.

Get the Governor of
California, right away.

Governor Tillman
wants to wait

until we're absolutely sure
it's necessary.

He'll argue that a rash, messy,
nighttime evacuation

could be worse than...

WOMAN:
The Governor's
on the line.

Thank you. Gabe,
you have to evacuate San Andreo.

We're all working off

sketchy information.

'Cause trust
me on this,

we would rather have
a few fender-benders on the I-5

than a generation of babies
with thyroid cancer.

My FEMA Director
is right here.

He'll coordinate with your
State Emergency Services,

and I'm going to declare
a Major Federal Disaster.

You're gonna have every
federal resource you need.

We're gonna get through this.

Mr. President,
with all the levels

of government involved in this,
maybe now's

a good time
to designate a czar,

a single point-person
to oversee...

You're looking at him.

( busy signal )

BOB:
We talked to the
Senate office.

They're reaching out
to the Governor's office,

regional officials.

We've got hundreds
of press requests.

I want to issue a statement

supporting the Governor's
evacuation plan.

We should couple it
with a call for
an investigation.

This has to have been
a regulatory failure.

Yeah, we want
to be careful, though.

Everyone knows the
Senator is pro-nuclear.

He said it in
the first debate.

BOB:
That's why we have
to act defensively.

The DNC's got to
know he lobbied

to get that
plant opened.

Defensive, but not destructive.

What do you want?

( busy signal )

Jamie and your grandkids are
in, uh, San Diego?

Phone lines are jammed.

Cell phones, everything.

We'll put out a statement
supporting the Governor.

( busy signal )

( quiet groan )

( phone ringing )

The President wants
to make a statement

in the next few minutes.

Saying what?
Whatever we can figure out
in the next few minutes.

You wouldn't believe
the rumors that are
bouncing around here.

That there's a fire
near the reactor,

and it's about
to blow.
Not exactly.

That we're shutting down
every nuclear plant

with the same design.

Not the dumbest of
ideas, but no.

Look, the press are going
to talk to everybody.

They're gonna speculate
about everything.

I need you to grab hold
of the information flow.

I have no information.
Welcome to the club.

Let's start
with that statement.

PRESIDENT:
What are the odds
this leads to a meltdown?

RAVITCH:
A meltdown isn't when
one thing goes wrong.

It's when 12
things go wrong.

There must be six million people

living within 100
miles of that plant.

Based on prevailing winds,
FEMA recommends

we evacuate 15 down,
six and nine around.

It'll cover all
of San Andreo.

15 down?

15 miles, between six
and nine, like a clock.

But State Emergency
Services want to
do just ten down,

six and nine around--
the legal minimum.

And tell 'em if they're fine
with ten miles,

the Governor and I will be
setting up a command post

at ten point one miles
from the plant.

We'd like them
to join us there.

The press ready
for my statement?

WILL:
Readier than
we are.

It's not like we have much
to tell them.

Sounds like they're more
comfortable with 15 miles.

Good evening.

32 minutes ago,
there was a mechanical problem

at the Nuclear Generating
Station

at San Andreo, California,

which is causing
the reactor's core to overheat.

There's been no explosion.

There's no indication
of terrorism or foul play.

Engineers are working to address
the problem right now.

Governor Tillman has begun
an evacuation.

And I'm declaring
a Major Federal Disaster

and dispatching
every possible resource.

We don't have all the facts.

You will have them
as soon as we do.

But every level of
government is working
together on this.

No matter what happens,
we're going to handle it.

MAN ( on TV ):
So, what they're doing
is bypassing the broken valve,

running a new pipeline
to get cool water

into that reactor
so it doesn't melt down.

Federal officials believe

they can avoid the worst,
but I can tell you...

DONNA:
I don't understand why

they put a nuclear plant
so close to a population center.

They're all near
population centers.

Otherwise, they lose too much
power in transmission.

DONNA:
So, the whole idea is
kind of crazy.

Kind of.

You should give
a big speech on that--

put out a whole new
energy plan.

Or point out that Vinick's plan
glows in the dark.

It's true. Vinick's
for nuclear power.

You've fought
against it for years.

DONNA:
We could get every
environmental group

for a press conference.

BRAM:
Skip Oregon, campaign

along the evacuation route,
give out bottled water.

JOSH:
Can I talk to you?

Let me know when they get
the pipeline to the core.

( Santos clears throat )

Where's Leo?

He's on a
charter to Ohio.

He's gonna call in
when he lands.

Get them to
cool it on the
political chatter.

I don't want us
holding rallies
on the Hindenburg.

Yeah, I'm gonna cancel
our events tomorrow.

We can't be
exploiting this.

Yeah.

And I don't think
we're gonna have to.

You're anti-nuclear.

Vinick's got a long history
on the other side.

This is all upside for us.

I say we go
completely dark.

Let the press go after Vinick
on their own,

so they can't accuse us
of playing politics.

I'm fine doing
nothing on this issue.

I mean nothing
on any issue--

no speeches,
no press releases.

We just stay right here.

See which way
the wind blows.

And what's blowing in it.

Have we cooled down
the reactor's core?

C.J.:
The heat removal pump
hasn't had much impact;

a 20-degree drop,

but we're talking
700 degrees in there.

Hang on.

We've got a temporary
coolant line to the core.

I don't see anyone
popping champagne corks.

I thought if we got
a line in there,

we'd avoid
a meltdown.

Radioactive steam
is still gushing

into the containment
building,

they had to start
pumping it

into the auxiliary
building.

Which wasn't designed
to hold it.

No. It can
accommodate

up to 50 pounds
of pressure

per square inch,

it's now at 34 psi
and rising.

The coolant won't be
enough to stop it.

And the fuel rods

give off
hydrogen gas.

HAYES:
Which is extremely
explosive.

If we get near maximum
pressure levels...

RAVITCH:
The containment
building might

be able to withstand
that kind of a blast.

The auxiliary building cannot.

So?
Unless we fix
the valves soon,

we have to vent a radioactive
gas into the atmosphere

to relieve the pressure.

How many people are
still in San Andreo?

About 30,000.

I don't want to release
any radiation

until everyone's been evacuated.

What's
the alternative?

An explosion
that spreads radiation

all over
Southern California,

maybe parts of Arizona
and Nevada... sir.

How much would we have to vent?

We think it'd be
within EPA's parameters
for an acceptable dosage.

HAYES:
It's Santa Ana season
in Southern California.

C. J.:
Which could be good.
If winds stay consistent,

the radiation
could drift out
over the ocean.

How do we speed up
the evacuation?

Tell people we're
about to spill

radiation into the air...

good chance that'll
speed 'em up.

How much time
before we reach 50 psi?

RAVITCH:
Maybe an hour.

Who would give the order?

We've taken charge
of the plant, sir.

That would be you.

( phones ringing )

WILL:
DoE, EPA...

NOAA-- okay, let's get started.

I wanted all the agency
spokespeople in one place

so we could...

Yes, Blieden?

Have you got
an update for us?
Radioactive steam's

been spilling into the
containment building,

so much of it, they've had to
pump it into another building.

but the other building
can only hold

50 pounds of pressure per inch,
it's now at 38.

We may have to vent radiation
into the atmosphere

to avoid a big bang.

Guys, guys, I don't have time
to do this by Socratic method.

I called you all here
cause each of your agencies

is going to be involved in this,
but no one--

not a single one of you--

is going to talk to the press.
All right? No one.

I've got a call list
ten pages long.
I can assure you

they've all called
my office, too.

There will be
one briefer: me.

BLIEDEN:
What if this turns out to be
the administration's fault?

We can't withhold
information from the public.

We won't be
withholding anything.

We're trying to maintain calm,

make it look like
we know what we're doing,

so there will be one voice,
the dulcet tones of Will Bailey.

Get your souvenir programs
in the lobby.

What about
political questions?

Vinick's the pro-nuke guy,
in the first debate...

There will be one briefer,

and I won't be answering
political questions.

Guys? Guys?

KATE:
It's almost morning

in Kazakhstan, sir.

The polls open
in two hours.

Busy night for you.

It's always
morning somewhere.

We have election monitors
on the ground?

Through the OSCE.

China needs to see this
is a genuine democracy,

not some Russian
puppet government

out to screw them out of
their oil interests.

China's got troops
along the border,

if they think
it's a phony election

rigged to protect a
Russian-installed incumbent...

They cross the border,
so does Russia,

and we have a war
on our hands.

I'll have regular
updates for you.

So we're at 46 psi?

We don't have much time
to relieve the pressure

in that
auxiliary building.

Where are we
in the evacuation?

Maybe a third
of the people

in the evacuation
zone are out.

At least 700,000

from the region are
pouring onto freeways.

700,000?

That's a
conservative
estimate.

Plus, there aren't
enough busses and vans

to take care of
at-risk populations--

seniors, people
with disabilities.

The governor wants you
to activate military support

from Camp Pendleton.

So ordered.

Do we have a direct line to
the control room in San Andreo?

The superintendent
for operations is on now.

C. J.:
We've got
helicopters overhead

to get an immediate reading,

to make sure we're within
the acceptable dosage.

Which is?
HAYES:
500 millirems.

Is there any way to wait for
support from Camp Pendleton?

I don't like idea of
the elderly and the disabled

taking the brunt of this.

The longer we wait, the more
chance of an explosion,

and God knows
how much radiation

shooting into
the atmosphere.

Vent it now.

Open the stack.

SUPERINTENDENT ( over phone):
Opening auxiliary stack.

What do we mean by
"acceptable dosage" anyway?

It's the amount the body
can safely absorb

through
direct exposure.

But radiation
also enters

the surface layers
of the soil,

where it's absorbed
by plants and insects

and enters the food supply.

It seeps into
water sources.

When it does
enter the body,

sometimes it kills
cells instantly,

sometimes it forms
damaged cells.

Cancer.
Yes, sir.

SUPERINTENDENT ( on phone):
Stack opened.
Steady at 1,200 m-rems...

1,200?!
C. J.:
Inside the stack.

Once it's in the air,
it'll disperse.

Anything below 500, we're fine.

569 millirems above the stack.

We have to announce the number.

It'd make the evacuation
50 times harder.

Can we take another reading?

Steady at 561.

It's more than we consider safe.

We have to let the people know.

Anyone who's not
on the freeway

will be looking
for an on-ramp.

C. J.:
Make the freeway
one-way.

HAYES:
No one feels comfortable
in making that choice.

Santa Ana winds could
shift at any time.

We're spilling radiation
into the sky,

people are jamming the freeways,

and we don't know what direction
they should drive?

Tell Will to announce
the number.

Yes, sir.

( reporters clamoring )

REPORTER:
Will, so you're saying
the radiation release

was at a dangerously
unsafe level?

No, I'm saying it was
slightly above

EPA's standard
for an acceptable dosage.

REPORTER 2:
The government
believes it's safe?

I didn't say that--

I'm just trying
to present the facts.

REPORTER 3:
An estimated
one million people

are fleeing
Southern California.

Isn't the President worried
about public panic?

He's worried
about public safety.

He's urging those outside the
evacuation zone to stay home,

so those in the zone
can get out.

Will, is EPA going to brief
on the levels of radia...

I'm briefing on that
and everything else.

What if we need more
information on...
Ask me and I'll get it.

Will, Assistant Secretary
Blieden at HHS says

the weather agencies
are worried

that winds will shift.

That people could be
evacuating the wrong way.

Blieden said that?
Yes, that NOAA
and NARAC...

I'll get into it.

( reporters clamoring )

SANTOS ( on TV ):
Plants that we
already have.

VINICK ( on TV ):
Nuclear power is

a completely safe,
dependable energy source.

Did you say...
Of course we should build

more nuclear power plants...
"Completely safe?!"

Look, I don't want to be
an alarmist here...

They've been playing
Vinick's debate clip a lot.

They're starting to,
yeah.

Site advance wants to know
if we're scrubbing

the whole Oregon trip.

The congressman doesn't want
to politicize a tragedy.

We don't want to do a press
statement in the morning?

A few interviews?
No interviews,
no statements.

Not from us,
not from the DNC,

and not from anyone
we control.

We could make a lot
of hay out of this.

Vinick's the pro-nuke
poster child.

No hay.
No posters.

The Oregon trip is off.

You may want to hang
onto your pitchfork.

I'm behind you
on all this, Gabe.

All right, bye.

How's the governor?

Nervous.

I don't see why--

any angry constituents

will just be vaporized
anyway, right?

( sighs )

Well, am I the only one
left in the family

with a sense of humor?

( knocking )

Anything new?

How about
something old?

What is it?

Vinick lobbied
for federal approval

for San Andreo
25 years ago.

He's the reason
the plant's there.

When is this
going to break?
I don't know.

The press is kind of
preoccupied.

We don't want to
nudge them along?

We could
put it out, yeah.

But then he could hit us
back for playing politics

with a mushroom cloud.

If the press finds
it on its own,

it'll be 900 times bigger.

And what if they
don't find it?

They will.

This isn't politics,
this is policy,

those places
are unsafe.

It's a legitimate point.

NEWS ANCHOR ( on TV):
...in San Andreo

is a phone line
and a television set.

In New Mexico, in Arizona,
in Colorado,

people are getting in their cars
and driving east.

And while higher-than-acceptable
levels of radiation

drift into the air,

the White House won't say

if we're past risk
of a meltdown or explosion...

Hide these
under your mattress.

...unlikely to abate
anytime soon...

There are health risks...

For now.

There are traffic jams.

There are certainly lots
of dire predictions...

PRESIDENT:
I don't like hearing the word
"meltdown" on cable news;

12 things have not
gone wrong yet.

By my count,
we're barely at six or seven.

Well, they're still
trying everything

to fix the valves.
Who's "they"?

Our engineers
plus their engineers.

Lots of engineers.

Radioactive steam
is going to build up

in that damned auxiliary
building again.

RAVITCH:
11 psi and climbing.

The more immediate
concern is panic,

the freeways are like
parking lots.

Fox is running a story
about a family in Michigan

that's leaving
the country.

How soon can I visit San Andreo

without diverting resources
from the evacuation?

I could get FEMA's okay
for you to travel tomorrow,

assuming that
the valves are fixed.

But there's
substantial risk of...

Tell the press now
I'm flying out tomorrow.

RAVITCH
Sir, the steam
is still

building up,
if we have to vent more...
If people know

I'm going,
maybe they'll stop buying

one-way tickets to Norway.

And what about
Senator Vinick?

That's his home state.

We always invite the senators
to join you on disaster trips.

WILL:
Have we ever had
a situation

where one's
a major-party nominee?

And if we take Vinick,
do we invite Matt Santos?

Maybe we're better off...
Vinick's Senator
from California.

He's on the plane
if he wants to be.

Set up a call with Matt Santos.

Nuclear power is a completely
safe, dependable energy source.

Of course we should build
more nuclear power plants...

Fifth time
this hour.

NEWS ANCHOR ( on TV ):
Words that are coming back
to haunt...

You know how many
press requests we've got?

A bunch.
Every network,
every major newspaper,

plus Japanese TV,
internet radio.

There's probably requests
from homing pigeons in here.

We have to say
something.

"We support the
governor's evacuation."

We'll say it in Japanese.

The senator, on camera.

We have to give them
fresh video

or they keep running
that debate clip.

He should whack
federal regulators.
Bob.

The regulations are
too lax!

It's practically
Scout's Honor.

We're in a great
big glass house,

we do not throw
the first stone.

Okay, a moratorium on all new
nuclear plant construction.

He cannot retreat from
what he said in the debate.

Look, they're killing
us out there--

and they still
don't know our guy

helped get
that plant approved

in the first place!
Bob, I know Josh Lyman.

There is a reason
he is camped out in Florida,

the swingingest
of swing states.

Santos is going to whack us,
then we hit him back

for politicizing
a national disaster.

Well, that's a big
roll of the dice

on one weak
pair of knees.

Trust me, Josh has
the political equivalent

of Tourette's Syndrome--

( cell phone rings )
he can't help himself.

We wait for his next spasm,
then we strike back.

Yeah, Bruno.

Yeah.

( whispering ):
C.J.

All right, I'll tell him.

( sniffs )

The President wants
the Senator to fly with him

on Air Force One tomorrow.

To San Andreo.

PRESIDENT:
Yes, Mr. Mayor.

There's coolant running into
the reactor now.

Fingers crossed.

I thought a degree in economics
was plenty for this job.

My kingdom
for a plumbing license.

I have Matt Santos
on the line.

Thanks.

Matt.

You look great out there.

When you're actually,
you know, out there.

Just holding tight,
Mr. President,

praying for the people
of San Andreo.

Matt, I'm taking Arnie Vinick
to California.

I know this could help him
politically.

Yes, sir.

The senior Senator
from California.

If I do anything else,

I'd be playing games
with a national emergency.

Well, you have to do
what you think is best.

Keep me in your prayers too.

Yes, Mr. President, I will.

Thanks.

BRUNO:
It's an enormous gift.

Jed Bartlet's
our radiation shield.

Now we're banking
on the Democrat helping us?

VINICK:
Is Santos coming?
No.

Your state, not his.

What if the news of
your lobbying for San Andreo

breaks while you're
standing next to
the President?

BRUNO:
This is how
we survive it.

Not if the story
breaks while we're...

You don't you get it,
do you?

Santos is shut out
of the trip.

Josh has to
attack us now.

Flying down there links us
to the disaster,

and just hoping Josh Lyman's
blood sugar spikes

isn't any kind of...
I represent the state.

I'm taking that seat
on Air Force One.

( knock on door )

What is it?

The temporary pipeline
that runs cool water
to the core--

it usually carries
hot water, not cold.

Okay.

Imagine heating a glass
to 700 degrees,

then poured ice
water in it.

The pipe's cracking.

And the water level
around the fuel rods
is dropping again.

They've tried everything
to fix the valves

from the control room--
we have to send men

into the containment building
to fix them by hand.

I'm guessing the radiation
in there

is above the acceptable dosage.

Five times more.

Even with anti-
contamination gear.

Who would we be sending in?

Two mechanical
engineers

from the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.

Civil engineers?

Yes, sir.

There isn't some military team,

some Pentagon specialists
we could deploy?

This is their job, sir.

You think when they started
engineering school,

they imagined the President
would ask them

to risk their lives
by prying open a piece of pipe?

Let's send them in.

I have a couple announcements
to make.

The emergency secondary
pipeline--

the temporary line
that's bringing cool water

to the reactor's core--
it's cracking and degrading.

( shocked gasping, murmuring)
Technicians are working
to run new pipe,

and two NRC engineers
will be entering

the containment building to try
to fix the valves manually.

They must be taking
an enormous risk just
by walking in there.

It's a very dangerous
work environment;

they're trained for it.

Is more radioactive gas

building up
in the auxiliary structure?

We're hoping we can fix
the underlying problem

before that's an issue.

You'd tell us if we were on
the verge of an explosion?

I promised you the facts,
you're going to get them.

The AP's saying

these kind
of mechanical problems

show clear regulatory failures
on the part of the Bartlet...

There are lots of people who
think they know what's going on.

Let me tell you who does:
he briefs from this podium.

This isn't the
Kremlin, Will.

How do we know you're not
covering something?

( murmurs of agreement )
Second announcement:

Tomorrow morning the President
will travel to a command center

outside the evacuation zone,
he'll be accompanied

by the California Congressional
delegation.

He believes
it's safe?

The immediate danger
is inside the zone.

Does this mean
Senator Vinick's going?

He's a member
of the California delegation.

What about Congressman Santos?

No other delegations are going.

( reporters clamoring )

Tough crowd in there.

You told Time
we were worried
about wind shifts.

I got that
from your office.

Which is why my office
has taken you off

the talking points
distribution list.

I need those
to do my job.

Not anymore; you're
being transferred.

You no longer speak
for this government.

For telling people
the truth?!

For telling people
something which can
only cause further panic.

Doesn't matter if it's true,

doesn't matter
if I've already said it.

We're trying to prevent
mass hysteria in a climate

in which even the truth
can be misinterpreted,

so we speak with one voice.

You're lucky
you still have a job.

( reporters clamoring )

( easel clattering )

Guess you heard the President's
taking Vinick to California.

Yeah.

It's his home state.

There's a protocol
to these things, right?

Well, let's hope everyone
uses the correct fork.

It could hurt Vinick,

flying into the fallout.

He gets to be
statesman, healer,

and when is the
the press going
to figure out

that he got
the plant open?

Cable news is still
running that debate clip.

More press requests.
Plus...

Governor of Colorado,
head of the DNC, Governor...

These are all for me?

BRAM:
They're wondering
why we're holed up in Florida,

instead of mobilizing
the whole party to slam Vinick.

Prevailing winds.

Even the advance guys are
begging us to get off the dime.

Tell Advance to stick
to losing my luggage.

Vinick's coasting toward
his bipartisan buddy weekend

with the President.
The advance guys are right.

If we don't take him on,
he's gonna...

REPORTER:
It's estimated
that the radiation levels

inside the containment building
are four or five times higher...

Just sent two engineers into
the containment building--

like putting them
in a microwave set on high.

Getting a few
press requests.

SANTOS:
By a few, you mean...

A million-gajillion.

Okay, that's not a real number.

I'm not talking
Radio Free Yonkers.

Every morning show wants you
for their lead segment,

every cable show...
Are you changing
your mind on this?

I don't know, it's just...
the second Vinick

gets on Air Force One,

the second he has Jed Bartlet's
arm around him,

it's like a mega-dose
of political penicillin.

One day with
the President

does not erase
three decades of
pushing plutonium.

Josh is right-- it gives Vinick
a chance to absolve himself.

If the press find out
he lobbied for San Andreo

before he gets on that plane,

there goes
his get-out-of-jail-free card.

If we did anything, if
our fingerprints are
anywhere on that...

Maybe we get
a third-party to do it.

Why hasn't anyone linked Vinick
to that plant?

Because they just sent
two engineers

into the containment
building--

the press are probably
on the freeways too.

If it comes out after
that trip, after they become

the Martin and Lewis
of disaster management...

BRAM:
A couple network
presidents called,

direct appeals to do
their morning shows.

REPORTER:
...and open the coolant valve

to get cool water to the core.

You were right four hours ago;
you're still right now.

Tell them thanks
but no thanks.

...to these government engineers
is a risk worth taking.

We'll be back with more
on this developing story

in just a moment.

BRUNO:
Nothing on Drudge,
nothing on the Note,

nothing on the wires.

I don't know what Josh
is waiting for.

BOB:
The Senator has
to say something on-camera

before he gets on that plane.

No he doesn't.

Sympathy for the region,
sympathy for the Redskins,

I don't care what he says--

you want that debate clip
to air another 6,000 times?

Josh hits us,
we call it bare-
knuckled exploitation

of a tragedy, and we let the
President do the heavy lifting.

The President?

Yeah. We get him to say,
right there in California,

that accidents happen.

You think the President will
defend us on nuclear power.

A nuclear disaster on his watch?
He'll jump at the chance.

He'll be defending himself too.

Did you talk to the head
of the Red Cross?

C.J.:
20 minutes ago.

They need more potassium iodine
in the shelters.

FEMA can work it
through HHS...
We took care of it.

SUPERINTENDENT ( on phone):
Petcock's working,
the valve's turning.

What happened?

The engineers opened
the coolant valve.

Once they make sure there's no
overflow, we can pull them out.

HAYES:
What about the relief valve?

Radioactive steam's
still spewing

into the containment building.

It's already been 17 minutes.

I didn't want them in there
more than 15.

If they shut the other valve,
we're out of the woods.

RAVITCH:
It'll take too long.

It's an extremely
toxic environment.
If more gas pours out

of that structure, so is most
of Southern California.

Plus they're already in there,
you want to expose another team?

How much longer would it take?

Five, maybe ten minutes.

Ask them to try and shut down
the other valve.

RAVITCH:
Ask them to move on
to the relief valve.

SUPERINTENDENT:
Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Excuse me, Mr. President.

The polls just closed
in Kazakhstan;

the Russian-installed
incumbent...

Tarimov.

He's been declared
the winner.

Please tell me they counted
the votes first.
Our election monitors

are reporting
widespread harassment--

beatings, mass arrests
of civic activists.

PRESIDENT:
We barely got China
to hold their troops

by scheduling
this election--

this could lead
to open hostilities.

We've already got 'em.

A pro-democracy riot's broken
out in the Kazakh capital.

SUPERINTENDENT:
Corrosion build-up
on the valve stem.

Not getting enough torque.

( knocks )

They finally pulled
out the engineers.

32 minutes-- they couldn't
stop the steam leak.

Did you see my memo about
your press availability

with the President
tomorrow?

Bob wants me to make a
statement from the Capitol

in the morning, before
I get on Air Force One.

Yeah, Senator,
I urge you not...

You want me to get
the President to say

accidents happen--
that's fine.

But Bob's right, I can't
wait another seven hours

to show my face
in public.

You want to show your face
and say what--

you've been wrong
your whole career?

Nuclear's peachy keen, while
a million people are on the run?

This wasn't a failure
of nuclear technology.

This was a regulatory screwup.

You point fingers now, and
it will look like you're trying

to avoid taking
any responsibility for this.

You know why Europe's
greenhouse emissions

are so much lower than ours?

Nuclear power.

Totally emissions-free.
Sure, but...

You know how many Americans die
from oil refinery explosions,

from coal soot in the air?

Tens of thousands,

and not one from a nuclear-power
anything in 30 years.

Okay, you're right,
but that is still not...

Every time they show
that debate clip,
it looks like

I ran into that plant myself

and spilled uranium
on the floor.

Santos is going
to hit us.

You have to wait.

That is how
we change the story.

I'm going to give the press
some footage

besides that debate clip.

I need you to keep
your political hat on.

31 states with nuclear plants!

We don't know how many voters'll
be living in California

by election day.

My lobbying for San Andreo
is out there

like a ticking time bomb.

We can't control the
politics of this,
not even close.

I'll talk to the President
about his speech.

But I'm the Senator
from California,

and I'm going
to make a statement

before I get on that plane.

( knock on door )

Both the engineers who were
in the containment building--

they've been hospitalized
for radiation sickness.

One's slipped into a coma.

Sir, they knew the danger
better than us.

You weren't wrong...

No one ever told me
their names.

James Cook is the one in...

James Cook and Mark Laroche.

We'll get call sheets
for their families.

The pressure in the auxiliary
building's up to 28 psi.

You may need to authorize
a second team

to try to shut
the valve manually.

If you'd like,
you can deputize

the NRC Chair to make the call.

15 minutes and out.

If they don't solve
the problem...

15 minutes and out.

Of course, but if they can't
solve the problem,

we may be looking

at another venting of radiation.

And the Santa Anas don't stay
consistent for long.

If sea winds
push them north...

Call the Governor.

Make a contingency plan
to widen the evacuation.

And I want updated weather
models every half hour.

You weren't wrong to keep them
in there, Mr. President.

( clock ticking )

Still nothing from Santos?

No press advisories.

They haven't reserved any
rooms for press conferences.

Josh must be strapped to a
gurney with a gag in his mouth.

This is a mistake.

Good morning.

We're all struck by the
difficult events in San Andreo.

I've been in constant touch
with the Governor's Office,

and I hope, as we all do,

that the evacuation
is only a precaution.

REPORTER:
Do you still support
nuclear power?

( quietly ):
Finish the statement.

And I hope that
the situation

will be resolved
quickly and safely.

REPORTER 2:
Your family's in the region.

Don't you question
what you said in the debate?

My family's not the issue.

REPORTER 1:
You didn't
answer the question.

Are you still pro-nuclear?

Nuclear power
didn't break those valves.

To blame
nuclear technology itself

for whatever mess
happened in...

Federal regulators are the ones
who fell down on the job.

You can start a fire
with a match, too, you know.

REPORTER 2:
You're suggesting

this was the Bartlet
administration's fault?

He just did.

And he strapped himself
to that reactor.

VINICK:
This isn't a time
to point fingers.

This is a time
for national unity.

Which is why the President and I
will be traveling to that region

later this morning.

Thank you.

( reporters clamoring )

The President's wheels-up
in an hour.

Tray tables and all.

I want you to lead
a couple reporters

toward those documents
about Vinick and San Andreo.

I thought you didn't want
our fingerprints on it.

Just drop hints,

ask leading questions,
do it off the record.

That's going to get out.

You were the one
who didn't want to...

Once the President bear-hugs
Vinick, the game is over.

Does the Congressman
know about this?

( whispers ):
Just go.

Leading questions.

Or we blow the
biggest chance

to win this thing
we're ever gonna get.

Isn't Vinick right?

How could this not be a failure
of Bartlet's regulators?

We don't even know
the cause of the accident.

I'm not going to speculate.

You can't deny that the NRC

leaves tons
of inspection procedures

up to the plants
themselves.

Five minutes until
the motorcade leaves.

I'll see you on the plane.

C.J.:
I can't talk
about the Armenian genocide.

I know it's important,
but it's non-binding.

Right now,
I only have time

for things that could
spontaneously combust.

You ready?

To fly into a massive
cloud of radiation

while the rest of the country's
making hats out of tin foil?

Yeah, that was more
of a rhetorical question.

You think we're flying into
a massive cloud of radiation?

I was dramatizing a point.

Maybe.

Thought you weren't
talking to the press today.

I was hoping
I could interest you

in a little mumbling
and whispering.

Biggest political story
in six months.

I don't care if you
start humming off-key.

You think this
is the biggest...

Vinick's lobbying
for that San Andreo plant?

Make your quote good, it'll
be front page, column six.

Yeah, sorry.

Not talking to
the press today.

( knock on door )

C.J.:
Excuse me,
Mr. President.

Senator Vinick's
asked for a moment.

Sure.

Mr. President.

Arnie.

Thanks for
bringing me along.

Standard protocol.

Well, I appreciate it.

I thought we might
want to coordinate

our statements for
the press availability.

You're expecting me
to bash myself, too.

That wasn't aimed at you.

"Federal regulators"-- I think
a few of them work for me.

Due respect, two broken
valves and a radiation leak

say some of them should
look for other work.

Where's your bill
to improve federal oversight?

Senate leader
on the issue,

let's have your bill,
I'll sign it now.

You've had eight years
to do something on this.

You've had 25.

I'm not the one
who manages it.

Nuclear power itself
is safe.

Take a nuclear chain reaction,

20 times more powerful
than Hiroshima,

run it through a power plant
every day, near families--

what management
would negate the risk?

Risk is everywhere.

People get into
car accidents.

And when they do,

they don't tell you stop eating
produce three states away.

What's your answer?

Solar?

One-fifth of one percent
of all our energy,
at five times the cost?

Wind?

Another spike in OPEC prices?

Nuclear is the only alternative.

It is not an alternative.

I know the regulation's a mess.

No regulation
could make it safe.

We could barely
evacuate a town...

( knocking )

Forgive me,
Mr. President.

The second team's
closed the relief valve.

The crisis is over for now.

But the engineer

who'd fallen
into a coma--

He died 20 minutes ago
from acute radiation poisoning.

We'll get you
another call sheet.

Two copies of that call sheet.

REPORTER:
...the Vinick campaign
can't be happy

with the Post's on-line scoop--

documents showing
that Senator Vinick

was a strong and early supporter
of the San Andreo plant...

REPORTER 2:
...that now symbolizes,

more than anything since
Three Mile Island or Chernobyl,

the cost and perils of nuclear
power in the United States.

With 103 plants
up and running...

You might get some questions
as you deplane.

Apparently, Senator Vinick
was involved

in the original federal approval
of the San Andreo plant.

PRESIDENT:
We're sure it's safe to
take everybody out there?

According to the EPA,

the remaining radiation's
within the acceptable dosage.

You're too young
to remember duck and cover.

Sir?

We'd hide under our little
wooden desks at school.

At some point,
they stopped the drills.

The threat was still there,

they just stopped
having the drills.

I guess they realized
a piece of plywood

wasn't gonna protect us
against an atomic blast.

Kazakhstan.

Newly-elected government's
killed 114 protesters.

China's crossing the border

into ethnic
Chinese enclaves.

Russian troops are ready
to enter as well.

We can't have China and Russia
blowing each other to bits

over election fraud.

Oil, really.
Fraud's just the kicker.

The Governor's waiting
in the motorcade.

We've canvassed
the NATO nations

to see if there's
an appetite

for an international
police force.

They've made clear
it'd have to be

predominantly U.S. troops,
operating from our bases.

How many would I
have to send?

CINCS are guessing
90,000, for starters.

Based on federal
safety standards,

evacuated residents
will be allowed to return.

But we don't know
the full effects

of any radiation releases.

We may not know for months,
maybe even years,

and we have to be
candid about that.

And so while we continue
monitoring and testing,

we will also help
with the relocation

of those residents who may not
wish to return to San Andreo.

Thank you.

REPORTERS ( shouting):
Senator! Senator Vinick!

( clamoring continues )

We're all relieved
the worst is over.

My thoughts and prayers are
with the family of James Cook,

the federal engineer who gave
his life to save others.

REPORTER:
Should this make
Senator Vinick

question his energy plans
for the country?

SANTOS:
I can't speak for anyone else.

Makes me question a lot
about our energy plans.

Thank you.

( reporters clamoring )

NEWS ANCHOR:
...based on our flash polls,

more than a dozen states
that had been

squarely in the Vinick column--
including Florida, Ohio,

South Carolina, his own
State of California--

all states
with nuclear power plants--

are now within
the margin of error.

It's a political meltdown,
that's for sure.

The Santos campaign
is declining to comment,

but they've been flooded
with volunteers and donations

since the news
that Senator Vinick

lobbied for the San Andreo
nuclear generating station...

Advance wants
to know if...

We're taking
tomorrow off, too.

There's gonna be
wall-to-wall press on this.

He's said
all he's gonna say.

Best day of the campaign,
and we didn't do a thing.

At the rate we're going,

maybe we should take
the whole month off.