ARTCC CTLR DESCENDED LGT THROUGH WDB ALT WITH LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

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WAS VERY BUSY; WORKING 1-M SECTOR (WE HAVE 12-14 CTLRS TO STAFF 6 SCOPES AND 6 D-SIDES). I DSNDED LGT X TO FL260 LNDG RDU. UNKNOWN TO ME LGT X HAD WDB Y TFC APPROX 50 MI HEAD ON. I HAD AN MLT PRIMARY TARGET WHO DISTRACTED ME. OJT WAS BEING PERFORMED AT THE SECTOR WHERE THE MLT WAS COMING FROM THE TRNEE CALLED ME 3 OR 4 TIMES ON THE MLT; WHICH DISTRACTED ME. THE SCOPE ALSO FAILED MOMENTARILY WHICH ADDED TO THE CONFUSION. C/A WENT OFF AND I STILL WAS SO DISTRACTED THAT I DID NOT REALIZE I HAD A DEAL WORKING. AFTER STOPPING TO CHK THE C/A I REALIZED THE SIT. I HAD TIME TO GIVE A TURN OF 30 DEGS TO EACH ACFT. HEROICS (100 DEG TURNS TO EACH ACFT) WOULD NOT HAVE KEPT ME FROM HAVING A DEAL; BUT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY RESULTED IN HURTING SOMEONE ON EITHER PLANE. I SAW THAT THIS COULD BE A CTLED SYS ERROR AND MADE SURE THE SIT WAS NOT UNSAFE. A NUMBER OF THINGS THE FAA COULD DO WOULD PRECLUDE AND POSSIBLY PREVENT SUCH ERRORS: 1) THE ECP WAS FOR RDU ARRS TO NOW COME THROUGH THIS SECTOR. THIS IS A NARROW HIGH ALT SECTOR; APPROX 15-20 MI WIDE; PHL CLBERS; EWR; LGA; JFK; HPN; BDL; BPA; ACY; WRI; BOS; BDR; YQA AND MANY MORE ARPTS ARE SERVED BOTH INBNDS AND DEPS THROUGH THIS SECTOR. 2) THE FAA STILL HAS INADEQUATE STAFFING. NO COMMERCIAL ACFT FLYS WITH ONLY A PLT. WE CONSTANTLY WORK 1-M SECTORS DUE TO INADEQUATE STAFFING. 3) HAD C/A WARNED ME IN A MORE TIMELY MANNER; I COULD HAVE AVERTED A SYS ERROR.