ML13304A970
| ML13304A970 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | San Onofre, Diablo Canyon  |
| Issue date: | 10/16/1980 |
| From: | Miraglia F Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Robb D M AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8010270038 | |
| Download: ML13304A970 (4) | |
Text
OCT 1 G 1980 Ms. Penise V. M.ob 1146 North Lotus Street Anaheim, California 92M01 Dear Vs.
Pohb:
Your February 14, 1980 letter to President Carter regarding the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant has been referred to the NTC for reply.
I am pleased to respond.
You expressed concern over the ability of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to withstand earthquakes and the effects of low level radiation. I am pleased to provide the enclosed responses to these concerns.
You also expressed concern over the San nnofre plant and its proximity to the Newport-Inqlewood and the San Andreas faults. The San Onofre nuclear plants are designed and constructed to safely withstand the largest earthquake that can reasonably be expected to occur in the general area of the plants such as the offshore extension of the Newport-Inglewood fault (five miles from San Onofre) and the San Andreas fault (sixty miles from San Onofre).
Furthermore, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board assigned to review the seismic adequacy of the San Onofre plants will reopen the hearing record in the first quarter of 1981.
This hoard will consider all issues related to the seismic adequacy of the plants that have been properly brought before it and will rule on the seismic design adequacy before the NRC can take any action to issue an operating license to Southern California Edison Company to operate the San Onofre, Units 2 and 3.
I trust that this information is responsive to your request.
Sincerely, Frank J. Miraglia, Acting Chief Licensing Branch No. 3 Division of Licensino Fnclosures:
- 1. Proximity of the Hosari Fault to Diablo Canyon
- 2. Low Level Radioactivity Effects OFFICE
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ENCLOSupE i Concern:
The pr eox i ity of the arn F o F t t th e Diablo Canyon si e and the abi ity of he lant to withstand a severe earthquake.
Response
The Hosgri fault, which is located 3 12 miles from the Diablo
,pants, was discovered in 1971 nd has been the subject of intensive investigation by the PacificG as b
Electric Compjny pco tens U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Nuclear Regulatory Comisson.
A1%s a principal geologic advisor for the Coammission, the USGS in 1975 suggested that a magnitude of 7.5 be assi thned as a potential seismic value for the Hosgri Fault.
t is important note that the USGS did not say that the Hosgri would experience a 75n earthquake but from a conservative standpoint that magnitude could not be ruled out.
Comprehensive public hearings on this matter were held by the Atomic Safety and Licensin toard (ASL ) o over about a to-month period (from December 1978 to early 1979).
Some of this nation's and the world's leading authorities testified and were subject to cross-exanhination.
The experts from the NRC staff and PG&E went on to say that the plant has been designed to withstand the greater seismic event of 7.5.
On September 26, 1979, the ASLe assigned to conduct the licensing hearings issued its partial initial decision which found that a 7.5 magnitude earthquake is reasonable and meets regulatory requirements.
On June 23, 1980 the Atomic ety Licensing Appeal Board for this matter issued a decision ao reopen the hearing record to obtain testiony related to a ajor earthquake which occurred in California's Imperial Valley in October 1979 (shortly after the ASLB's favorable partial initial decision in September 1979).
The NRC staff testimony on this issue nas submitted to the Appeal Board in August 1980.
Starting on October 20, 1980 the Appeal Board will hear this matter.
ENCLOSURL 2 Concern:
Low Level Radioactivity Effects.
Response
in the matter of low level radiation hazards, the Commission has alwyays subscribed to the principle that radiation exposure p1 the public should be kept as low as is reasonable achievable.
This Principle has been a central one in the field of radiation protection for many years.
Operating licenses of nuclear power plants include Provisions to limit and control radioactive effluents fromthe plants.
The terim "as low as is reasonably achievable requires taking into account the state of technology, the economics of i mproveents in relation to benefits *to the public health and safety, other societal and socioeconomic considerations, and the relationship of these to the use of nuclear energy in the public interest.
The Commission has adopted numerical guidelines for design obeectives and limiting conditions for operation of nuclear power plants to meet the criterion of as low as reasonably achievablea for radioactive material in effluents from nuclear power plants.
Using these guidelines, the radiation resulting from radioactive release from nuclear power plants during normal plant operation is a small fraction of that received from natural background activity.
The INRC has expended substantial effort in studying the potential helt effects of low-level radiation on humans.
Funding has been allocated for research on the effects of specific radioactive i
sotopes.and of epidemiology studies, the analyses of current research in the field of radiobiology and epidemiology and the drawing up of preliminary plans to study the feasibility of a large-scale epidemiology investigation on low level radiation effects.
The NRC staff is also participating w4ith international agencies on the control of long-lived radionuclide emissions[
from the nuclear fuel cycle.
In regard to Diablo Canyon, environmental m atters including low level radiation effluents from the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plants were the subject of proceedings in a public hearing.
After extensive consideration, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board issued a Partial Initial Decision on June 12, 1978 and concluded
- that the effects of low level radiation from plant operation will be negligible and will result in no significant risk or increase of genetic defect incidence in the populaticn of the San Luis Obispo area duringythe projected thirty years of operation.
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- OCT 1 6 1980 DISTRIBUTION:
Docket Files (50-275/323)
(50/361/362)
NRC PDR Local PDR NRR Reading DL:LB #3 Files Henton ECase HBerkow Md==t DEisenhut RTedesco FMiraglia BBuckley HRood KJabbour JLee SCavanaugh (NRR #3946)
EHughes MFudge DMuller Attorney, OELD 0~