ML17297B558

Discusses Recent Discovery of Possible Fault Scarps in Area of Hassaympa River 12 Miles Northeast of Palo Verde Site. Further Study of Area Including Trenching Will Be Undertaken to Develop Necessary Data to Resolve Issue

ML17297B558
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	06/10/1982
From:	Van Brunt E ARIZONA PUBLIC SERVICE CO. (FORMERLY ARIZONA NUCLEAR
To:	Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8206150180
Download: ML17297B558 (12)

Text

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Discusses Ir ecent,discover y,, o f.'possjb] e,.:faul.t. scraps in.anea of.;,.Hassaympa River, 1'2 miles'ortheast, of,lPal vo Verde s$'te.

'.Fur,ther >study, of area;$ nclud)n'g rtr enrhin'g, mal )

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'to:devlop;necessary date to resolve'=issue.

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lX COoEQM2l'P P. 0, BOX 2I666 PHOENIX'RIZONA 85036 June 10, 1982 Dr. Harold Denton, Director, Nuclear Reactor Regulation U.

S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.

20555

Dear Dr. Denton:

This letter is to summarize for you some recent developments that have occurred in the area of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.

On May 27, 1982, Arizona Public Service Company was advised that Mr. Christopher

Menges, a geologist doing work under a grant from the U.

S. Geological

Survey, had identified what he believes, to be some possible fault scarps in the area of the Hassaympa River twelve miles northeast of the Palo Verde site.

Since receiving this information, APS has been in contact with Mr. Harold Lefevre of the NRC staff, Dr. Larry Fellows, Arizona State Geologist with the Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology,

and, most recently, Mr. Menges, who had been away on vacation until June 7th.

The following is a summary of the action we have taken since learning of this new information.

After we were advised of Mr. Menges'iews on the area in question, on June 1st Mr. John Scott, our geological consultant, and I met with Dr. Fellows to be briefed on the information developed by Mr. Menges

and, in particular, to ascertain the location of the area so we could make some preliminary investigations.

Dr. Fellows was able to provide us with a general description and the approximate location of the scarps.

In his words, they were apparently "very subtle" and hard to identify.

Mr. Menges had reported that the features were visible on high level U-2 photographs of the area.

Following our meeting, Mr. Scott and I overflew the general area at mid-day in a helicopter from various directions and at various altitudes and were unable to locate the features Mr. Menges had identified.

We then contacted the NRC's Mr. Harold Lefevre who also had been advised by Mr. Menges on

. May 26th.

Mr. Lefevre's information corroberated the information received from Dr. Fellows.

Mr. Lefevre also indicated that some additional data.

was in the mail from Mr. Menges.

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Dr. Harold Denton Page 2

June 10, 1982 Based on this additional data, Mr. Scott was able to identify and subsequently review color infrared U-2 photographs of the area in question.

A flyover of the area by fixed-wing aircraft during low sun angles was also done leading to a" field inspection in the area.

All this activity allowed us to identify the general area of the geological features identified by Mr. Menges.

On June 7, Mr. Scott met with Mr. Menges in Tucson to discuss the issues and on June 8, the two geologists conducted a field inspection to precisely identify the features and discuss the geology and geomorphology of the area.

The discussion between Mr. Scott and Mr. Menges produced a consensus on the following points:

o The evidence for possible fault scarps is very subtle and is confined to an area southeast of the Belmont Mountains..

o There are no places where the possible faults have been directly observed.

o The scarps exist in alluvial deposits along the southern margin of some unnamed granite hills and further east near the Hassayampa River.

There are no indications of scarps in the granite hills.

o The most significant scarps occur along the margins of two converging alluvial fans.

The interpretation of possible tectonic origin of the scarps is based on a) differences of elevation between two alluvial fan surfaces which are inferred to be the same

age, and b) the occurrence of the generally linear margins of the alluvial fans.

Mr. Menges believes that the field evidence may suggest faulting, however he does not believe that the evidence is conclusive and that other non-tectonic interpretations are possible using the same evidence.

Mr. Scott strongly believes that considering the subtlety of the features and the evidence developed so far, the features are non-tectonic in origin.

Moreover, the extensive geological and geomorphological investigations that were made in the region by various experts during the Palo Verde siting studies support this conclusion.

To be-absolutely certain'f this interpretation, and to resolve the differences of opinion in a timely and conclusive

manner, we will undertake further study including trenching in the area, to develop the necessary data to resolve this issue.

He have had some preliminary discussions with Mr. Menges about the types of information necessary to answer key questions and will incorporate these discussions into our future programs.

J r'

Dr. Harold Denton Page 3

June 10, 1982 Throughout our review, we have been in frequent contact with Mr. Harold Lefevre and have been advising him of our progress.

As of this date, Mr. Lefevre is scheduled to visit the field about June 17th.

Very truly yours, CU.w n uA..

E.

E.

Van Brunt, Jr.

APS Vice President, Nuclear Projects ANPP Project Director lb

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STATE OF ARIZONA

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I, Edwin E. Van Brunt, Jr., represent that I am Vice President Nuclear Projects of Arizona Public "Service Company, that the foregoing document has been signed by me on behalf of Arizona Public Service Company with full authority so to do, that I have read such document and know its contents, and that to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statements made therein are true.

Edwin E.,Van Brunt, Jr.

Sworn to before me thfe~+day of 198+

Notary Public My Commission expires:

My Commlsslon Ex lres Ma

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Distribution:

Atomic Safety Licensing Board Robert H. Lazo, Esq.,

Chairman Dr. Richard F.

Cole Dr. Dixon Callahan Lee Scott

Dewey, Esq.

Docketing and Service Section U.

S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Mashington, D.C.

20555 Lynne Bernabei, Esq.,

Harmon Meiss Art Gehr, Snell 5 Milmer

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