ML18353A916

Transmittal of Statements on Geology and Hydrology of Consumers Power Company

ML18353A916
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades  (DPR-020)
Issue date:	01/12/1967
From:	US Dept of Interior, Geological Survey (USGS)
To:	Price H US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
References
Download: ML18353A916 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WASHINGTON, D.C.. 20242 Mr. Harold L. Price DireGtor of.Regulation

_.*- U. S. Atomic Energy Commission 4915 St.A!amo Avenue Bethesda, Maryland

Dear Mr. Price:

JAN 1 2 1967 Transmitted herewith are statements on the geology and hydrology of the Consumers Power Company Palisades Nuclear Power Plant site, Michigan, as requested in Mr. Edson G. Case's let:ter of::June 13.

The statements, prepared by Henry w. Coulter of the Geologic Division and Eric L~. Meyer of the Water Res0urces Division, have been discussed with memb~rs of your staff.

We-have no objection to your making these statements a pa.:irt of the public record.

Sincerely yours, Acting Director

. EncJ.:osiires'

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Comments on the Geology and Hydrology Consumers Power Company Palisades Plant site O'

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r*1 AEC Docket No. 50-255

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Hydrology

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• • "1*;-11 This review is based on the Palisades Plant preltndriary * >*. -

• description and ~afety analysis report by the Cori&umers *Power Company (AEC Docket No. 50-255) *a.nd ~ independent check on*

published reyorts.

The *site is on the.eastern':shore.of Lake Mi'chigan between...

PalisadeE;; Park.and Van Buren State *park in Covert ~ownspip, Van Buren.Courity,. Michigan.

The. proposed reactor woul?- a.raw *..

• • ab9ut.1.,100 cubic,* feet.per**.,second. of. cooling... water, from-.thelB;ke<.. '..

and return it, heated by 10° F, and containing waste radionuclid.es in. concentr~tions* not* to exceed **thpf!e speCified i.n 10 :CFR 20..

I' The preliminary_ safety analysis.reports the mean.Lake Michigan

.level for the 105 years of record, 579*feet above mean. sea level:,

mean monthly. deviations ~hi ch _have ranged from -3~~1-to. +'3.2 feet, and temporary surges which have beeri as high as 8. feet *at the southern end of the*.\\Hike.

Most *Of the* s~te is weJl abo~e these levels, and would not be affecteQ; by lake level surges. *. Grade at the. -reactor*.building is. 625 *;feet.

The intake structu:pe at grade 590 feet, hqwever, may b.e.,exposed to wave *action and ice shove.

The desigri *of' the structure should take the.~e forces,..

-,into acc9unt.

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Runoff into Lake Michigan is small in relatio.ri to._its.. volume and the effects of effluents discharged into it will depend l~rgely**

. on the: prevailing water circulation pattern,* ii.s':.locally modified"

• by the. plant '.itself.

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Currents of i.~k~.. Michigan we~e. stud+/-ed* by Ayers and others' -(1958) duriµg 2-day periods in June and August,.- '1955*

From this study it..

appears that* "northward flow 2i'Im11ed"iate"1y o"ffshore "at.tne site -fs likely...

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to. prevail duriµg summer. days. *This flow would ta~e *the.. heated discharge**

. pa.st the shorelii;ie. of Van Buren._s:tE!-te P,a.r:\\t.;.which. is l',5oo fee*t.north

. of the cooling water exhaust jetty and "past So-µth Have.n's water supplY:*

• '.. *intake, which is 5~ miles north; The" applicwit has. stated' 'that current

. direction and ve_lo¢i ty me~surement.s will be m~q.e to determine the amount

• 6f dispersion to be. expectE7.d under.varying lake,~ondi t_ions.

This information should be useful in.. estimating' ;the effects of the effluent along the. ne,ariiy _shorelin:e and at the nearest water intake.

. References

,~* Ayer*s, J*. c. ~.and others,* 1958, Current*s and water masses Of' Lake Michigan:

Great Lakes Research Inst. Pub. No. 3

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Geology Based on a review of the aP,plicant' s report,(AEC Docket 50-255) and available literature, it ~ppears that their regional geologic analysis is logically derived *and :Presents an. 'adequate appraisal of those aspects ofthe"geology which.would be pertinent to~

engineering evaluation of the site.

Although it)nay be anticipated that 'earthquakes within the

• .general region will continue to occur with approximately the same frequency, and with approximately.the *same intensity With which they have beeri' recorded during the past 100 years~ there are no identifiable.c;. :: '

faults or btber ge0;J..ogic structures which,could be *,expected to localize;'".;.'. *"

• earthquakes in the immediate ~i*cini ty of the site*. ', The fact tha.t, the :*. * :.... * '

.. *:footings of. the plant are.to rest, on saturated* Wiconsoli'dated. dep0sits<, :*:

• rather than on bedrock suggests the possibility 'of ~ome degree of'.

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,seismic amplification.

As pointed o.ut in Appendix D-_.Foundat.idn :tnvestigf:!,.tibns,.a¢ldl.tion~i*".~.* t~>'\\

borings immediately beneath. the proposed ~p~a~ion of. the~ s~ructure ;~,il* *.

be required to delineate the type i:µid distribut;i.qn of* mater:!.als ther~...

. This' infc:>,rmati0n will be necessary as a> basis. for.c'omputing qear~n8

-pressures and settlement*parameters.to be used in final foundation design.

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