ML19208A641

Conveys Concerns Re Proposed Sedro Woolley Nuclear Power Plants in State of Wa.Strongly Urges Support in Opposition to Plant

ML19208A641
Person / Time
Site:	Skagit
Issue date:	07/17/1979
From:	Miles R Sierra Club
To:	Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NUDOCS 7909170134
Download: ML19208A641 (2)

Text

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Joseph y. Hendrie p- f s nuclear Regulator 7 Commission / }

1717 g Street 97 ;k [# dy washington, D.C. 20555 g t'

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Dear Mr. "endrie 4 The Sierra Club of western Canada has recently been reawakened to the proposed searo woolley Nuclear nower plants in Washington State.

Se wish to bring to your attention our interest and concerns with the nroposal.

The project will consist of 2 1280 yy reactors located 32 miles south of the rnternational soundary, 5 miles east of sedro voolley in the S kagit valley, it previous licencing hearings evidence was presented by excert witnesses indicating an active fault 2-3 km from the pronosed plant site. The project croponants have not been able to count er this with evidence of their own.

The southern a.eorgia strait-7ancouver Island-cuget sound region is a well known and active seismic area subject to earthquakes of Magnitude 7.5. Research has lead to conclusions that surface faults are of no use in predicting the location of future earthquakes. thus the proposed sedro woolley plant could be subjected to an earthquake severe enough to disrupt the facility.

Sh ould there be a core meltdown and a breach of containment accident at tne facility, a large number of radionucleides will be released to the environment. WASH 740 indicates that such a an accident could contaminate an area the size of cennsylvania with L5,000 fatalities and 100,000 casualti es. eennsylvania is 45,333 sq. miles in area, the same as a circle with a radius of 120 miles.

The area covered by such a radius extends up vancouver Island to ualicum geach, schecelt ceninsula, Whistler, Lytton and Keromeos. An 80 mile radius covers 7ancouver Island to Panaimo and the whole Fraser 7 alley to uope.

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T he dominant winds from gedro woolley areffrom the southeast or southwest 75v,of the time. The dominant winds in the tower yainland are from the southeast, southwest and east along the mountains. gased on average wind velocities a radioactive clume would cover the area in 10 hours1.157407e-4 days <br />0.00278 hours <br />1.653439e-5 weeks <br />3.805e-6 months <br />.

mhe Lower uainland and praser valley being downwind of the proposed facility will reveive the majority of any radioactivity released in a breach of containment accident. Such a prospect would be an International Incident of the most serious nature.

The consequences of such an vnternational rncindent between canada and the nnited states are unfathomable. While the sierra club have no doubts that canadians would welcome American refugees at the time- of the accident there is no way of estimating how future relations on a personnal. level will be.

In the interests of amiable vnternational relations between canada and the trnited states, the sierra club of yestern canada calls ueon all parties concerned to see that the proposed gedro voolley nuclear plant is not allowed to proceed.

Sincerely Robert viles secrntary Sierra Club of western Canada J

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