ML19210A976
| ML19210A976 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Crane  |
| Issue date: | 01/10/1968 |
| From: | Baker A INTERIOR, DEPT. OF, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY |
| To: | Price H US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC) |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7911010685 | |
| Download: ML19210A976 (4) | |
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~1 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
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Mr. Harold L. Price Director of Regulation U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 4915 St. Elmo Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20545
Dear Mr. Price:
Transmitted herewith in response to requests by Mr. Roger S. Boyd is a review of geologic and hydrologic aspects of the Threemile Island site south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, proposed by the Metropolitan Edison Company for location of a nuclear-powered thermal electric station.
The review vas prepared by H. H. Waldron and E. L. Meyer and has been discussed with members of your staff. We have no objection to your making this review a part of the public record.
Sincerely yours,
, 'hu
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_ J ix _3 d ky w Review of Geologic and Pydrologic Aspects of Threemile Island Nuclear Station Site Dauphin Ccunty, Pennsylvania AEC Docket 50-289 E' DROIOGY f
The site is located on an island in the Susquehanna River about 6 miles south of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
The largest flood discharge on the Susquehanna River in the Harristarg area since 1784, occurred on Maren 19, 1936. This flood was proba~oly also the largest since 1740.
It reached a discharge of Th0,000 cfs
'(cubic feet per second) at the Harrisburg gage. Records of ficodmarks published by Grover (1937) suggest that the peak stages reached 'around Threemile Island ranged from 299 feet near the upstream tip to 295 feet near the devnstream tip.
Ice jams have also caused high stages on the Susquehanna River. Records show that an ice jam in February 1904 caused stages that were up to 3 feet higher than corresponding ctages of the 1936 flood at Highspire and Middletcyn, about 2 to 4 miles upstream frcm the site.
The highest elevation on Threemile Island is 306 feet and the site grade vill be established at 304 feet. A dike ranging in top elevation from 310 to ?J5 feet vill be constructed around the site. The design is based on a discharge of 1,100,000 cfs, which corresponds to a preliminary estimate by the Baltimore District, U. S. Corps of Engineers, of the maximum probable flood discharge in this reach, and on computations by the appli-cant of the stages that would be reached by this flood.
These computations appear to result in a reasonable estimate of the max 1=um probable stages at Th"eemile Island. The provision in the dike design of 6 feet of freeboard above the maximum probable floed should be sufficient to raise the level of protection above water levels that could te reached by wave runup cr ice jars.
Condenser cooling for the power plant vill te provided by a cooling tower.
Pari =um makeup requirements and maximum effluent flow from the cooling tower are not given but may be assumed to be small ec= pared to the minimum flev cf the river.
The Susquehanna River is used for municipal vater supply dcynstream frc=
the site by several small ec=munities and by the cities of Iazwster, Chester and Balt1=cre. Operational relee.ses of radicactivity a limited by 10 CFR 20 vculd be further greatly diluted by the river f1cv.
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~a Reference Grover, N. C., 1937, Floods of March 1936, Part 2.
Hudson River to Susquehanna River region:
U. S. Geological Survey, Water-Supply Paper 779 GE0 LOGY The analysis of the geology of the Threemile Island Atomic Power Station, as presented in AEC Docket no.30-289 and supplements, was reviewed and compared with the available literature. The analysis appears to be carefully derived and to present an adequate appraisal of these aspects of the geology that vould te pertinent to an engineering evaluation of the site.
Although 3 postulated faults are shown on the geologic nap of the area (Appendix 2D-Addendum 1),theprojectedtracesofwhichwouldpassthrough or nearby the site, the available local and regional geologic and geo-physical evidence does not appear to substantiate the existence of any of these postulated faults in the t: mediate vicinity of the site. The border fault of the Pennsylvania Triassic Basin, however, lies approxi-
=ately 5 to 6 miles north of the site; elsewhere in the eastern United States many of the earthquake epicenters appear to be located in the' immediate vicinity of comparable geologic structures.
Logs of borings, as shewn in Appendix 2A and in Figure 2A-2, indicate that foundation conditions in sound bedrock (Gettysburg Shale) underlying the site should be adequate for the proposed facility. During construction, however, sete minor modifications ~ of foundation design may be required due to variations in the thickness of the weathered zone on the Gettysburg Shale. The relationship between rock structures and potential shear strengths of the rock also may necessitate some modifications of design during construction in order to ensure the integrity of the more heavily leaded foundations. Any such modifications, however, should be within the limits of standard engineering design and practice.
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