ML19268A180

Shoreline Erosion at the Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Handout Used by Aldaron Laird at the Public Hearing on the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, Held in Eureka California, on August 26, 2019

ML19268A180
Person / Time
Site:	Humboldt Bay
Issue date:	08/26/2019
From:	Laird A - No Known Affiliation
To:	Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
References
Download: ML19268A180 (2)

Text

Shoreline Erosion at the Humboldt Bay Power Plant The jetties at the Humboldt Bay Entrance were first built in the 1890s, focusing wave energy directly inland onto Red Bluff/Buhne Hill. As a result, the shoreline has eroded back 1,480 feet, at an average rate of over 2 feet per year. Red Bluff/Buhne Hill, which used to be 96 feet tall, is now only 44 feet tall. The rate of shoreline erosion has been variable, sometimes as much as 78' /year (in the 1940s).

Today, large rocks (a.k.a. " rip-rap") protect the shoreline at the base of the bluff.

However, the existing rip-rap will be overtopped by 2.0 meters of SLR.

PG&E has decommissioned the Humboldt Bay Nuclear Power Plant and has placed the spent nuclear fuel rods in storage on top of Red Bluff/Buhne Hill. The underground nuclear waste storage facility (the "ISFSI") is only 115 feet from the edge of the bluff, and approximately 150 feet from the eroding shoreline (see page 2).

Sea Level Rise Projections LOW Risk Medi um

• High Extreme Avers ion Risk Aversion Ri sk Avers ion W ith high levels of Hlgn emissions 2030 0 .6 0 .5 0.7 0 .8 1.2 2040 0 .9 0 .7 1.1 12 1.6 2 .0 GHG emissions,

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2050 12 0 .9 1.5 1.7 2 .3 3 .1 sea level is low emissions 1060 1.3 1.0 1.7 2 2 .8 projected to rise High emissions 2060 1.5 1.2 1.9 2.2 3 .1 4 .3 I* ow e1111ss1ons 2070 16 1.2 2 2.4 3 .5 1 meter by 2060 IHigh emissions 2070 19 14 2 .4 2 .9 4 5 .6 and low emtssloos 2080 18 1.4 2.4 2 .9 4 .4 2 meters by 2090. High emissions 1080 2 .3 1.7 2 .9 3 .5 5 .1 7.2 Low em1SS1on1 2090 2 .1 15 2.7 3.4 5 .3 Hlgn emissions 2090 2.7 2 .0 3 .5 4 .3 6 .2 8 .9 Source: Ocean low emissions 2100 2 .3 1.7 3 .1 39 6 .3 Protection Council High emissions 2100 3 .1 2.3 4 .1 5.1 7.6 10.9 low em1ss1on1 mo* 2 .5 1.9 3 .3 4 .2 71 High emissions mo* 3 .3 2.6 4 .3 5 .2 8 12.7 emissions mo 2.7 2 .0 3 .7 4 .8 8 .2 H gh em sslons 2.9 4 .9 6 .1 9 .4 2120

~ - - -3 .7 15.0 Low emissions mo 3 21 4 5 .3 9 .4 Hlgh emissions mo 4 .2 3 .1 5 .5 6 .9 10.9 17.4 tow emissions 2140 3 .2 2 .3 4 .4 5 .9 10.7 H gh emtsslons 2140 46 3.4 6 .2 7.8 12.5 20.1 low emissions mo 3 .4 2 .3 4 .8 6 .6 12 .1 Hlgn em1sslon1 2150 5 __l 3 .7 6 .8 8 .7 14.1 23 .0