ML19269E201
| ML19269E201 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Beaver Valley, Surry, Maine Yankee, FitzPatrick  |
| Issue date: | 05/17/1979 |
| From: | Harold Denton Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Beverly Smith AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19269E202 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 7906270008 | |
| Download: ML19269E201 (3) | |
Text
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UNITED STATES eg i
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION h.d
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WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555
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Hs. Beatrice N. Smith 7 Smith Street Skowhegan, ME 04976
Dear Ms. Smith:
This is in response to your letter regarding the orders by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on March 13, 1979, to shut down five nuclear power 4
plants in the eastern United States because of questions about the ability of their piping systems to withstand earthquakes.
Shortly before those orders were issued, it became apparent to NRC staff that analysis techniques which had been used in the seismic design of safety-related piping for unese five plants were not in accord with proven and generally accepted engineering practice.
The result could be over-stressing of piping and supports for earthquakes which could reasonably be
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expected to occur during the lifetimes of these plants.
The eastern j
United States is generally believed to be a region of low seismicity, when compared to the western part of the country, but is not without significant historical seismic activity.
Attached is a map showing the location and i
i intensity of earthquakes that have occurred in your region.
Some of the piping systems involved could, if failure occurred, cause loss of coolant to the nuclear reactor.
In addition, systems needed to shut the plant down safely in that event could also be affected.
Thus, an earthquake of not extremely low likelihood would have the potential for causing an accident and for preventing operation of safety systems design to cope with the accident.
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Our objective is to review the situation in an expedited and disciplined i
manner so that these plants can be returned to operation with assurance that this will not constitute a threat to the public health and safety.
Sincerely, Harold R. Denton, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor. Regulation
Enclosures:
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- Fort Myers News. Press, Wednesday, March 14, 1979
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Five large nuclear power plants being. shut down y
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WASillNGTON (AP)
.The Nu-tric generating capacity of some bly will mean higher cost electrici, is not allowed to consider the eco.
O-clear Regulatory Commission said..:4,107 megawatts, equivalent to the ty for customers as the utilities in-smmic and social repercussions of ca Tuesday it is shutting down five energy in about 60,126 barrels of oil volved make more demands for O
large nuclear power plants in the a day.
other energy sources.
t its safety regulations and actions.
O East, probably for a month or'..
llamid Denton, the Nuclear Reg.
lie also said the utilities p oba-ing "show cause" orders mguiring Denton said the agency is issn.
U more, in make sure they can with.
,' ufatory Commission's director of bly will have to burn more o.1, al-the five plants to shut down within stand carthquakes wittmut a disas.. Nuclear Reastor Regulation, said ready in short supply becadse of.
48 hours5.555556e-4 days <br />0.0133 hours <br />7.936508e-5 weeks <br />1.8264e-5 months <br /> unless they can piove trous collapse.
. the shutdowns could cause some production interruptions in Ir-i.
their vital water-piping can with.
De five plants have a total elec-power shortages locally and proba-But Denton said the comr : ion stand carthquakes.,
Denton s.ild there is no chance t
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a the utility companies can meet that I
deadline, so they must chise.
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Denton said the -review of the
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earthquake safety of the plants was
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prompted by discovery of an error in computer programs that I
were used to determine the safety of the Beatrice N. Smith 7 Smith St.
plants at the time. they were
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Skowhegan, Maine 04976 lie said the plants required to t
close for re-evaluation of their
\\g earthquake safety are the H52 megawatt Beaver Valley plant at Shippingport, Pa.; two Virginia
{Surry, Electric and Power Co. p',nts at i
3 Va.; the Maine Y,inkee plant, a 790.megawitt operation at Wiscasset, Maine; and the H21.
megaw' tt James Fitzpatrick plant a
at Scriba, N.Y.
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