ML20009B713

Affidavit Re Shoreham Opponents Coalition Contention 2. Facility Structural Design Features Virtually Preclude Core melt-through.Liquid Pathway Releases Are Not short-term Concern

ML20009B713
Person / Time
Site:	Shoreham File:Long Island Lighting Company icon.png
Issue date:	07/13/1981
From:	Mccaffrey B LONG ISLAND LIGHTING CO.
To:
Shared Package
ML20009B708	List: ML20009B707 ML20009B709 ML20009B710 ML20009B712 ML20009B713 ML20009B717 ML20009B720 ML20009B722 ML20009B725 ML20009B728
References
NUDOCS 8107170076
Download: ML20009B713 (3)

Text

.-

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board In the Matter of )

)

LONG ISLAND LIGHTING COMPANY ) Docket No. 50-322

)

(Shoreham Nuclear Power Station, )

Unit 1) )

AFFIDAVIT OF BRI/N R. McCAFFREY

_REGARDING SOC CONTENTION 2 Brian R. McCaffrey, being duly sworn, states as follows:

1. I am Manager of Project Engineering, Shoreham Nuclear Power Station, Long Island Lighting Company. A statement of my professional qualifications is attached to LILCO's Motion for Summary Disposition of SOC Contention 3.

2. SOC believes that the public is not adequately pro-tected from releases to the liquid pathway by the emergency planning regulations. This is not so.

3. SOC's criticism of the rulemaking and WASH-1400 on

, this score are unfounded. WASH-1400 did consider core melt-l through where appropriate. Thus, several PWR accident sequences were presumed to preceed ultimately to core melt-through. See l

l WASH-1400, Main Report, at 60.

! 8107170076 810713 PDR ADOCK 05000322 i G PDR l

I .

4. Shoreham's str-ctural design features virtually preclude a core melt-through. First, there is a 3-1/2 foot thick concrete drywell floor below the reactor vessel. Then, beneath that, there are approximately 77,000 cubic feet of water in the wetwell that would act as an enormous heat sink.

Finally there is a ten-fcot thick concrete base mat belcw the suppression pool. The PWR plant analyzed in WASH-1400 had neither of the first two design features just described for Shoreham.

5. Moreover, liquid pathway releases are not a short-term concern. See " Liquid Pathway Releases," NUREG-0440 (1978):

Unlike a release to the atmosphere . . .

the radioactivity (from a liquid path-way] will not pose an immediate risk (acute fatalities) to the general popu-lation, since it will be confined to the hydrosphere.

Id. at vii.

The NRC has also concluded that:

Even if realistic consumption of con-taminated fish (or water) or realistic usage of beaches continued for several months, significant doses to individuals (tens of rem) would not occur.

Id. Emergency plans adequately guard against such lcng-term threats by requiring monitoring to detect potential sources of radioactivity. If problems were to develop, precautions would

be taken based on the nature of threat.

Brian R. McCaffrey Manager of Project Engineering, Shoreham Nuclear Power Station LONG ISLAND LIGHTING COMPANY Dated: July 13, f981