ML20042A566

Forwards Booklet,Brochure & Nuclear Info Articles Re Facility.Documents Generated in Conjunction W/Public Info Program Effort

ML20042A566
Person / Time
Site:	Perry
Issue date:	03/11/1982
From:	Coffey R CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMINATING CO.
To:	Lafayette B NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE)
References
NUDOCS 8203230562
Download: ML20042A566 (30)

Text

-

.L

~'

THE CLEVELAND ELECTRIC ILLUMIN ATING COMPANY P.O. Box 97 m P ERRY, OHlo 44081 5 TEL EPHoN E (216) 259-3737 m ADD RESS-10 CENTE R Ro AO f Scrwng Ihe Best Lv me Nation Qh p'b b

RG.CY!!;)

March 11, 1982

,9 C' C 2. n m,$N$

D Bob Lafayette D8 D A Pi Emergency Planning TJcensing Branch

/

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission g

M 9

Washington, D. C.

20555

/ m,

Dear Mr. Lafayette:

Perry Nuclear Power Plant's public information program is being pursued vigorously with a total "in-house" effort. While copies of the final package are not yet available for your scrutiny, the Illuminating Company has developed scue preliminary in-formation that is presently being distributed based on public demand. Copies are enclosed:

1.

Perry Booklet - primarily a construction stage brochure that provides information on operation, safety, radiation and environmental protection.

This booklet will be substantially upgraded for distribution within the EPZ in advance of our initial emergency exercise.

2.

Perry Brochure - used primarily for tours and visitors to assist in orientation while being usherad through the plant. We toured over 6,000 people in 1981 and have crertained over 12,000 visitors since 1978.

3 Articles - These are copies of the first six of ten nuclear information articles being run in the Illuminating Company's monthly magazine, "The Motor."

This program reaches 5,000 employees and should provide an acceptable employee information bsse to answer customer inquires.

Every Company employee is treated as a potential Company spokesperson.

The package of emergency planning information, currently being developed, will be forwarded to you as soon as it is complete and printed.

If you han any questions, please contact Leslie Corrice, Public Relations Representative for the Illuminating Company at 259-3737, ext. 450.

Sincerely,

&&ccaR p

I) 8203230562 820311 Rebecca B. Coffe FD PDR ADOCK 05000440 Licensing

\\

A PDR c,0 Q lr 10 r-RBC: mlb cc:

W. E. Coleman L. Corrice rpI L. O. Beck

g O

E a"hq,

~V Qh,, 'j

.' y? (g*~ % ',

• j

+

<s s

. " ;,, f %< *f ' w -

.h

"\\-

rLf

.,f (%=%

4][b.;g_3 QAd!IfNI$$*6# NN[.

E.

y6 2-J9 (h t,I'b.' [M

.- NM l gp Y.

' ' '/[Q

.e-hD*

I

. d D, {.:,;,

I y

s 49

"'; ty f

?

,7 -s

.t wWb*

j

V g g h }, 4kQ,,

'~T, ',.gh_

p J:

/e o.m?e 9 w.. qsq 1,;.. -

g p.,

~>>,

[W.?,kh;. -

~

.~

w yy.

p.

p

...,,

• O

~

s Y*

, (/

t g

^

-%f*'}r

[,,,

y

>g l.[

,&g '

~

Wt e s. :..,, u,, ~

.r r

-~

gy y

[$

f s-Ij

~k t

WLwMW Q

M%. l c ' @ ' V '.' '-

w l

4'

' Yt h

s$

I d N

M

. yw;, 2 g,4.-

'L[a[ ~A c'

/h MT N

i q

7 jy

.ag

. x X.ff %g;;a, y

4... @-

g#?

P s

, m

~

v::4.s 41:gs

L tj n.f g

mgp.

i R,

k.

f's

~

~%,.

A._

g A

.s m

l }11s aerial view sllows construction [Trogress on tl1e two generating units of IIIe IIerrv lIlant Facl1 unit conshts of a i

y i

. p, circular reactor llullding, a long turliine generator ITuilding and l

8 D

i a cooling tower A control rooni for each unit is in the central

,e i

iI control luilding. Shown in the ujijser leIt corner oI the [7hoto is l

b I ake F rie 3

n 4,

4.

i

. [' '

)))

{

7 Ins tronmental nionitoring oI I ake F ric, shown here, [1lus land

,a

[

f

.ind air lieg.In l'efore Tlant wnstruttlon startcJ.ind will

,hj-continue tl1roughout t le llIe of the [Tlant

[.s i nJ i 3

3

[** w'" G pY 1

1 BuiLcing today to serve

.g&~"?7e your energy neec.s i}

tomorrow e

a Motlern generating teclutology, h

safety and environtnental Q

protection are part of tlic Perry

\\

, i~ N

\\l

\\

Nuclear Power Plant.

<v 3

,r,.'

-l

.y q

=

a n

E-5M

[! U 4.

Cooling towers recycle plant coolinf the k water so there's e - Y [Nl h @ r; u x almost no environmental influence o Erie. Each tower will stand 516 feet hig. This cooling f';.

c, '

]

water never comes in contact with the reactors. Reactors have separate cooling water inside the plant.

f*hN An 840-ton reactor vessel has been placed inside each IN reactor building. 'Ihe vessels measure about 20 feet wide 8

I f.

~~

il hy 7() feet higfi.

'^

if, 3.

.g a

w Future operators are trained in a simulated control room y

(helow) and at operating nuclear plants. Also candidates

/

.A.

.M Regulatory Commission.

Y.

must pass the licensing tests of the U.S. Nuclear

~~

i 3'

W

?$$ !

1 w

y

~

y 3 ~ 3~~p u

'h N q

.m -

h b5.

(

W In A'

rarm, r,r, a o.o. g a c{*._==

,0.

pr.

• gg 7

e 3

L;L'

.w.;

4 g,,

r l

r,-

i La a

f ' g.,.,

~

g y

~~

n.

b; ^

7 Q' 5.k mn.-n v,

~~ms s g % w.-

h it.Jk h

.]

..a.

e.

m

Facts about the Perry Nuclear Power Plant What The Perrv Nuclear Power Plant will consist of two generatin'g units. each having a rated capacity _of.

1,203.000 kilowatts per hour. These units will rank among the larger generating units in the country.

When Unit 1 is scheduled to enter service in 1984; Unit 2 is scheduled for service in 1988. Constructioi. started in 1974.

Who The plant is ta he built and operated hv The Cleveland Electric illuminating Companv. The plant is jointly owned by a power pool of five electric utilities-the Central Area Power Coordination Group (CAPCO)-

comprised of 'Ihe Illuminating Company, Ohio Edison Company, Toledo Edison Companv, Pennsylvania Power Company and Duquesne 1.ight Companv. 'I he Illuminating Company's share of Perry is 750,000 kilowatts, or about 31 percent.

electrical _ plant is essential to help meet the increasing

'Ihe new Why nceds of the two million customers of the J

3 CAPCO companies. Even with serious energy conservation programs, industrial and commercial customers need more electric energ'v for modernization and growth. llesidential customers are increasing their use of electricity in many ways.

Why nuclear

'Ihe atom is one of the world's cleanest. safest and most abundant sources of energy. 'I he nuclear plants produce electricilty at lower cost than coal. Oil or naturalgas-firgd plants and using_n.uclear energy helps conserve these irreplaceable fossil fuels.

Reactor type ibiling Water lleactors (Model BWil/6), supplied by General Electric, will create steam to turn the turbine-generators.

Environmental protection Before the plant opens and during its life cycle, the plant must meet the standards of the U.S. Nuclear llegulatory Commission. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Ohio.

Cooling towers There will be two cooling towers, each 516 feet high and each serving a turbine unit of the plant. The cooling water in the system will carry waste heat from a turbine unit to s

the tower, release the heat (visible as steam), then will return to the turbine to absorb more waste heat.

.y

AsilIABUI.A PIRRY PI ANI NUCI EAR POWI-R LAKE ERIE M.y i

20 l' ASil AKE P1 AN'I l\\

_g-POWER IINE l CONNECllON AVON I AKI.

I PAINESYIII h WlIll Ollif R

/

., i

-- CE.NTI-R RD.

l Pl.AN I tygjgggs A

PENNA.

2 1

Cl i VIl AND g

l n

l l

1 l:

I l

p

-l.

ic GEAUGA I

COUNIY loWI R I INI:

l CONNI C ITON Willi 011i1 R g

/

L111111115 I

g I

\\\\

l ORAIN COUNTY I CUYAllOGA COUNIY where The plant site is about 35 miles northeast of downtown Cleveland. It covers 1,100 acres between the Lake Eric shoreline and Route 20 in North Perry (between Painesville and Madison). A sign at the intersection 6f Route 20and Center Road will direct you to the plant. Free tours of the p] ant are evailable by;ppointment. Call The Illuminating Company for information.

Cost Nuclear plants cost more to build but less to operate than other types of power plants and produce electricity for less tota! Cost.

Perry will cost about $3.9 billion to build, plus an initial $238 million for nuclear fuel.

Employment Over 3,000 people are being employed during peak construction.

Estimated property taxes Perry's estimated taxes will be over $16 million a year. The pro xrty taxes cill be paid to Perry Township, North Perry Vil age, the Perry School District and Lake County.

This power jointl owns severa!pool of five electric companies (see Who) larger,y CAPCO generating umts. Through cooperation, more efficient plants can be built and plant construction can be staggered between the companies. By interconnecting their transmission lines, the companies can buv economical bulk power from each other and aid each other during power shortages.

4

7 F,

>,f e

i n gs,,6 How to make electricity

's Nuclear fuel Each reactor at Perry will hold 46,000 uranium L3,

=

-7 h

filled fuel nxis. The rods will be combined into

+1 1 0 [;

bundles of 64 for easier handling. In the photo,

u. 4:

l 4

a fuel bundle is being added to others in a typical water filled reactor.

" ~ % g.(

A Chain reaction When a neutron particle collides with a A

h uranium atom, the atom splits. As the atom

$b 3

splits. it releases heat and several of its

, y,gs neutrons. I hese collide with other atoms, a son sn ns creating a heat producing chain reaction. The 1 -)""

^

reaction cannot start an atomic expkision

,YQ because the fuel is far too dilute, by design.

15 To control the amount of chain reaction and heat production, control rods are used to absorb l\\l l

neutrons.

cogot isy 2r 1

O... :., ;..,. T o m a. A s_J iiYi ")u.+

.;1..

i M:":.

l

,u e

O I

Encnuctry

'.q>-y p.e s.l u v.i 11.!tii i

ii Ai y

. ): f swF A;;;;-

sj O

• i Electric P*

=

c.do?.3

~-

Generatinb sre c m oxo n ita utou System t

'5+

- cmuso towen

(_(%

C__

g L]

e

1) Fuel is located in 45 feet of water.

I Control rods are withdrawn as needed to permit the fuel to heat water into steam.

4

2) Steam blows against the turbine's fan

[

blades with alx>ut 1,000 pounds per square l

inch of pressure, turning them at 1,800 revolutions per minute.

3) The generator spins with the turbine, producing electricity.

4) Used steam, cooled hv water from the cooling tower, condenses'into water.

5) The water cycles back to the reactor.

An actual Boiling Warcr Rcacrer is acn mort comrict than sheun m the dratang to the h.

right.

.s

Safety systems protect the plant and public The record at,. blic safety is excellent because safety systems of nuclear plants work well. The electric companies, power I

plant supp}iers and research organizations continue to update safety systems as new technology and operations develop. The federal government, among its efforts, is assigning resident inspectors to each nuclear plant and continues to conduct reactor safety tests at its Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.

The Perry Plant will provide " defense in depi" For every key safety system, there will be back-up systems. The systems are designed to handle situations ranging from minor ones to the most severe hypothetical incidents that could be expected. No other structure in Northeast Ohio has had this much attention to in-depth safety. Here are some highlights of nuclear plant safety systems:

1

1. Fuel security Fuel: (I) The uranium fuel is a solid, ceramic material ad it is scaled inside metal fuel rods. (2) The rods are seated inside the reactor vessel, which has steel walls six to nine inches thick. (3) A concrete and steel drvwell encloses the Q

reactor. (4) A large, air-tight steel containment shell is next. (S) Allof these elements are protected by a steel-reinforced concrete shield building with walls up to three 7-

--i

-2 feet thick.

_3 Ys Fuel Reactions-The amount of fuel reaction is regulated by the control rods and the rate of water circulation through e

e the reactor vessel. In a Boiling Water Reactor, the w,a,mu,ng a gnm tem,erature and steam pressure are lower than those of a

+ mnd engin nns nw "'"

moc ern coal-fired boiler in an electric plant.

Sensors, Alarms: Sensors are located throughout the equipment and buildings. Through a system of over 1,000 alarms in each of Perry's Units, the sensors will report mssible problems to the operators and pinpoint the W

ocation. Some sensors can trip' >,cr a complete shutdown of the reactor within five seconds.

Reactor Water Supplies: An adequate amount of water must cover the fuel to help maintain the desired reactor E... '

temperature. Water is pumped into the reactor bv the m

Primarv Cooling Svstem. For added safetv, a level of water 12 feet high is maintained above the fuel' rods. Anv unusual decrease in this water level will tum on the Emer'gency Core Cooling Systems, which can sup,1y more than mm.

35,000 gallons per minute and recircu ate that water.

h

II. Radiation awareness No member of the public has been injured or Niled by radiation from a commercial nuclear plant in the nearly 30 year history of these plants in the United States. Even so, the industry is improving its equipment and operations to increase the margin of safety.

The public is always exposed to radiation. Natural radiation from the$un and Earth expose each person in mrems, umts of Northeast Ohio to 75 to 100 millirems (diation above radiation) per year. Other factors add ra natural background level. For example, the measured radiation in the main corridor of the Perry Middle Schorl is 166 mrems per year. On the average, medical sources contribute about 85 mrems per xtson per year. Nuclear plant radiation contributes much less than one mrem per person per year.

RaJiation ruerJcrs pc,,y.s Health Physics Unit is responsible for radiation arc uern at all orcratienal protection of plan't personnel and the public. This Unit nuclcar plants.

will control access to radioactive sections of the plant, provide protective clothing for maintenance, provide r -

radiation detection equipment and monitor out going packages, shipments and plant discharges.

og oosmem :

Radioactive wastes from the Perrv Plant will be small in volume and Can be stored at Ibe hlant for manv vears.

NAME Eventually these materials will be stored pennanently by DATE the federal government.

01 millirem (mrem) is the average actual exposure Annual to the general public from a nuclear plant per j

exposure vear.

to radiation 5.

mrems are permitted to be released bv a nuclear plant, measured at the site boundarv.'

general public to a'ge actual exposure of the mrems is the asera 200.

ll sources of radiation.

500.

mrems are permitted for the general public from all sources of radiation.

750.

mrems from nuclear plants is the average actual exposure of nuclear plant workers.

5,000.

mrems from nuclear plants are permitted for nuclear plant workers.

25,000.

to 50,000 mrems will show the first changes in bhxxl chemistrv, but this level is low enough that the bhxxl'will repair itself. Nevertheless, this level is not permitted for anyone.

.~.

111. Environmental Nuclear energy is clean for the environment. At the compatibility Perry Plant, nuclear fuel rods will operate in a quiet and motion free manner. The 270 metric tons of nuclear fuel, which is small in volume and easy to handle, will provide energy equivalent to seven million tons of coal annually.

While in the reactor, the fuel will become radioactive but there will be complete monitoring and containment of radiation (See Pages 6 and 7). After three to four years, wher. the fuel is removed, the nxis will hxik the

' me as the dav thev were placed in the reactor. Even sa this used fuel has the ca, ability to be cleaned and recycled in new fuel roc s. Thu's the fuel supply can be increased without new mining.

n Samplings are made constantiv to assess Perrv's effect i

(if any) on the area. Regularly, sam,les are taken of water from Lake Erie and from local streams. Fish also are sampled as well as organisms and bottom silt.

Cooling towers are being built so that plant water will not disturb the natural water systems. Vegetation is studied through conventional and infrared aerial photographv covermg a five mile radius as well as through field trips by botanists and other life science specialists. Crops from farmlands will be sampled. Bird, ground animal and local farm animal populations are being recorded. Soil samples are taken periodically. Air and weather data are collected continually. The natural background radiation levels are being measured-long j

before fuel arrives at the site.

All these and other activities are being conducted to meet the strict standards of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agencv and to help assure that the Perry Plant remains an environmentally clean neighbor in Northeast Ohio.

x

Nuclear power plants in the United States 1

24

~

30 44 e

r:-

)*

~

• ^

^'

g i_co o

a, e

• o e

• \\-

s h

oo eco,*e 'ee o

~

aoo 6^^ o oo 00 e

c 00-oo ooo by ee

\\

j o

e

^

es EtL

• With Operating Licenses 74 Ileactors with operating licenses O With Construction Pennits 88 Ileactors with construction permits O 1.imited Work Authorizations 2 lleactors with limited work authorizations A On Order 23 Ileactors on order (including 2 units not sited on map) 187 Total Source: Atomic Industrial Forum,1980.

In the United States, nuclear plants produce about 13 percent of the electricity and that figure will grow as new plants come on line. Worldwide, 22 nations have put 229 nuclear power plants into service and 20 other countnes have announced plans to begin nuclear operations.

Note: Of all the electric generating plants being developed in the country, about 60 percent are coal-fired and about 40 percent are nuclear powered. The map shows only the nuclear units.

9

The energy crisis-worldwide The world's population is expected to grow with an average net increase of about two million people per week through the year 2000, according to the United Nations.

These people and all people have a human right to the U.S. ENERGY energy that can make their lives better-the energy to provide housing, clothing, food, transportation, SOURCES education, jobs, recreation and environmental protection.

QUADRILUON BTU's j,

p.

.g fuels, nuclear energy and [ther sources of energy are being developed in part through the Electric Power Research Institute, to which The Illuminating Company contributes research funds.

(BREf DER M ACTOR)

The abundant coal suppiv of the U.S. is being developed but worldwide, all fossil fuels are limited and, once gone, cannot be replaced.

COAL 1hrough nuclear science, the great energy resources of m1"a the atom are being tapped. Some of this energy is available througb today s reactors and Can be band!cd in 1030 1.100 3.400 5.800 13.300 130.000 a safe and responsible manner for the benefit of mankind. The next generation of reactors being researched, the breeder reactors, will create new fuel at the same time thev produce power and thus extend uranium supplies for hundreds of years.

Other energy sources are still too new to accurately assess their potential, such as solar energy. These are being investigated and someday may take a place among the world's supplies of reliable energy.

10

1 i

n e

1

iiI, 4

For more information, please contact:

C Putic Re'ations The Clese and Electnc I!!uminating Company P O. Box 5000 Cleveland. Ohio 44101 i

v ^ 701 -19 F:0

m.w.i, 9, Q.: ?.y ; j' ;..}.eh ~

( nc

.l X $.

'n %.'

l l

' ' '~"'-

u,

?f&k?)

l

~

.0h?$

IR

' f.$

i a[v&xhW U

~

i.

ww+

l wn w,

ma rw

. b j

. = - -

(Yi&3 $ N %1

g=-'--

X@

_mN E G 7=

l l

! k.

e s

4 f

fy I

9_,.g a

. 9' rs m a g y

i

.y x

}. f n' y

1.

h; _

y,tjh.h

-y p33

, 3

.s

g

'^

9, A.,,

ggy -

y.

4

.m-

,1k M h N) h@.

Mks v in 0-m%;dg: w ad vyaw

-m

'p.tka.

e m

p. s.

en, m

y^

tr pu

. y,

.tm yw m g?@mg;;' d ' a g4 2

m WM s

M, i

.*?

gg s Uj e

&ty9

,,y

. < w.

%n.s

-c

%33;N" s: "

~

5 gr J-".JiN$k e d ba 'hkG s

b M

f N

s

,g _y s

e

_f aN 3%

a-f~ f '

gu i;

ll 4

4.

4

~

m

=

3 m:&

, xmy 5

m j p[; f

}. ((![ch h*

A

. Y?k h N($r.8k 1

h o l&[hh._y"

% Ykp i

g et"

+

• C mm h ~h s<

r

)

7 b

t

.'f' c, - >,g 1'

.J, 7

%g g

M

^~

n m

-r k.

4 y

an k[

., {

%;.D h^.

~ b u<

e

$fkhhhhh_hb Pjy? /N_ _h"

'r 1

h.

y s_.

J 9

i a

3' % g,km.jF h # "M M

,kM3% ~,

e

~

'QN,,[ y-.g j a g m g g w!Y & g$a ]:m.;g'un%pf

$'l>

h L 7 P

L Oh l5%

Afik'f VF 3

g

~ awaggggpaggppmy ygg sq g ephhp n;h f

(

t 7

a s.u,nan ne m:+-w :

w K $w% %)kd M W M & g y% y$ Q & &m g g m

.? y ygg p

pqp g

g.7 hb hy:

W 3 % % ? 5 $ ! N M k; w &MMRTl4[k%

M:

wa@g@e %fMMQ3b 3

% W,Ohn. M Q n 7j w.

wu n su w e

c a

. m.p hhb-)f:*g;ve%w& [@&@e6'; sw m gggqar g gmyp %g;r K. y g ggg.g.Jgggyjflg g

L k

3hk f h lh0f? A f0 W fjpkf hw(y 3%((

' C;Q m

g qw x

L g 19 n#gg k; @&

@M 3:

- 34 g:2 3

g g

s a

g

' "gy, g:gm w;p9 :u > p.M y%g tw-ww g g; g; & W b / ^ p % u% C M. m y% %A 'l % * % T L * %g e

o A c:a

-a mggy wyYO::

p g

khAR G B MCLO W&

1

~-W

PERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT North Pony, Ohio Flow of Energy o

Through Each Generating Unit:

I

1. Reactor Bunding. Nuclear fuel m

heats water into steam (550*F).

2.1ktbine-Generator Bunding.

/

, Steam powers the electrie generating equipment then returns as water to the reactor Uniti to ta rehested.

I

3. Transmission Yard. Electrigity 7

is sent to customers.

i l

Other Points of interest:

3 l

A. Cooling tower for each Uhit.

An independent,non-radioactive i

. water system cools equipment

~

i in the turbine-generator building Unit 2 '

I and releases the heat (115'F) j through the tower.

- 5. Control room. complex.

C. Low-level radioactive waste processing center.

'N D. Pool for nuclear fuel storage.

g

- a

__ _w s -

.., W$!y -

2 G

& j;

/

. ys y

E$_

~ ~ ~ ""

l Twill be one of the nation'she Perry Nuclear Power Plant northern Ohio and western energy each year as would meet the high safety standards l

Pennsylvania.

7,000,000 tons of coal. Moreover, of the government and the largest electric generating The Perr Plant is owned by five the n,uclear fuel will keep nuclear industry.

plants. From two generating major ut ities, including The worki,ng several years before Modern nuclear-powered plants needing replacement. Thus are helping the United States to units, the plant will produce up to illuminating Company which is energy production will be become more energy. independent' 2.410,000 kilowatts, theoretically building and will operate the economical and clean for the enough to serve about 2,0,00,000 plant.

environment.

They use domestic fuel to residential customers. This electricity will help meet,the About 300, tons of nuclear fuel Safety always will be a prime w ng f ergy in the growing need for energy in at Perry will produce as much objective at Perry. The plant will country.

I

bE 3d h'pI 1

3 me I

/

\\

l 3

b I

~

]

}

aa s

SS v

I v

E at 3

g b

I

=

.E

.}

a O

=

a E

s E

Yb Y

5

=#

1 m

i 5

.s4 (r

-o*

8 i

A ila.

I a

i t

il y

e

.e m =t s

3 1

r.

's g

4 3

m,

-m o

.-.. -M 2>

ummu 3

\\L

?:

4

% =c 3

u w

h*

e I

FO-c W

I

,s U

---

o

.m%yg'xg;:mm yf ~ m &p>W:

\\

rg n p;mmy

m

' ' f' 'j!b5 dh)l yd dQ ll[, [

1 f [Qgg j

f

",;&. kd ;"(i !c 3%

-7 i

l.'rX b f.

~

'r~

l

?'

TO MESAWATT5 tt g a he energy produced by the breaking down of the atorn is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of powerfront the transfor-Ination ofthese atorns is talking snoonshine. "

This statement was made ple thing - to split an atom.

was to convert that power government and the military.

in 1933 by Sir Ernest But years of research by potential into peaceful uses.

A few years later, the Rutherford before the the top scientists in the Geld in 1946 the U.S. Atomic Atomic Energy Act opened British Association for the went into the world's first Energy Commission was up the enterprise to private Advancem ent of Science.

controlled chain reaction established for the research industry.

Imagine how astounded achieved in December of and advancement of nuclear We got in on the ground Rutherford and his col-1942 at the University of power in this nation. Five floor. In 1952, the leagues would have been Chicago.

years later, an AEC ex-Illuminating Company began had they seen a few decades Three years later, the perimental breeder reactor sending representatives to a into the future to a time world saw Rutherford's in Idaho generated the first new study group exploring w hen the industrial world

" moonshine" translated into electricity from nuclear the possibility of nuclear was turning much ofits the awesome power of an power.

power generation.

resources and talents to the atomic bomb.

At first the nuclear field Among them were Newt pursuit of nuclear power!

Now the ne.. challenge was dominated by the Flack, now manager of our it sounds like such a sim-Steam Power Division, and 4

n

t Dick Schuerger, now prin-duce more fuel than they Through the late '50s and it is to add several smaller-cipal nuclear operations consume.

early '60s, more and more capacity units.

engineer.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy new projects were announced This philosophy encour-That group was to design had achieved success with and nuclear power plants aged ourjoining in the for-the Enrico Fermi Fast its reactor design. On went up throughout the mation of CAPCO - the Breeder Reactor which January 17,1955, the U.S.S.

nation.

five member power pool broke ground in 1956 and Nautilus steamed out to sea Other major wor!d powers known officially as the Cen-went inta operation in 1963.

with the famous message intensified their development tral Area Power Coordina-This demonstration plant, "Under Way on Nuclear of nuclear power. It was tion Group.

located near Detroit, Mich.,

Power."

hailed as the most economic In the late 1960's, CAPCO showed the potential of The Navy's success in and environmentally clean announced plans for two breeder reactors, which pro-designing a light water reac-method to generate electricity.

nuclear units. One of them was the Davis-Hesse Nuclear Power Station, near Port Clinton.

i Davis-Hesse

_ _. _. _ ' m is Ohio's first Davis-Hesse went on line N

in late 1977, becoming l

y 3

gyg' gs.

a p Ohio's first commercial nuclear power plant. Today

~

.g,.

m it has a generating capacity

,e 5%

1,,,- -

), p

[J.

,0 M ki a ) sh r d by j'

4

$Q7p ggN our company and Toledo

/

4 x

w~

Edison.

. N MdD

. Q, k%,INhSE%h' {

t.

Meanwhile. back in 1971,

,q

'(gj '

/~

CAPCO announced the

@* m ySggg.

- Wk Perry Nuclear Power Plant M WL to be built and operated by P

M

'M hhh

, E ffM the Illuminating Company.

. ~ f' t.S. 9

/

The 1,205 megawatt output f..

g 'g x h-ef each of its two units i ' 4 #.

"T would be shared with the 2

5

.v g

,i

=

.E

~

four other members of CAP-n,

Y' 1

J, j "~

CO: the Duquesne Light p 'i Company, Ohio Edison, 7

~

Pennsylvania Power and Toledo Edison companies.

Under construction in North The largest construction Perry in LaAc County, our tor pointed the way to go in At the Illuminating Com-project ever undertaken in Perry Nuc/ car Powcr Plant is reactor design.The electric pany, we had always main.

Ohio - at nearly $4 billion approxinrately Iwo-thirds utility industry followed.

tained our interest. We were

- Perry is heading towards contplete. The mo3tprontinent

- and still are - impressed completion dates of 1984 for structure (upper Icft) is the Nuclear plants with the environmental ben-Unit I and 1988 for Unit 2.

partially contpleted conhnR go on line efits of nuclear power which For our employees, this l

irb/ r trm <$<s In 1957, the Shippingport produces none of the air and has meant a host of newjob it ent are the containment buildings

1. ."'.) Atonuc 1 ower Station, water pollution of fossil-fuel classifications m nuclear for the Unit / (lefh and Unit 2 ajoint venture by the AEC

plants, design, engineering and reactors. EachisflanAcdbyits and Duquesne Light Com-Then, too, there is the operation. Over the past turbine-generator building.

pany, went on line. It was economy of " scale" In the decade, new departments The control comp /cx is in the the first nuclear power plant case of electrical generation, have come into being -

center in theforeground is an in the nation to supply elec-bigger is cheaper. It is less Nuclear Engineering, industrial waste lagoon to tric power commercially.

expensive to add one large-(continuted on next page) treat non-nuclear wastes, pri-marilyfrom cleaning systems, capacity generating unit than and the plant switchyard. The Umt 2 cooling towcr will be constructed m the upper nght corner ofthe construction site.

l 5

~

r:

l M

ybw: '

l my' 4-fire in some electrical cables And it resulted in the forma-

" ~ ' ',

at the Brown s Ferry tion of such groups as INPO, 2,

Nuclear Plant in Alabama, the Institute of Nuclear SQL It was started by a workman Power Operations, through a

4 Js uE

~

~,

NIMhd{a '%',, M(

f leaks.The plant was shut pool their information and using a candle to find air which electric utilities can W

~)7 W8 j

down by its operators with-help prevent repeats of Thil

-ac out incident and later was or other incidents.

.ki put back on line. It is still Perhaps most importantly,

,h.

operating today.

Thil has greatly increased Ltt de m;

But the publicity about national interest in nuclear m.f.T I

.U S

these incidents focused power. People today want to L

.i largely on "what if" rather know more about this 1

i

=$ '

'i g

M than what actually happened.

energy source.

.4 Then came Thil.

M On h1 arch 28,1979, a Combatting fear t

M' series of equipment prob.

with education lems and operator errors As we see it, education 4

damaged the nuclear fuel and understanding are the and shut down the Three best responses to unreason-d.

g hiile Island Nuclear Plant able fear. And an enlightened i

N near Harrisburg, Pa.

public can only work to the Conflicting news reports, benefit of any technological rumors and " scare" stories advancement.

about massive radiation Today, some 75 nuclear leaks and possible explo-reactors are in operation in sions made it the biggest the U.S. and more than 80

' '?

media event of 1979.

are under construction.

WhatSir Ernest Rutherford No one killed scornfully called " moon-or injured shine *' is generating more Iater investig tions than 250 million megawatt-A momentous event in Perry's construction history came when the MO-ton reactor pressure vessel was lowered'into place in showed the danger had been hours a year. That's 11 per

~

Unit l's containment building. The crime that did thejob had far less mtense than ortg-cent of our nation's electnc l

to be specially built.

mally thought.The plant supply. And it's 12 times was shut down successfully.

the total output of the Admittedly, the cost of re-Illuminating Company.

i Nuclear Quality Assurance, A few incidents that would turning the plant to operation To produce an equivalent Perry Plant and Perry have been ignored in any will be high, but no one was amount of electricity would Project Services.

other industry were killed or injured.

require burning some 123 Some 400 employees are magnified by the news But follow-up stories million tons of coal or nearly now stationed full-time at media to major proportions.

weren't given the front-page 430 million barrels of oil -

the Perry construction site to One occurred in 1966 treatment that earlier reports about 13 per cent of our monitor the design, make when a piece of metal came received. Anti-nukes had domestic production. Fur-sure the workmanship loose and blocked fuel new fuel for their protests.

ther, nuclear power plants follows specifications, and assemblics at the Fermi Ex.

Yet there were positive generate electricity at a cost to receive on-site training in perimental Breeder Reactor.

effects from Thil. It led to seven per cent less than their the plant's maintenance and A partial melting of the improved safety measures coal-fired counterparts.

operation.

nuclear fuel occurred, but for nuclear power plants.

Rutherford's " moonshine

But the path to nuclear the plant was shut down whose energy he predicted power advancement has not with no escape of radiation.

would be a "very poor kind always been smooth.

The incident was investi-of thing" has turned out to gated and corrected and the be a spectacular achievement.

Concem grows plant later went back into And the future could hold Concern about the safety operation, even greater successes. E of nuclear power plants -

Another incident was the barely a whisper in the 1950's - grew steadily over the years.

(

l 6

=

~

Perry's two units will from the cooling tower operate this way because never comes in contact with they have boiling water reactor water and, thi i, reactors (13WR).

picks up no radiation.

M The other design used in Most of the cooling tower today's nuclear power structure is a " chimney" plants, including Davis-designed to create a natural K

liesse, is a pressurized water up-draft of air,just like a reactor (PWR).

fireplace chimney. It is open la this type of reactor, the at the bottom to let air in.

N water circulating around the Above this open area are uranium fuel is under high sheets of material, called fill, pressure so that it v,ill not arranged so the air can flow boil.

past them.The warmed Instead, the heated water water is showered down on-travels in a closed loop to a to this fill and is cooled by t's all in the way you be contained in 13-foot-long steam generator and even-the air passing upward heat the water.

fuel rods.The rods - 46,000 tually back to the reactor.

through the chimney.

That's the key difference in all - will be combined in-In the steam generator, The cooled water falls to a between a nuclear power to bundles of 64 rods each secondary system water pool at the bottom of the plant and a conventional for easier handling.They picks up the heat from the tower, and is returned to the generating plant.

will be contained in the core outside of the tubes through plant to do its coolingjob in a conventional plant, of Perry's reactor vessel.

which the reactor water again and again.

the fuel is coal, oil, or gas -

To assure a controlled flows. It is this secondary Many people associate the fossil fuels. Heat from reaction, the reactor will water that boils and forms cooling towers only with burning one of these fuels is have special metallic control steam to spin the turbine.

nuclear power plants.The used to boil water, pro-rods that absorb neutrons in both types of plants, the fact is that many of today's ducing high pressure steam.

and can prevent a chain steam from the turbine next new coal-fired plants also The steam passes through reaction.

goes to the condenser.

have cooling towers.

the blades of a turbine caus-Withdrawing and inserting A condenser can be They are an environmental ing a central shaft to turn.

these rods between fuel thought of as a room full of measure to minimize the The rotating part of the elec-bundles will allow us to steam through which pass warm water discharges into tric generator spins with the start, reduce, and stop the hundreds of small parallel lakes and streams.They turbine, producing electricity.

reaction. At any indication pipes.

have nothing to do with the in a r.uclear power plant, of trouble, these control Cool water from the cool-nuclear design of a plant.

the fuel is uranium. It pro-rods are automatically in-ing tower is pumped through Like the cooling tower, the duces heat, not by burning, serted, thus shutting down these small pipes.The ex-turbine, the generator, and but by atomic fission.

Perry's reactor.

haust steam collects on the the other major components When a uranium atom The water in a reactor cooler pipes as water, drips of a nuclear power plant splits, it releases heat as well core circulates freely around to the bottom, and is re-operate just as their counter-as several ofits neutrons the surface of the fuel rods turned to the steam gener-parts in a conventional plant.

(

w hich then collide with picking up heat from the fis-ator to be put back to work.

Atomic fission has pro-i other atoms creating a chain sioning going on inside.

The warmed cooling water vided a new way to heat the l

reaction. More and more it boils into steam and is is then pumped back to the water. E heat is released.

piped to the turbine blades cooling tower, and the cycle At each unit of our Perry just as in a conventional begins once more.The Plant, uranium pellets will plant.

water circulating to and How Perry will work:(I) Con-y i

mv trolrods are withdrawn to per-

)v (b) against turbme blades canSing Wt O

O~

j l O I e ' " C ""C"'

t i I

5 i

them to rotate at 1,300 revo-

,9 Electn.c

, ;om Jj Q

lutions per minute. (3) The

• 3 generator spins with the tur-Generating

'GP m

9 9[cm

'" f " "

hune, productng electricoty.

Y uww roanz (1) Uhed steam, cooled hv

\\

waterJrom the cooling towei; i

S O

• ' b m,

condenses into water (5) The uater is cycled back to the reactor 7

L n q3Y"% ?TY W 'M:W

, gun g m, s :-,

m[ ;c

%p-9g?p'; fy gp y

j%

QN

.,<gU Q,M 7-

[-/

V m

...y{t

[1 o ::%

.g m

r lt

/

'kQ&Q6'g)gQ$ y y

y U

ention the so much more energy? If vation -will increase 50 per only about one-fourth of need to in-so, why nuclear?

cent by the year 2000.

our generation. The bulk of crease our Up until the early 1970s, That'sjust 19 years away.

our power goes to business nation's the demand for our product And building a new power and industry, aw energy

-electricity-was growing plant takes from 12 to 14 A reduced power supply, supply and someone will at an annual average of years to complete.

to them, means shorter invariably ask: "Why? Do seven per cent both in our By the year 2000, our hours,less production and we really need it? Can't we service area and nationally.

population is expected to fewer workers. In short, a just conserve?"

Rising energy costs, a rise from 225 million to failure to increase our Then suggest our energy depressed economy, and some 260 million. The energy supply by the year supply be increased by the conservation have cut that number of workers will rise 2000 would keep a lot of construction of more growth.

from 105 million to 130 people out of work.

nuclear power plants and Nuclear opponents point million. The number of That really darkens the you might start a heated to this decline in demand households is expected to picture, doesn't it?

debate, w hen arguing against the increase from 80 million to Nevertheless our company need for more nuclear 115 million.

~[b4 M O&dM6 remains committed to the power plants.

Maintaming electricity I

/

completion of our Perry and other energy supplies at And there's more.

Nuclear Power Plant. We O M A N O/l0(d4 their present levels would Massive unemployment and Ilut the growth m.I mean reducing everyone severely lowered produc-l also own about half the out-demand else's share of power to tivity would seriously put of the Davis-llesse Nuclear Power Station and is still there. Even with accommodate these new jeopardize this nation's will own one-fourth of the sp esent levels of conserva-people. households and economic, social and output of the Beaver Valley tion, it stands at about tw workers.

military security.

Power Sthlion's second and one-half per cent a year.

P cture yourself and your We got a brief taste of this unit. Other utilities around Doesn't sound like much, family in the year 2000 us-jeopardy during the Arab the nation are also expand.

does it? But even this ing fewer lights, watching oil embargo in the early ing their generating capacity hmited growth will merease less television, enjoying 1970s. And that wasjust a

-and much of that the present demand for fewer hot meals, keeping small sampling.

expanded generation will electricity in our service the air conditioner off, and llut even when most come from nuclear, area by some 60 per cent by using the family car far less people agree on the need to So what's the real story?

the year 2000. As to the often. Uncomfortable Does the nation really need national picture, most perhaps, but not impossible.

experts agree that the llut residential demand demand for all forms of for electricity accounts for energy-even with conser-4

=

1

/

increase the energy supply, according to most experts, Nuclear power is the power plant is also smaller.

the big question is "Why do can meet today's level of cleanest form of energy There is no expensive we need nuclear?"

demands for some 300 available for today's pollution-control equipment i

Let's look at the years and will remain one generating plants. It emi's that must be operated to alternatives:

of our main sources of no smoke, soot or sulfur handle fly ash or sulfur l

Hydropower: using the energy. Ilowever, mining, fumes into the atmosphere.

dioxide.

i weight of falling water to transporting and burning Uranium, the fuel of The overall result makes drive turbiacs and generate coal have their drawbacks.

nuclear power plants,is nuclear plants less expen-electricity, can be developed readily available and has no sive than coal-fired plants in i

only at a limited number of M d42ds/d M d significant known uses the long run.

sites. Most of them have ther than creating energy.

Nuclear opponents can Coal is found only in cer-already been used.

A tW condatmn-always quom mme stu4 or i

tain areas of the country-Geothermal energy, using and a most important one-some self-proclaimed expert making it readily available the heat within the eartth to some electric utilities but is c st. In an age of soaring with a selected set of needs further technological increases in energy costs, statistics which seem to work to become useful expensive to transport t nuclear power represents a prove nuclear costs are others. Coal also necessi-commercially and, even welcome break.

higher than coal.

then, will be limited to lates atly poHutmn-Nevertheless, the consen-specific geographic loca-contrjl qui H

OM 0 0

wnt d

. c, I has sus am ng most experts-tions in this country, uses other than energy True, nuclear power and our own experience-primarily in the Southwest.

production. Coal and its plants are more expensive is that nuclear power plants Solar energy meluding derivatives are used in the to build. Their fixed costs today are generating elec-wmd and tidal energy, also manufacture of everything include the cost of building tricity at a cost 10 to 20 per needs further technological from steel, paint and the plant, return require.

cent cheaper than coal.

deselopment before it will plastics to medicines, syn.

ments for investors, taxes, Moreover, this trend is make any substantial-and thetic cloth and chemicals.

insurance and the cost of expected to continue.

economically affordable-At the Illuminating eventually decommissioning Company, diversity has that plant. These fixed costs Mbt 2dk6M/

contribution to our energy become a watchword in are higher for a nuclear Now let's take another ti ns (a ib-uting only about five per future planning. Transporta.

plant than a coal-fired plant look at our Perry Nuclear tion problems, strikes, and todab Power Plant.

cent to the nation's energy supply by the year 2000 other factors can disrupt Jut there are two other When it goes on line in areas of et to considu-Naturalgas, despite some any one bade enngy,,

the mid-1980s,it will be a new reservoirs and enhanced wurce. So having additional fuel and the operations and substantial step towards extraction, is not expected sources of energy improves mamtenance of a plant.

meeting the increased to increase its contribution ur ability to respond to In both cases, nuclear demand for electricity we advers,ty and meet the costs are substantially lower.

expect in cur service area.

i That contribution may even demands of our customers.

Uramum is cheaper than be lower than present It will improve the levek Combming nuclear power coal for produemg equ,va-i diversity of our fuel supply with coal is presently the lent amounts of electricity-because Perry will be Oil production in this only workable option we even with the added cost of powered by a fuel, country, at best, is expected to remain around its present have to maintain a diversity the security measures for uranium, which has no in fuel and to meet that 50 shipping, storing and level. In the face of our other sign;ficant uses.

national rial of energy per cent growth in energy handling uranium and it will gi nerate electricity independence, we cannot supply by the year 2000.

disposing of spent fuel.

safely and without detri-The cost of operation and nwntaI effem on the count on foreign suppliers maintenance at a nuclear environment.

i to increase our energy supply.

This fact alone makes And it will provide elec-We cannot expect any of nuclear power an absolute tricity at a cost 10 to 20 per these energy sources to necessity. But this energy cent lower than a new coal-answer more than a small option has additional points fired plant, according to the

[

part of that 50 per cent in its favor.

best available estimates.

Our nation needs to increase in demand by the

.merease its energy supply sear 2000.

' That leaves us with coal without compromising and nuclear energy independence. Perry The nation's coal reserves, is this company's best con-tribution to that goal.E 5

c

l e.

[

L MIdA '

~

- gjJ;M@s.

W 1

r u

c !y y

~

m

[*y

.,f. ;

3 s

~

f./

I[

Ng/

5 vessel. Perry's two vessels y.

have walls of steel that are g

more than six inches thick.

k i'

Y That'sjust for starters.

m u

-V

.v Each vessel is enclosed by

]rf gQ a concrete and steel dry-gf well. A large air-tight steel h7 $lh p

7 g

hbW containment shell is next.

tw MVW m I@ND '

1 Finally, all of these ky d

elements are protected by a

.j g

@y steel-reinforced concrete y%

k@~ '

shield building with walls NT three feet thick.

+"

Ioverriding concern:

n any discussion about The end result is a series M

nuclear power, there is of barriers keeping the fuel L!N -

always one ines itable

- and its radiation - well d

~

contained from the outside Are nuclear power environment.

NP g

/GN plants safe?

@d ^g'htg,

m We'll he hearing and Cool.mg systems reading a lot of publicity on The fuel in Perry's reactor this subject next year when cores will be covered by a

,I the Nuclear Regulatory continuing supply of water Commission (NRO con-to absorb the heat from the

?

ducts hearings on our fissioning uranium. boil into request for an operating steam and be piped to the I

license for the Perry turbine-generator building Nuclear Power Plant.

to spin the turbine.

Ilv now, even most Any unusual decrease in dent safety systems to temperature - will automat-nuclear critics concede that this uater level will activate prevent the failure of the ically shut down the reactor a nuclear power plant can't one of several independent entire system if a single part and activate back-up explode like an atomic emergency core cooling or instrument should fail.

cooling systems.

bomb. It is physically systems w hich can supply For example, the sensors The shut-down is accom-impossible.

more than 35.000 gallons monitoring operations at plished by inserting control The big concern today is per minute. Meanw hile the Perry will often have two or rods into the reactor core to w hether nuclear power reactor will automatically more back-up sensors.

immediately stop the chain plants can release into the shut down.

usually with separate power reaction in the uranium fuel.

environment potentially This back-up water supply supplies. Should one sensor harmful doses of the radia-ties into a second key misfunction, the others tion produced by the principle in the design of would continue operating Or supposing both of uranium fuel.

nuclear power plants-correctly.

Perry s reactors were To prevent this, nuclear redundancy.

Redundancy also means forced to shut dow n. Where power plants are designed having several methods would we get the electricity on a theory of defense-in.

Redundancy available to accomplish the to keep the safety systems, depth.

That's a word many of us same task.

monitors, pumps and other might remember from high Supposing a water pipe equipment running?

Conta,mment school classes in grammar.

ruptures and causes a Each of Perry's two units Part of this defense is the There, it meant the needless decrease in the water has three large emergency principle of containment.

repetition of words. It was supply to one of Perry's diesel generators that could I etN examine how it works undesirable in speech or reactors. Pressure and supply electricity indepen-at Perry.

w riting exercises.

water levels in the reactor dent from any other systems.

First of all. the uranium in the design of a nuclear would start to drop and A back-up power supply is fuelis manufactured in solid power plant. however, temperature might start to an important example of ceramic pellets u hich are redundancy is a most go up.

redundancy in design.

sealed inside metal fuel desirable quality.

The sudden change in any Radiation awareness is rods. These rods are flere, redundancy means one of these three elements another component in located inside the reactor having duplicate, indepen-

- pressure, water level, or nuclear plant safety.

4

1 I

Ilut esen at TMI. despite radiation would spread 3

the near-incredible series of beyond the plant site.

equipment problems and Warned by a system of human errors, no one was sirens, people in the sur-killed or injured. The maxi-rounding community could mum radiation exposure to be evacuated before then.)

the public was the equiva-Insurance levels are being lent of one or two chest increased so that our com-X-rays. The most serious pany and the four other consequence was the eco-member companies of the

g p g nomic effect on the utility Central Area Power Coor-

.gg,3M M a 4,f Y5 4R ;

that ow ns the plant in terms dination Group who each of clean-up costs and pur-own a share of Perry will n

{

vs, f$i chasing replacement power.

be insured for $1 billion per j

r^'

loss against property p+

f; TMI shows strengths damage: $560 million per Te. "

In fact. TMI showed the loss against public liability:

k! K,6 ~

. Q* -,

effectiveness of redundant and nearly $180 million per yr safety systems. Except for unit to recover the costs of 5

very minor releases of radi-replacement power after the ation, the incident was first 26 weeks.

n coniamed.

To some, increased And TMI illustrated insurance and emergency another strength of the evacuation procedures may

..e

,[

bnf, Qa nuclear power industry-may make nuclear power the ability to learn from plants sound a little

\\

experience and improve on frightening.

E past performance.

They shouldn't. They As a result of TMI.

simply illustrate how much improvements have been thought has gone into keep-made in nuclear plant ing nuclear power plants designs to prevent similar safe. They are the ultimate At Perry we will monitor precautions are so incidents. The trainiag of examples of defense-in-all water and air leasing the effective." someone always reactor operators has been depth.

l plant to make sure we have asks, "w hy did that incident upgraded. Procedures have The bottom line no undue releases of occur at Three Mile Island?"

heen established to inform radiation.

First. leti look at w hat all nuclear utilities of any Future articles in this Workers inside the plant happened. In March of incidents so they may pre-series will provide more will wear measuring devices 1979, a series of equipment vent similar occurrences.

information on radiation to make sure they are not problems led to overheating As a bottom-line defense, and a better perspective on receiving doses of radiation in the TMI-2 reactor vessel.

insurance coverage is being the risks of nuclear power.

abos e the level determined The situation was further improved for nuclear power But the bottom line remains safe by the Nuclear Regula-aggravated w hen operators plants and the NRC is this:

tory Commission.

prematurely turned off the upgrading emergency plans

• In the 25 years nuclear Remember. radiation is emergency core cooling established for local power plants have been not exclusive to nuclear system in the mistaken populations.

operating commercially, no pow er. Iow levels of radia-belief that the reactor was At Perry. we are currently member of the public has tion are present throughout already filled with water.

working with officials in ever been killed or injured the natural environment-in Eventually, a small portion surrounding communities to by a release of radio-sunlight. w ater. trees. rocks, of the fuel began to over-establish a contingency plan activity from them.

esen our own bodies.

heat and some radioactive for evacuating the publie

• No plant employee has A family living near a vapors and gases escaped within a ten mile radius in ever exhibited clinical nuclear power plant into the plant buildings.

the event of a serious inci-esidence of a sesious injury receives less than one per Such an accident could dent leading to excessive from radioactivity.

cent more radiation from not occur at Perry. For one releases of radiation.

• The incident at TMI-that plant than it is already thmg. Perry's reactors are (Remember. in the event the most severe in commer-receising from natural designed differently.

of a serious accident at a cial nuclear power history-sources.

Second. Perry's emergency nuclear power plant, it did n<

• alter these facts.

em emung splen has would take nmny hours.

What other industry has "What about TMI'"

more cooling capacity.

perhaps esen a few days, such an unparalleled record "llut if all these safety There are further reasons, before dangerous levels of of safety?E 5

w

li}y-$ j W'i.

s,,/y y -% W 2'? W ? WRQT?! ? *M /

r

. 'Rf, ' ' ~, Jh[y y ~~4 :j.; i*'*2

'y

i. '

s,

?.t

% ?y F:

.%" kn&$ h*....,

Q 5 & f2

)

, < j jyv i

• kg..

?/

e.

N

' ie' b y, '

y..

j

,e

,e e,

,e e e o

Q e

e V

A

..e e

e e

1. g @/'

• !e e

e

{

p 8,

e,,

E ),

n f

e ee e

d[1.# )(

d

.I-b

'e so e

f-

..... e e

e e'..

lJMb ^ #

Y

.e

.e

.e P ? %.'/

. e e

mnc p e

~.A m.

e e

.dAQ wy tys.

j"

.c THE RISKS N

wouldn't want to live giving people the facts on contains about three times Alpha partic/cs travel only

near a nuclear power radiation is a maior task we as much.

about an inch and can be i

• plant." a nuclear in the electric utility busi-Radiation and radio-stopped by a mere sheet of

. alarmist commented a ness face in increasing activity have existed since paper.

• * * few years ago to a public understanding and the beginning of time but Beta partic/cs travel a few telesision new s crew doing acceptance of nuclear were not identified until the feet but can be stopped by a man-on the-street power plants.

late 1890s when the German just an inch-thick piece of interview.

For one thine, more physicist Wilhelm Roentgen wood..

• l don't care how low people should be aware that discovered how to generate Gamma rays travel a they say the radiation level there are many elements-X-rays.

longer distance and have from them is. I think any both natural and man-Since then more scien-greater penetrating power.

radiation is dangerous to made-that contain radio-tific studies have been done llut they. te.o. can be my health."

activity. This is a condition and more knowledge stopped by dense materials The speaker obsiously of spontaneous decay or acquired on the effects of such as lead or concrete.

didn't realize w hat an disintegration in an unstable radiation than probably any Containment impossible goal he faced.

atomic nucleus.

other physical and chemical The fact is that people have it is this condition that agent in the world.

That's w hy both lead and always been exposed to gives off radiation-the Thanks to this accu-concrete shielding-of more radiation. It's as old as the emission of energy in the mulated knowledge. the than adequate thickness-is planet Earth, form of particles or radiation produced by built into the containment Yet some nuclear electromagnetic waves today's technology can be buildings of the two alarmists still think of through space.

easily detected and readily reactors at our Perry ntrolled.

Nuclear Power Plant.

radiation as a frightening It's all around us

".The fissioning process new creation of the nuclear The most recent article in

%.e are exposed to low.

that takes place in the this series detailed these pow er industry because it generates electricity from a lesels of radiation esery uranium fuel in the reactor and other safety features radioactive fuel. uranium.

day from sunlight. the core of a nuclear power that are built into nuclear carth, water. air and man).

They would hase us plant produces three types power plants.

other natural elements. W,e abandon nuclear power as of radiation that could Containment designs, em hase radioactise an energy source. despite present a back-up elements within our own its potential benefits.

health safety hazard f The bottom line of this

.. foods contain g

systems re case m and concern-the ultimate scare radioactive elements. If W

8 mntinuous you're a beer-drinker. vou w ord -is radiation

~

• ""It'fIME "Il Dispelling tius fear by huld know your favorite e

drink contains radioactivity.

Ilut. then, a glass of milk 6

e e

e e e e e e.

e

..e e.. e e e e.. e e.. e e e e e..

i:fEEE4:i

::/

. :i i

.=e

• • • • 8

. o

. e e.

r e

... e.

PERSPECTIVE keep excessive radiation doses are usually history occurred, at 600,000 millirems is within specific areas-away given in millirems, the people in sur-radiation lethal to most from the public and away each representing rounding areas people. That's a far cry r

from plant workers.

1/l,000 of one rem, received no more from the 200 millirems we Hut there are two nagging Experts gen-than 1.4 additional normally absorb throughout questions that nuclear erally agree that millirems.

the year and the less than alarmists still raise: "How the userage person Now compare one millirem a year we safe are the low levels of is exposed to these figures to receive from living near a radiation normally emitted approximately 200 what radiobiolo-nuclear power plant.

by nuclear power plants?"

milbrems a year, g.sts consider Even the human fetus, and "What if all systems Fully one-half of harmful doses of more vulnerable to fail and a serious accident this amount comes from the radiation in a sing /c, short-radiation, can sustain injury releases large amounts natural enviornment. This time exposure only if doses reach 1,000 to of radiation into the radiation cannot be 10.000 millirems.

ens ironment?"

controlled.

The danger levels Another frequently voiced The other half comes

• Doses below 25.000 concern is the possibility of How safe... safe,,,.,

is from man-made sources.

millirems produce no genetic or hereditary effects To respond to the first Medical technology, includ-measurable clinical effects occurring in later genera-question, one has to ask ing X-rays, accounts for in human beings.

tions from a person exposed "How safe is safe?" It is almost 90 per cent. Other

= Doses between 25.000 to excessive radiation.

true that nuclear power sources are high-voltage to 50,000 millirems will The fact is that such plants do emit a measurable color televisions, smoke show a change in blood effects have never been amount of radiation during detectors, watches with chemistry. Even at this stage observed in human beings, normal operations. But, luminous diais and airplane the blood can repair itself.

only in laboratory animals.

then. so do coal-fired travel (w hich increases our a Doses of 100,000 Extensive studies of several plants. Coal, too, contains exposure to cosmic rays).

millirems or more can cause generations descended from radioactivity.

radiation sickness. It is still the survivors of Hiroshima What about nuclear How hazardous is the power plants? The nearest P".ssible to recover from and Nagasaki showed no radiation from nuclear neighbor of such a plant this illness with all symp-evidence of genetic effects power plants? And how do receives less than a single toms disappearing. Cancer.

from radiation exposure.

w e measure it.

including leukemia, may And these survivors faced g.rcm a year from that The biological effect of plant's nor' mal operations.

a o occur as a longmange massive doses of radiation.

radiation is measured m effect.

Nevertheless, the nuclear Even at Three Mile i

units called rcms. an

= Not until the dosage,s power industry errs on Island, w here the most abbresiation for " Roentgen serious incident in the safe side. Federal equivalent man. To be commercial nuclear plant (Continued on next page.)

really precise radiation 7

s e

standards. established by commonly cited possible feet below containment. It Typical Radiation the Environmental Protec-disaster is a core meltdow n could tnen be isolated from Exposure Levels tion Agency and enforced allowing molten fuel to eat ground water and ultimately (in millirems per year >

j hy the Nuclear Regulatory through the containment removed.

Commission, require that building into the ground Granted, no one can say

,y One plant workers receive no releasing massive amounts that nuclear power plants more than 5000 millirems a of radiation into the are totally without risks.

/h chc3r year and the surrounding environment. What would And some alarmists, even reay-50 l

pubhe, no more than 500 happen then?

w hen confronted with the l

millirems a year. Iloth are facts, will maintain that just The "C,lu.na Syndrotne,,

because health hazards well below established danger levels, and, as noted Such an occurrence has haven't been detected from Onmic carlier. persons living near been facetiously called the low. level radiation doesn't g

rays-35 nuclear plants are actually

" China Syndrome ' because mean they don't exist.

y receiving less than I of the childhood belief that millirem a year.

digging a deep enough hole At this point we can only To make sure these will get one through the put these nsks in perspective.

7 Each year, some 55,000 A

standards are kept. all cartii to China.

gggg g

water, gases and air

,l'he one-in-a-billion accidents,7.000 die in fires, r

discharged from nuclear chance-almost a total

(>.000 are drow ned and pow er plants are monitored impossibility-of a full almost 5.000 are poisoned.

around the clock. Additional meltdown occuring has llundreds of thousands monitors within the plant already been widely measure airborrye radiation.

pubhcized.

l l

3.d u a m p W m ground-1/

Workers within the plants Assuming a worst-case calling for a ban on autos, accident, how ever, as the always wear monitoring,

,iechm,eal Assessment lask matches, swimming or desices that measure their household chemicals. Why?

C;orce for the I resident s Ilecause most people agree I

A '.'-5 accumulated exposure.

ommission on 'l Mi sa,d m.

i that the benefits outweigh Radiation Protection the aftermath of that the risks. And because At Perry, a Radiation incident:

thm potential hazards have Protection Section has Even if a major fuel been known a long time and Coa 3 t-already been set up to meltdown had occurred at to be taken for j,

air monitor releases into the TMI (it did not),it would

}nn 7

,,_g ensironment and to limit the have required three days exposure of all plant for the molten fuel to Risks vs. henefits workers. This sectiqm will penetrate the 15-foot-thick That same risk-benefit Ilich-voltage also assess radiological reinforced concrete floor.

yardstick should also be color 70- 1 hazards, provide protective The fuel would hase been applied to nuclear power.

equipment to workers, and cooled by the concrete and in the more than 20 years.

monitor and process solidified long before it nuclear power plants have l

radioactive wastes.

could melt all the way been operating commer-( A future article m, this through the task force cially in this country, not one member of the public

[""#f["" f series uill provide details maintained, on the storage, shipping and Should there be a future has been killed or even ultimate disposal of these accident-and assuming njured by radiation from w astesJ worst-case consequences-IgwnL knowledge and under-With all these facts in even if molten fuel did The benefit they offer is stand, g. more members of m

mind. it should be apparent penetrate through the an economical, ensiron-the public can move beyond that the public has no real concrete floor into the nwn a acceptable method the scare word radiation cause for concern about the ground, the people in uang e elpe power and see that the benehts of low lesels of radiation surrounding areas could be emitted during the normal evacuated w ell inside that

((n esti i I th i cas-ts i s.

operations of a nuclear three-day time period ing our dependency on power plant.

through the emergency foreign oil.

Ilut what about the other procedures explamed in an Through increased question ? What if all saf ety earlier article m this series.

sptems iailed at a nuclear Experts predict the i

plant and a serious accident molten fuel would cool into j

occurred. The most a solidified mass 10 to 50 l

8 l

i

=.

m

t

,wY@.m iW y

e

%7. ggy THE W

ROLE 0F F

REGULAT ON charge our customers, the ment, the consumer and the The most complicated to 44 ou ain't seen design and location of our general public. In a cradle-obtain are a construction nothing yet."

facilities our methods of to-grave manner, regulation permit and later an That line might pollution control, even the takes effect before the operating license, both from well have been acquisition of coal for ground is broken for a new the Nuclear Regulatory adopted as our generating plants.

nuclear power plant and Commission (NRC).

company motto around But when we started plans continues through the in applying for a con-1970 w hen the new for the Perry Nuclear lifetime of that plant.

struction permit, a utility experience of building a Power Plant, we found This article explains how must submit two exhaustive nuclear power plant ourselves thrust into a it works.

reports-a Preliminary plunged us into a whole tortuous new maze of Safety Analysis Report new world of government regulatory requirements Dozens of permits (PSAR) and an Environ-regulation.

and an alphabet soup of Any utility seeking to mental Report (ER).

Not that regulation was such acronyms as ACRS, build such a plant must Perry's PSAR alone took anything new to us. As a PSAR and ASLB.

routinely secure dozens of more than two years to public utility, we routinely The ultimate goal, of permits from local, regional compile and ran some 12 look to regulatory bodies course, is the safety and and state authorities as well volumes in length.

for approval on the rates we protection of the environ-as federal authorities.

The overall objective of b&&

u,_ & _J maceras n.c

==

o a.g p'

s

'\\

//

n u ag

. p

?' '

h D3 b %g~

g% f u g

by

/

9-1_w j-nn

/

i 6

-w

. - - -- -a

the two reports is to show:

individual citizens are then have usually elapsed since dure required to obtain an (1) The utility is financially given the opportunity to the utility first applied for a operating license for our j

able to build a nuclear express their views and construction permit. For new plant.

I power plant; (2) The pro-concerns on the proposed Perry, we applied for a con-What does this involve?

posed plant will not have an plant. Hearings can struction permit in 1973; we Simply a repeat of the entire unacceptable effect on the continue for weeks, even received a limited work procedure that was required environment; and (3) The months, as intervening authorization in 1974; and for a construction permit.

safety of the public will be parties challenge and cross-we were granted a full For openers, we submitted protected.

examine not only the utility construction permit in 1977.

a Final Safety Analysis T he two reports are then building the plant but also (The 1974 limited work Report (FSAR)-the reviewed, analyzed. veri-the NRC staff and other authorization permitted site updated counterpart of a fied and commented upon intervenors.

preparation, excavation, PSAR-in September of over a period of many Intervenors might and other below-ground-1980. Perry's FSAR, which months by the NRC's Office question whether a new level activities only.)

ran some 19 volumes in of Nuclear Reactor Regula-plant is even needed. They length, was found accept-tions and by an independent may argue for additional Construction monitored able for a safety review by group of nuclear experts environmental safeguards.

Since construction got the NRC early this year.

comprising the Advisory Anti-nuclear groups, as underway at Perry, we have Public hearings will be Committee on Reactor might be expected, are been under the monitoring conducted in 1982.

Safeguards ( ACRS).

there in full force. Public of the NRC's Office of If you get the impression hearings can generate a lot Inspection and Enforcement that the entire licensing The second stage f publicity.

w hich routinely oversees procedure for nuclear When hear, gs end, the construction work on all power plants is cumber-m When these comprehen-ASLil makes its recom-nuclear pow er plants.

some and repetitious, sise reviews are completed, mendation to the NRC on Directly involved in this you're right. In fact,it's the NRC makes pubhe its w hether or not the proposed monitoring is a relatively even more complicated than reviews and the AC,RS plant should be granted a new department at our outlined here. There are report, and the licensing construction permit.

company. Nuclear Quality additional reports, reviews procedure enters its second Now the decision is up to Assurance. Engineers and and many long waiting M"EC-the NRC commissioners other technical people from periods.

Public hearm.gs are con-w ho conduct their own "QA" have been at the du d et ano nn review and then either Perry site since construc-Who foots the hill?

support r reject the ASLIl tion began. Their task is to The licensing procedure is Safety and Licensing floard r ommendatum. If the make sure that all quahty also costly. Taxpayers and

( ASLil). This group decides

, a C-goals are met m design.

utilities must foot the bill for n6 what areas of contention

. terested parties are still procurement of materials, the regulatory agencies may be discussed at the allowed to appeal the and construction, primarily insolved. (Perry's construc-hea' rings and which groups decision and additmnal and individuals will on all safety-related tion permit alone cost more hearings may be held. The systems, but also for the than 51 million). Utilities P

P -

NRC then makes a final rest of the plant.

State and local officials, ruling.

Now we are embarked on (C<mtinued on next page.)

private groups and fly now, some four years the time-consuming proce-u Y O O O O b CY O O O O O O O O O O O O b D

O

$lhY Y

'm{ o

%g yQ 'e i

owo%u

\\ p=c m%--

s LL

' ' f T _k _ - aQ;:

)m/_

s

-h,==s'GJ e"- *m i

~ fLG(

i "cq '

QA g

\\s N M

1r

.%e-x a

u

{

__ _ _ ~ _ _._.

wm me.3 Tb e s Acrra-l Na 6cwrs petir i smr m a cea7mo ucadE-7

s and their customers are also burdened with the costs of construction delays and changes in design mandated by all-too-frequent changes in regulations.

A change in plant design that is required after a very conservative NRC review is called "ratcheting." ModiG-cations required as a result of ratchets are referred to as "backGtting" and often I

occur painfully late in the 1

game. The ratchet. backGt g

process occurs often in the nuclear power industry.

}

Part of the problem is the relative new ness of nuclear pow er plants. New develop-

/

/

ments and operating

/

/

experience-along with

/ / //

incidents like that at Three

/

Mile Island -pinpoint specific needs for design imp [mements.

such areas of discussion monitor its operations and however minor, usually g

might be similarly limited.

make sure that all erupt in newspaper heiid-mean be te pl nt rf rn1 ance and increased safety to Meanw hile, we'll continue maintenance changes are imes. Cntics then contend the public, obviously, they to follow the existing pro-done in a manner to meet that nuclear power plants should be made.

cedures to reach our goal of the same standards of are nsky. Actually, these However, there is having Perry's first unit on quality followed when the incidents prove almost the growing sentiment within line m 1984 and its second plant was constructed.

opposite. Diey prove that umt on line in 1988.

QA personnel and regula-the nuclear power industry Correct,ve act,on tory agencies are vigilant in

-and in the NRC itself-Ily then, we'll have i

i that the lengthy procedures cleared all the licensing This rigorous, ongoing doing theirjobs. No other for obtaining construction hurdles, but we won't be monitoring by both the industry can claim such permits and operating finished with regulation.

NRC and the utility's QA concern for quality and licenses can be streamlined The employees who oper-personnel can force an safety.

without sacrificing quality ate Perry-along with their operatmg nuclear power The licensing and regula-or safety in future nuclear e unterparts throughout the plant to shut down when tory procedures govermng pow er plants.

nation -must have the train-incorrect procedures or the nation s nuclear power mg mandated by the NRC.

equipment malfunctions industry are intense and Streamlining They must pass the neces-are discovered.

effective. We may soon see For example, the need for

• ary tests to earn operator's Similarly, incorrect proce-some moderation in the

.licenses from the NRC, and dures or faulty workman-cumbersome regulatory a new plant and a utility's

(

financial ability to build it they must take periodic ship on a plant under con.

phases of the nuclear power refresher courses also struction can result m stop-mdustry.

l are two subjects thoroughly I

reviewed during construc-spelled out by the NRC.

work orders until corrective But the ultimate goal of Further, at least one NRC action is carried out, both regulatory agencies I

tion permit proceedings. It seems unnecessarily resident inspector is perma-Two such incidents and utilities will always be l

redundant to go over the nently assigned to every occurred recently at Perry, to ach, eve the best possible i

i same territory a second nuclear power pitnt to One mvolved cable-pulhng design, construction and n1 nitor its day-to-day procedures: the other, a operation of nuclear power I

time during operating license procedures. Other Operations and, long with defective weld. In both plants while ensuring both l

the utility, report any safety-cases, corrective measures environmental protection related incidents to the are now being taken.

and public safety E NRC.

As one might expect, QA people also remain incidents such as these.

l active. Once Perry is on I

line, our QA people will l

8 1

3

/

$-]

r

/ WAST Me o n It wasn't too long ago that the term wastes, to the average American, meant the rubbish, garbage and other trash you stuffed into a plastic bag and left outside for the sanitation department to pick up.

i r

he only contro-Anti-nuclear groups, their decay is so rapid, that and is in use in other major 713 versy once gen-meannhile, have been using it is not considered industrial nations. America's crated by wastes the waste management issue hazardous.

reprocessing program has was the typical in their arguments against The realissue of public been delayed by political family argument nuclear power plants.

concern is high-level radio-considerations, not through over whose turn Unfortunately many of their active was'es that come any lack of technology.

it was to take it out.

arguments are based on from one source-the fuel

• Reprocessing nuclear

~

Today greater public misconceptions and in a nuclear reactor, whether wastes does not add to the awareness of modern tech-exaggerations.

it's used for commercial radioactivity on our planet.

nology coupled with concern power generation or for the in fact, it ultimately reduces l

for the environment have Radiation levels production of national the radioactivity that nature gisen new meaning to the defense materials.

would otherwise be produc-term wastes.

Two types of radioactive There are some facts ing from the natural dis-The public isjustifiably wastes are produced by about these high-level integration of the uranium concerned about the gase.

nuclear power plants-low-wastes we should all know in the earth.

ous. liquid and solid wastes level and high-level.

from the onset:

• The waste issue should from industry that can pre.

In the category oflow-not be viewed as a dis-sent a health hazard. New level wastes are protective Basic facts advantage of nuclear power.

laws and regulations now garments worn by workers, it is one of the benefits.

gos ern the storage, ship, sludges, filters, retired

• Nuclear power plants Nuclear power produces a ment and disposal of such equipment, clean-up are not the major source of far smaller volume of wastes wastes.

liquids, and other industrial high-level radioactive than that produced by coal-Wastes from nuclear trash that may contain very wastes. In terms of volume, fired generation. And the pow er plants are similarly small amounts of radioacti-more than 90 per cent of toxicity of nuclear wastes an area of public concern.

vity. Such material can be such wastes m our country decreases with time. Chem-In fact. recent polls have easily packed in drums and today come from the ical waste toxicity remains shown that support for shipped to designated burial national defense program.

forever.

nuclear Nwer is closely sites.The radiation levels m

• The technology to re-A 1000-megawatt nuclear tied to paolic confidence in this material are so low, and process and ultimately the nuclear industry's isolate such wastes from the abihty to deal with its environment already exists w astes.

4

plant, for example, produces separated plutonium-a raw being injured by radiation Die-hard critics of nuclear only enough high-level material for atomic exposure. By contrast, there pow er plants like to claim wastes a year to fill two wcap(ms-could result in have been injuries, even that this industry is burden-telephone booths.

nuclear arms proliferation.

fatalities, from the hundreds ing future generations with By contrast, each year the Other nations with of shipments each day our nuclear wastes. The na' ion's other industries nuclear power plants -

involving Hammables, ex-fact is that these wastes produce a volume of toxic France, Great Britain, plosives, and poisons from already exist, not only from wastes some 10,000 times Canada. West Germany and other industries.)

the nuclear power industry, greater than the entire Japan -are continuing with At reprocessing centers, but from the defense nuclear industry has pro-their reprocessing pro-tne spent fuel would be program.

duced since its beginning.

grams. Uranium and pluto-chemically dissolved to nium will continue to be separate valuable unused The unfair burden The source recycled worldwide with or uranium and plutonium.

without American The residual radioactive An unfair burden will fa'l As noted earlier, high-participation.

wastes would then be solidi. on the shoulders of future level radioactive wastes are Hed and blended into stable, generations only if we fail contained in the spent fuel 1)ecision is due non-dissolvable ceramic or to reprocess these wastes, from nuclear reactors.

glass materials.

recycle usable uranium and To maintain efficient A go-abead on reproc -

In this form, the waste plutonium, and establish reactor operations, the fuel essing facilities by our would be sealed into federal burial sites for the must be periodically federal govcrnment must ceramic or metal cannisters residual nuclear wastes.

replaced. Each of the two come sooner or later. He and buried in dry, geo.

The utility industry's reactors at our Perry nation's breeder reactor logically stab!e areas such position on waste manage-Nuclear Power Plant, for program aust have a re-as thick salt beds thousands ment was put forth by the example, will have some processing facility and the of feet beneath the earth's Edison Electric Institute in 46.000 fuel rods containing defense program is running surface.

1981. The statement said, the uranium pellets that short on plutonium. Mean-

.m part:

undergo a fissioning process while, spent fuel continues After burial "It is imperative that a to create heat.

to be stored at the nation's federal policy and legisla-Onct a ery 12 to 18 nuclear power plants that Within 300 to 700 years, tion be set forth which months, one-third of these could be used to fill these the radioactivity level of would initiate a program rods will be replaced with needs and also add recycled this waste would decay to and establish repositories fresh fuel. The spent fuel fuel to the nation's conven-the level at which it stood for the disposal of nuclear will be kept in a storage tional nuclear reactors.

when the original uranium waste.

pool for several months Once a political decision was first mined from the

" Completed reports by until it becomes consider-has been made, the waste earth. It would continue to both the National Academy ably less radioactive.

management programs of decay below the radio-of Sciences and the Inter-the nation's nuclear power activity level of natural national Nuclear Fuel Cycle Plans derailed industry can move ahead.

uranium, thus cleansing the Evaluation have concluded Congress is now making earth of some of its natural that radioactive waste Origmally, the plan for substantial progress in radioactivity.

disposal can be carried out Perry and for other nuclear developing legislative Salt beds and other geo-without undue risk ta man power plants was to then guidelines.

logically stable formations or the environment. But ship the spent fuel to a are ideal repositories for until a waste management j

reprocessmg center.

Safe shipment high level nuclear wastes.

facility is permitted to l

Here, unused uram.um Geologists estimate that operate, even on a demon-l and the plutonium that is Spent fuel assemblies will even if ground water were stration scale, the public l

produced during the then be sbipped to re-diverted into such areas, it will continue to perceive l

fissioning process would be processing plants in lead would take 50,000 years to that no solution exists to recovered. Both could be and steel casks specially dissolve the surrounding the waste management l

recycled into new reactor designed and tested to with-salt or rock formations and problem."E i

fuel.

stand 30-foot falls,80 mile-another 10.000 years to l

But in 1977, the Carter an-hour traffic accidents, erode the waste containers.

l Administration froze re-exposure to fire, and By then the radioactivity in l

processing plans for an immersion in water without the wastes would have long indefinite period. The any leakage.

since decayed into harmless reason cited was that the (To date, more than 4.000 levels.

spent fuel assemblies have been transported in this country with no one ever l

l l

l 5

1 L

_ _ _ _ _