ML20126A609

Requests That ASLB Schedule Public Hearings to Consider Safety Risks to General Public.Community Is Threatened by Currently Active Earthquake Faults Beneath Plant & in Surrounding Area

ML20126A609
Person / Time
Site:	Humboldt Bay
Issue date:	01/24/1980
From:	Wheeler R AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
To:	Lazo R, Linenberger G, Schink D Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
References
NUDOCS 8002150229
Download: ML20126A609 (5)

Text

. .

r CC N W M --

cobert Alan jheeler PR00. & UUR, f,$ N. .. Box 679, Blue Lake.,- @ M F 1/2h/60 (707) 64 ## - AG e -

c%

Robert Luc, Chairperson b g p%co gyp Gustav Linenberger, David Schink Atonic Safety and Licensing Board c.g Dgc[i .gy

\

Hunboldt Bay Nuclear Power Unit v3  ; 3 j h g,yfp @ l attn: Docke ; f$0-133 J.

.A.i/.w kppfh% a A,

9#s% -

Sirs, /IQ 3.

v; N na The NRC has said that the Hunboldt Sa:r 'iuole-r Unit #3 peces little safety risk to the' general cublic. Fowe ve r, 'n thot the co=. unity is threatened by current 1: 7 active earthquake faults be-neath the plant and in the surroundi*g area, it cases o gr,ve a n f e t:.- '

risk. There are no studies sha'.7ing thac rupture of the frilities and release of radicactivity vill not occur if stronger fa"Itin cccurs, yet the porsibility of this st ona r faultirr "ae been scientifically deterni.'ed.

Ecgardle's of this the Acting Asris ant Directoryfor Operating Reactor Projects, -

'lill i am. P. Gar.ill, stated that the Geosciences Branch of the Division of S ' te Safe ty e n-i -'n.-

vironmental Analysis ,

also of the Office of N'uc teor Reac tor oerula-tion, is particularly strained) and there are othe r one:inc, rt"iers having greater carety significence.

Thus the onsite investicatinns of PGr<E's activities have been pas moned indefinitely. '!e in Run-bold 6 County realise that our situntion night not be p a r e.n ou n t , but yet we know it is critical.. w y p , - , v..-..,, m . . s , . ,. 4 3 o It is . .

i n t e re s t i d2-%.i4' ...6... C. . .iN. 'thc6 DK.1 ~

12 W , . - --

Branch of Regulation that deals with Tarthcuakes thW:i s:/ tt a' bua:l to see to our safety and well-being. '..'

.. s

,9 There was an earthauake ba'k Eas on Jah

. ..1 3th;t'ot affected ..

,.a.

= : ..

a . . . . .

reactor and oceration of s nuclear pint.

I.r..A,lif crhin the E U ~'= ". .

Live rnare ., ..... ~ ,

I ndiation Labratoriec rere shaken 5~ a s. ; cu':' . .. O..f. f i. _c i._e l...s 1

then publicly stated that there wa- no dancer a ~,ce pu ^ l i"C -~~~ t possible leakage of radiation. .

The following da:6.f}0gy p tale ler h Rnopie;o 3

l i

page 2 l

l was rep 6rted. Followin~ that'there has been a $.6 rupture along the sane fault line. With the NRC too busy to check on'the reportings of power companies and government contracted " service,", it is questionable whether the public will learn to what decree their ,

lives have been endangered.

The NRC position is -that further extencions for PG1E would simply preserve the status quo for such a ;eriod. Th at it wo".ld do. The status' quo now is 'that it is safe to allow the exis;ence of and oper,;e Nuclear Peactors in close proximity to earthquak:

faults. Further, the storage of High Level Radicactive Warres at these sa.e' sites is also acceptable to the 'iRC and th' uninferred public, but not to those of us who live in fear of the nore tb9n common earthquake phenomena id many California connunities. Here our lives vere unknowingly threatened since 1963 when the clant 1 began operating <ith the fault lines ignored. 'le are still endan-gered. The continuing preservation of the stetus quo through further unwarranted extensions allows the public to be miele,d by luclear .

i Power advocates, and thus not realize the ; rove and serious health i and safety hazards connected with 'Juclsar F ower. If the NFC can- ]

e not perform the necessary duties of their job, if the cower c oncanie s i cannot be candid and responsible with the community they supresedly c

c serve, then I would ask the Atonic Safety a".d Licensine Board to protect our in;erests and schedule .inmediate public hearings.

I believe that PGSF is ob ying n polition1 ca~.e; the value of j the plant does not w trra nt the expenre it has renerated, in one year alone they spent over 23 nillion dollars on seismic stuiies and upgrading the plant. Howe ~er the anount total thn hos been a i

o spent for the:ae purposes is unclear; Ed ' lee'cs , ?lant 3uterintendent, (

l sayslhe. has no idea what the cost has been. We has said cub'ic1..  ;

i s-

page 3 thet PG&E's total assets-are ebout $10 billion, and they produce approximately 10 3 million kilewatts of Myro and Ther n1 ccaer.

Humboldt Bay Unit 53 is a 63 mege watt reactor, as are units 51 and .S2. They only operate two at a tine with the thiri being a standby unit which has proven not to be necessary. The 25 .1111cn is_one four hundredths of FG&Els total assets. The plant operating along.with the other tiro would only add one cne hundred and sixtieths wattage. Clearly FGEE is attempting to take the rnte cayers for a ride for reasons they will not disclose, a fact'thst is evident frcm 1 the recent PU" decision. There is no way that the total expense of reopening the Humboldt Nuclear plant could be justified unless it in for unknown political reasons. v.y personal belief is thnt PGLE does not want to have .cublic hearinrs o until the Db blo Canyon ..

plant goer. on line. 1 I

I agree that PGSE's intent is to continue to orosecute it's ap-plication, but I do not believe that additional tine sought is catent-ly reasonable. The NRC position developed by Staff at the time the last sixty dav. extencion was rec.uested stated thPt "carancunt con- .

sideration in the area of scheduling is the pubite int.erest hich crdinarily is best serven b3 es pronat a disposi* ion as cossible I

1 consistent with the litigant 's coportunity to be heard. The secff expressed the view that these consider - tions ccmnended a tine:y re-sanption of hearin" acti/ity in this prcceeding.4 ?TcE first used the phrasing that thev sere making a good f aith ef ' ort.

The 'ic.C then b o ". .n o- a d~ b. a_

v. o.* *-._' r.~3 0 u y '_ _* a d. yk "

31'M. .

T d o . .o. *.

".~a 7_ _4 =. v a. . %. . .os- -# h a. Vu-

n.

staff involved in this partloular case believes that PGBI is making a good faith effort > and I-:cse the question of internal political ma chinations within the NBC.

l 1

page b.  !

Anthony Cardone's testimony of 'ior. 1, 1979 (re: O C 0 'd 0 95"R-graphs of page t ro) ra kes it clear that PG'E has not ott m ted to prove that they have moved >romptly and responsib'y er tho* their current work will in any way su;oort their apolicatior to be "e-licensed to coerate. The Septembe." 1st, 1079 "Sco.:e of "icrk re-port by 7oodward and Clv. ie is again acer.eral and sho s no evidence _

or intent that the findings could lead to safe operation of the p l ant . In )!cvember 1779 the ?FC stated that "the Staff does T believe that the public interes; is well serve d by en uriuly cro-tr.cted proceading." It is rather strnnge th :. : on Decer.ber 26th the '.iRC said that the"a 'rere not opoosed to the granting of the e licensee's notion to hold the proceedings in abe.ance> 'hile "ot addr$ sine. themselves t o a nv., of the above statements or positions which they had pra'tiously ex.peunded.

As to delay on the part of P0&E the intervenors filed nn 10/16/7; an eight cage dets.iled and documented resacnse opposing the ,otion to hold oroceedings in abeyance. This v s ans'rered by PGDE in an incredibly short s t a t er.e n t in thich they Merelv. stute th t thev, ire do:ng studies and that they are not u'ed as e dela:-ine tactic. ':o-

.here hss PG.-:E e n t e re d d o n u e.e n t s shovine the; these studies .re "4.."ic"a.P.vv.11,._7

.- a . .d.. 1 e n~ .4 ^. a l 'J. ". , i_ n ". .n _a d *o

. =s A.t"<a_i ~~ = u. 4. h... .~. c "

- '.~.,, 4.1 _

lead to the return to service of the .Iucleer toter u-it. In f.ct

..o e e e .3

. . t o d.o. , . o.c o .. , a

. r.i. d a. v ~a  ;.

. .a l ' . b. <.) ~'e

. ., . - .d " .~n s 5. :0 "<. ~'~. . - ...

w a.

pint can ever be cperu.ted again according te licensing standards.

rQp3 5 m. 4..., -p.o. m.is o .s,4. 2 - ,

m. a e. " "

-"a-v s oa . . - v ._ u%. c<"~ a. ". ' Q7 C

_ p L a s .#. w. .:)

' 1 "It should be stressei thnt the seisnic 9nr. ;eclogi

.atters hich

.o .3 . . e u. - . , g u, w s .. . o. .<~ w u..a. .u . , . , a .r . . ., .v. c .o ,,,,..,.,,4.,. ~._

-. .. . . . . :g.

4 4

zace 3 -

dated an+1yses and evaluition of pertinent data have been under'av ,

prior to and followint issuince of u n o ce ra tin;; li ce na s f or Bmb oldt Bay in January, 1969. To date, the 'i'C Staff h.c not been orovided eith anty inferna s' on which vc' tid demonstrate satisfacto"y conplience with the operativa provisions of the May 21, 1976 Ori"* for "odifi-cation and, thus , denonstrste that the present license anend ent application should be grantei."

In a letter of Mgj 11, 1976 OGE stomed "It isfour intenc to ^o.-

piete the prcera": of additional ; eologic and seisnic inves tica tions

- .. . j l

e g w._2 o .n O. . p..

4 .3 -v b. . g y g n- [ .q 4 +u- ,,- o.

- , .,t

. . n ..!. p.. k n,1_ A. *. It.a";

. -> e t.. e w. C 1_ n e. *e .

r. 9 . -w a * * . .. w r.

of Unit Mo. 3 to service follo' tin ~ the Sunner-Fell lo76 outere with ,

a t h.e m".,c e "r v .4 " n.. c. ~... .'t t a . . ', ~. . ~a 4 1t

• k.

. v a .~~-r,,. "* . k. . _' n _"a......."_'_'_

( "oe congleted by bhe end of 1076." 2. t this tine PGE vas alrendv ' ell aware of the sels.ic c.roblenn thev faced. It is now three end 9 half years later. 'ie have been livine with this safety .enace situ +;ed 'cy active faults. PGSE st 4'1 does not b.av e e final inte by. wh. 4 c h. . t ' .e ' h.a. .'. r

- c, *v u d 4. e .e.

. ..d.'_' b. e ec.e.la a. ---- .T . . #=

, . , r.~d 'cete,

~ -

a.a..u v . ..2.",

. ~a. .e v 11 '_ am ' e. '1. . o 1p.-".ance m 0 .#. ". . a .' em- s o.# -

". .- a .s a 4. .. '^

sufsty situation. It is well past t i~.e th-; 2G57 : rove th . t :>ev can o?er?te the plan: sifely or nove on to cro.-ide for the '.ecith '

e...d so."e,.,v ev .r t h. a, n e.

. . .' ". e c o .~. a"a n 'i *v ",. "s ",; .e.,- a a 4. . . r~,- 'vo - k.v . a, ". t 'As- ."a..m....'.

o.. c ~wu. . s. nm.. o l t .% -~ zp.m o n. A v a .s t -a _r .n , . . + .u.. ,

s.

2

a. . .~v _ p p. .c.

. .w e

- n .,

w.-.

~

,e

...- 12 -

.,uol_en. w.. ,A .,, ,. % ,. ,

r a,. ,s a o .e. c3

e. -

ra,, c .< w , o .

Sincerely > h & l,t)l.3 \ly-U n C C -. o ,,u - ._c . . .

~.1 cwn ., ,;

. . . . .3.

m . w. . o. .m E ./ a.

l a m..bv+a. .w , O n.sA.. . .vsm - 4 +.. 1 1 4 e. e..%..

l

. I a .q ~w p- ,n .e) 0 ., 4. g.. a %. . ., , * .,..t n

. ..e. .w 3."-..

-' :.. ,.ce - ,J_ e..., y *' - T s

.