ML20128C366
| ML20128C366 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle, 05000426, 05000000, 05000427 |
| Issue date: | 05/07/1974 |
| From: | Thomas R GEORGIA POWER CO., SOUTHERN COMPANY SERVICES, INC. |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19292B772 | List:
|
| References | |
| FOIA-84-624 NUDOCS 8505280275 | |
| Download: ML20128C366 (12) | |
Text
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thur 7, ~1974 -
UNITED' STATES OF AMERICA ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION Before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board
.In'the Matter ~of
)
)
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
)
Docket.Nos. 50-424
)
50-425 (Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant,' )
50-426 Units 1, 2, 3 &'4) 50-427 TESTIMONY OF RUBLE A. THOMAS My.name is Ruble A. Thomas.
My busino'ss address is P.O. Box 2625 (800 Shades Creek Parkway), Birmingham, Alabama 35202.. I~am a Vice President of Southern Services, Inc.
Southern Services,'Inc., along with Georgia Power Company, is
's.-
a wholly owned subsidiary of The Southern Company.
Southern o
Servic.es, Inc. is the engineering and operating service company for Georgia Power Company and the other Southern Company affiliates.
My statement of cducational and professional quali-
.fications has been incorpor.ated previously into the record of this proceeding.
By' motion of April 30, 1974, Applicant requested the '
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to reconvene the evidentiary.
hearing to consider additional evidence to enable the. Board to make a determination pursuant to 10.CFR 550.10 (e) (2) (ii).
This
. testimony is submitted _on behalf of Applicant to support a positive determination by.the Board that, based upon the avail-LL 84-4 p
w "able information:and review to date, there is reasonable assur-
~
7f ance that the proposed site 1s a suitable location for nuclear power reactors;of the general. size and type proposed from the standpoint of radiological health and safety considerations.
Eachlof the generating units of the Vogtle Nuclear,
' P1antq(VNP) ~incorpcrates -a nuclear steam supply system consist-ing.offa Westinghouse pressurized uater reactor with a four-loop
Each. unit is designed for an ultimate core power output of 3556'MMt.
The circulating' cooling i ater
- will be cooled ~by hyperbolic,-natural draft cooling towers,
- with makeup uater being supplied from the Savannah River.
Applicant has assensed and determined the adequacy of the site for the VHP taking into consideration the sito eval-
)
untion factors identified in 10 CFR Part 100 of the Commission's regulations.
The site characteristics are favorable for the location of nuclear power reactors of the general size and type proposed.
The discussion below-includes a description of the major characteristics of the proposed site, including geography and demography, meteorology, hy'drology, geology and seismology.
Geography and Demography The site for the proposed VNP is located'in the eastern part.of Burke County, Georgia, on the west bankfof the Savannah River about 15 air miles east-northeast of Waynesboro, Georgia, O
e
_3-and about 26 air miles south-southeast of Augusta, Georgia.
Figure l~/
shows the site location relative to the surrounding area.
The site will consist of*3177 acres with the four-unit plant located approximately in the center as shotm on Figure 2.
The Applicant owns the entire cite and therefore has control of all activities in that area.
There'will be no one living on the site.
The exclusion distance for Units 1 through 4 will be-about 3600 feet, 3850 feet, 4550 feet, and 4850 feet respectively.
These are the distanc'es from each unit's containment to the neurcat bank of the Savannah River.
'The area surrounding the site is predominantly rural and therefore sparsely populated.
The estimated population figures indicate that in 1977 there will be about 5 residents within one mile, about 350 residents within 5 miles, about
. 4400 residents within 10 miles, and about 573,000 residents within 50 miles of the proposed plant.
Population projections indicate that the population within a 60-mile radius will not vary greatly over the life of the plant.
There are no known significant seasonal variations in population in the sito vicinity.
The low population zone, as defined in 10 CFR Part 100, for,the site is that area falling within a 2-mile radius of the
- / Fig. 2.1-1 from PSAR.
- / Fig. 1.2-2, Shoot 1, from PSAR.
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plant.
This area is expected to remain very sparsely populated during the life of the plant.
The nearest population center, as defined in 10 CFR Part 100, is Augusta, Georgia, which had a 1970 population of approximately 60,000.
Nearby Industrial, Transportation and Military Facilities The nearest industry is the AEC's Savannah River located across the river from the VHP site on a 312 square mile reser-vation.
The facilities at this' plant include a heavy water pro-duction plant, production reactors, and fuel preparation and separation facilities.
The nearest of these is the heavy water production plant which is four miles from the VNP.
The.conce-quences of postulated accidents at the Savannah River Plant have been evaluated and provisions will be made in the design of the VNP to insure that the capability to safely operate and/or shut -
down the VNP will not be impaired.
The Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant (a nuclear fuel reproces-sing plant) is under construction by Allied Nuclear Services at a location contiguous to the eastern boundary of the Savannah River Plant reservation.
This plant is approximately 20 miles away and the concequences of postulated' accidents there are
'acccptable at the VNP site.
The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service is Bush Field near Augusta, Geo'rgia approximately 17' air miles i
to the north-northwest.
There are other small airfields in the general area which.do not have commercial airline service, the
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Evaluation of site meteorological conditions were initially based on a minimum of five years of record from the Augusta. Airport and two years of data from a Savannah River Plant' program.
The on-site meteorological program began in
^
April, 1972 with the first year of valid data being obtained between December,'1972 and December, 1973.
These data show that the diffusion characteristics associated with a Pasquill F stability condition and a 1 meter per second wind speed are appropriate for evaluation of the radiological effects at the site boundary of postulated accidents.
Diffusion factors at
" the. low population. zone of 2 miles have also been deternined.
'Thesofdata indicate site suitability when evaluated-in accord-ance with the AEC's site evaluation criteria in 10 CFR Part 100.
Surface Mater Hydrology The predominant hydrological feature in the site area is the Savannah River which has an average flow of approximately 10,000 cf s with a corresponding stage at the site of 84 feet tiSL.
The maximum flood of record, 360,000 cfs, occurred in 1796 and A
reached an estimated stage at the site of 116 feet MSL.
similar: flood, 350,000 cfs, occurred.n' 1929.
These floods i
occurred prior to the' construction of several upstream dams which now regulate the flood flows in the Savannah River basin.
To establish maximum postulated flood elevations at the site, two conditions were considered:
(1) the probable d
s 6
- 5 s-nearest being the Burke County airport located'ap' proximately 16 air miles to the west' southwest.
There are no landing patterns nor low-level military flight paths near the VNP site.
A,9-foot navigation chdnnel is maintained in the Savannah' River by the_ Corps of Engineers.
There is some commer-cial river traffic past the site composed primarily of tug-drawn barges traveling between Savannah and Augusta, Georgia.
None of.the cargo currently shipped is hazardous or explosive.
In any event, the river is located over 3,000 feet from the
-nearest safety related plant structurc and the plant area is shielded by high bluffs at the river's edge such that the consc-quences of postulated accidents on the river would not exceed
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conditions for which the VisP will be designed.
The nearest highway with truck traffic is Georgia
/
The Route-23 about 5 air miles south-southwest of the site.
nearest railroad passes about 12 air miles west of the site.
The nearest military facility is Fort Gordon '(U. S. Army) located about 29 miles northwest of the site.
Meteorology The general climate in the region of the VNP site is
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characteristic of the' continental climates in the Southern region of the United States, consisting of mild short winters, long periods of mild sunny weather l'n the autumn, somewhat more windy but mild weather in spring, and long hot summers.
4
.+
Emaximum flood with wind-generated waves; and (2) failure of up-
.shrcam dams during the standard project flood together with wind-
. generated waves.
Analysis of' these conditions indicate river levels at the site of 162 and 168 feet MSL, respectively.
These elevations are considerably less than the plant grade of 220 feet MSL where all safety-related structures, systems and components will be located.
The occurrence of severe localized precipitation has been recognized and a probable maximum precipitation established which is included in the design criteria for protection of ths safety-related plant facilities.
Mechanical draft cooling towers will be used for the cooling of safety-related systems.
These towers will be located s
at plant grade and will not-be dependent on the river for emergency operation.
Ground Water !!ydrology The site area is immediately underlain by sands and citys of Eocene age and younger formations.
At a depth of less
'than 100 feet is an impermeable marl which restricts vertical movement of ground water and separates the shallow sands from the underlying confined Tuscaloosa aquifer system.
Because of
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this barrier, downward percolating water that reaches the water table begins to move laterally.
Stream channels bounding tho site arca intercept and carry this laterally moving ground water to the Savannah River, thus precluding the adverse affect on the off-site ground wa'er regime in the event of an accidental spill, t
u
-g-Geology The-topography of the site consists of gently rolling hills carved from a terrace ranging in elevation from approxi-mately 300 feet MSL to the lowest point approximately 80 feet MSL ah the edge of the Savannah River.
Shallow' solution basins are_present.where leaching of disbursed calcarcous sands and.
shells have resulted in local near-surface subsidence.
At the site,-the upper 80 to 110 feet consists of red to yellow sands and clays whose preliminary identification is Oligocene undifferentiated.
The lower portion of the yellow sands is generally calcarcous, locally becoming a coquina, which
- leached out to form shallow near-surface depressions.
A hard impervious claycy marl, appro::imately 70 feet thick underlics
/
.the calcareous sands and shells.
Beneath this bearing horizon are increasingly dense sands composed of deposits of the Cretaccous Age.
Based upon extensive geological studies and field exploratory drilling, it is concluded that this claycy marl is adequate foundation, material for a nuclear power plant.
Because of the potential for liquefaction of the upper sand stratum under extreme seismic conditions, this upper sand stratum material, including the shell zone and approximately the top five feet of the clay bearing stratum, will be removed in the vicinity of the Category I structures and replaced with select sand backfill or lean concrete backfill up to the des'ign eleva-tion of the various Category I structure foundations.
The 9
a
l.-
9 :,,
..Jg a:
backfill will be. compacted and will assure-adequate foundation condition's"for the plant: structures.
EThere are no indications of surface, active, or post-Cretaceous faulting at or near the site, nor is there any
- record of nearby scismic epicenters.
Solution features observed on'the site are clearly.related to materials overlying the
~
-bearing stratum and therefore do not constitute a safety hazard.
for the proposed-plant'.
Seismology The-region of the United States in which the sito lies is one of conciderable-earthquake activity, but of low to moderate intensity.
The exception to-thin was the 1886 Charicston,
. South Carolina, earthqucke -whose epicenter was.104 miles fron.
the site.
Reports from nearby towns indicate this strongest.
h
~ historic shock within the region probably-would have had an
' intensity at the site-of VI and no greater than low VII on the Modified.Mercalli. Intensity Scale of 1931 (tal).
The XII (MM)
New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes of-1811-1812, whose epicenters n
j were approximately 500 miles to the west, would have had an intensity.of no greater than VI (5D1) at'the site.
The Seismic Risk Map of the United States (Algermisson, 1969), shows the site in zone 2, described as " Moderate damage corresponds to intensity VII on~the Modified.Mercalli Intensity
- Scale of 1931."
No earthquake epicenters have been recorded f
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within 50 miles of the site and none with an intensity greater than VI within a 100-mile radius.
Evaluation of the site indi-cates that the largest shock intensities felt will be from great, distant earthquakes.
Earthquake frequency data for the period in.which,
records have been kept indicate that in tho'last 300 years the only shocks of intensity V or greater felt at the site were those of the 1886 Charleston earthquake *and the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquake.
An intensity VII-VIII will be considered for the safo shutdoun earthquake (SSE); this corresponds to 0.20g on the Hershberger intensity-acceleration curve.
A conservative value of 0.12g will be u' sed for.the operating basis carthquako (ODE).
The site is therefore acceptable from the standpoint 6f seismic considerations.
O 9
a~'
5 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION-Before the Atonic Safety and Licensing Board In the Matter of
-)
)
GEORGIA PONER COMP 5NY-
)
Docket Nos. 50-424
)
50-425 (Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant,
)
50-426 Units.1, 2, 3 & 4)
)
50-427 CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certifp that' copies of " Testimony of. Ruble A. Thomas," dated May 7, 1974, were served upon the persons on the attached Service List by. deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, this 7th day of May, 1974.
s C-,4-n /-![*
s; Thomas A.'
Baxter Dated:
May 7, 1974 e
A 5
o..,;-
g
' e.
UNITED STITES OF AMERICA m
ATO:!IC ENERGY CO!*'.i!SSIOli
' (..
- In the: Matter of -
)
)
GEORGIA POWER CO'IPANY
)
Docket Nos. 50-424
)
. 50-42,5
--(Alvin - W. Vogtle Nuclear Plant,
)
- 50-425 Uriits 1, 2, 3 & 4)
)
50-427
~
SERVICE LIST
. Thomas W. Reilly, Esq.~
Atomic Safety and Licensing Chairman Board Panel Atoraic Safoty and Licensing.
U. S. Atomic Energy Commiscic:.
Board Pano)
Washincton, D.
C.
20545 U. S. Atomic 1:ncrgy Co:araission
-Washington, D. C.
20545 Atomic Safety and Licensin.
Appen) Ecard Mr. Glenn O.
Dright U. S. Atomic Energy Co.m.i r..cic:.
Atontic Saf e t.y and Licenning Kashingtcu,-D. C.
2054S
~
Board Panel
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U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Mr. Frank W.'
Ka2fas
-Washington,.D. C.
20545 Chief, Public-Proccadingn Stef.f Office of thc. Secret.ary cf Dr. Robert L. Holton the Ccmmission School of~ Oceanography U. S. Atuaic Energy Cort.mi.neivt Oregon State Univoruity Washington, D.'C.
20545 Corvallis, Orcijon
'97331
, John F. Wolf, Eng.
Wolf, Shethan & Wolf 1015. - 18th Strcct,- N. W.
Washington, D. C.
20005 i
Mr. Ralph S. Deckcr Route 1, Box 190D cambridge, Maryland 21613 Joseph Gallo, Esq.
(6)
Perry D.-
Sciffert, Esq.
Officc of General Counscl Office of Regulation U. S. Atomic Enorgy Commission Washington, D.,C.
20545 f
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