ML20137D540

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Responds to Request for Addl Info Re 770420 & 0520 Ltrs. New Info Re Fouling/Corrosion Problem in Lake Anna Water, Leakage Problem in Westinghouse Steam Generators & Deficiencies in Seismic Design of Facility Submitted
ML20137D540
Person / Time
Site: North Anna, 05000000
Issue date: 07/15/1977
From: Allen J
NORTH ANNA ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION
To: Coufal F
Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel
Shared Package
ML20136A555 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-363 NUDOCS 8508220507
Download: ML20137D540 (4)
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M! ORTH ANNA EKVIRONMENTAE P.O. BOX 3951 COALITI Mr. Frederic J. Coural, Chairman Cl!ARLOTTESVILLE, VIPGIIIIA 22903 f.t.mic Safety & Licensing Board (804)293-6039 U. S. Paclear Regulatory Comission July 15, 1977 Washington, D. C. 20555 .

In the Matter of Virginia Electric and Power Company ~

. North Anna 1 & 2

< Operating License Dear Mr. Coufals The North Anna Enviren= ental Coalition (NAIC) appreciates your request for further infor=ation in regard to questions raised in our letters of April 20 and May 20 of 1977.

On May 3. Mr. Roger Boyd, ERC Director of Project l'anage-ment, wrote to _ assure NAEC a respcnse to the April 20 letter "as soon as possible after we have completed gathering the re-quired information." To date, NAEC has received no reply, but will forward it to the Board as soon as it arrives.

Meanwhile, new infor=ation has Ome to nam's attention which wo believe to be of value in the Board's deliberations: .

Fouling and Corresion Problem in Lako Anna T7ater_

On April 29, 1977, YEPCO'sletteri1"ddescribcd fouling and ccrresion prob 1cm due to

" . ..a

  • the high iron content, the presence of sul-fate-reducing bacteria, and the general corrosive nature of the lake water..."

Since a large point was made about the " fresh water" of Lake Anna at the recent hearing, this letter seemed of particular sig-nificance, including, as it does, a requirement for interira chemi-cal treatment with inorganic polyphosphato until cooling tcwers can bo built in 1978. .

This prcblem was obviously known to both VIPCO and the NRC Staff at the ti=o of the hearing, but not to the Board or to the UAE . After NAE fcund the lotter and brought it before the Ad- -

visory Cc=1ttee en Reactor Safeguards on June 10, the GC Staff sent an inquiry to VEPCO on June 24, asking for environ = ental impact information.

Both Ictters are onclosed for the Board's inspe~ction. KAm would inquire what offect such water quality could havoalso' 770 would upcnexpress stcan generators via the condenser leakage route.

surprise that the quality of the lake water was not disecvered un-til 1977 with no permanent remedy planned until after the beginning of reactor operation. harely such handling of a corrosive water problem reflects both upon com.petene,e and cc=mitment.

x 7 8507pp BELLBS-3s3 PDR .

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y * * *

(.

/ 4 p Severe LeaEage Problems in Westinr; house Steam Generators VIPCO testi=ony would leave the impression that the co=bi-

. nation of new che=istry, stainless steel, and fresh water could -

solve 7/estincheuse steam generator problems.

.A contrary i=pression is gained from the June 2 issue of

.EUCLE01:ICS 75.H: ,

"An indication of the sericusness with which utilities view the denting phenc=enon is that 19 of them are think-ing of forming a crcun to fand r & d on steam cenerator prob 1ces at the Electric Pcwer F.esearch Institute...Che utilities' group would put up so=e S40eillion over a 5-year period, in addition to the $3 4-million a year Epri is apending. .."

It would appear that the industry still regards the problem as r.evere. ,

VEPCO's Surry reactors are facing shutdown for total replace-ment of defective stea= cenerators. Surely the 3 card will wish to erolore the effect of this lencthy retair uten VIPCO finances as well as to exa=ine the VIPCO described "mirrer image" rela':icn cf

.Surry and

O. "Prcrerties those originally of the sanrolites presented byhave sienificantly the annlicant. . ." chanced S2 6/76 frem Dr. Ly=an Heller stated in 1976 that 20 had "little or no data on the cyclic response of a saprolite," and fcund that neither did the Ar y Corps of Engineers.

But a Construction Licenso to build North Anna larcely en saprolite was granted in 1971. In 1976, the SS repcrts that "its cc pressibility under foundation and dike leadings ist C2r.2 than originally anticipated...the capability of this foundation l

is Jas_ps than originally expected." SS 6/76 Where m16 h t the EC find saprolite expertise?

l i

.Dr.1111an Pavich of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has made it his particular study for the past several years and wrote his doctoral dissertation at Johns Hopkins on saprolite.

Recently, his work cn Virginia saprolite has been in conjunction with an engineering geologist r.c=ed Dr. Steve Ober=eier.

NAEC suggested that the ACRS invite Drs. Pavich and Ober=cier to discuss saprolite with the l' orth Anna Subec=mittee on July 6.

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Although the invitation to Dr. Pavich was extended, he was not allowed to appear before the ACRS Subconraittee because, ac-cording to a USGS representative, his most recent paper was not yet on open file. .

Saprolite ace and fa tit ace It is hard to resistthe con-

.jecture that Dr. pavich's aosence may be related to the XRC/USGS need to keep earlier conclusions regaraing the age of Virginia saprolite intact. In the 1974 Show Cause hearing, saprolite age '

evidence was used to " prove" the great age - and thus the ac-ceptability - of the North Anna fault. Now, newer saprolite.

studies are suggesting new and younger ages for saprolite just as new Stafford faulting studies are suggesting new and younger aEes for Piedmont faulting.

But broader concerns than age-dating are now at issue with

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the uncertain saprolite foundations at North Anna. Founnation and piping risks from oncoing differential settling appear to be related to the unanticipatea compressibility of the sapro-lite. c It would seem only prudent for those Co=sittees and Boards whose approval zust assure a mini =um of 30 years of public safety to seek out those persons =ost knowledgeable about asprolite. -

NAE would hope *that this 1977 3 card will not repeat the tictake of the 1971 Ioard-licensing as safe' conditions that are merely unxnown.

h Defielencies in North Anna seismic Design by ACES Staniards

.12g is the " Safe Shutdown Earthquake" value at North Anna.

.20g is the " Safe Shutdown Earthquake" value suggested by the ACRS on January 14, 1975 as aturocriate for the Piedment, thus making North Anna's deficiency of 4C7. a known fact for over two years.

.20g was put forth as a minimum SSE in its January 17, 1977

. letter approving North Anna's licensing - as built - at .12g. in the Pied:ent and directly astride a fault. It is not clear whether this was an act of irony or of conscience. In any event,' the public health and safety is not protecte.1 in Virginia by better designs elsewhere in the future. Neither is it protected by the old rulings of uninformed tribunals and the "well-established principles of col-lateral estoppel" put forth by the applicant in its 7/5/77 Response.

.25g was urged by Dr. Okrent for Seabrook on December 10, 1974 when he wrote that " earthquakes are almost unique in their ability to fail each ahd every structure, systes, component, or instru:nent vital to safety..."

We would expect the Board to be particularly concerned with the adequacy of seismic design in a plant**recogni:ed as "an exception or worst case" in wor',cnanship.

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4-We would also expect the Board to be concerned that SEIS: IC RE-ETALUATICN was being discussed for North Arna as recently as April 22 of 1977 in relation to "the ACRS letters." ~

.What was the result of the seis=le re-evaluation?

We enclose NRC> e me=crandn= on the subject by Mr. J. P. Knight, Assistant Directcr for EngineerinC Division of Syste=s Safety, so that the Board =sy resolve this significant issue.

h Criminal Ih'esticatien of the North Anna Power Statien On June 3,1977, 20's Mr. Lee Gossick, in a cover letter replying to an FOIA regaest fro = Representative John E. Moss, wrote the follow-ing:

"As you =ay know, a criminal investigation is under way regarding the North Anna Power Station." ,

Justice Derart=ent cuestions and TEC answers are included in the FOIA siaterials supplied to Mr. Joss.

On May 20, NA*E urged the Board, before it =ade any decision re-lating to the applicant's cc:mit=ent and integrity, to acquaint itself with Justico Depart =ent reports. If the Board doca not yet have such ,

reports, the fcrecoing materials =ay give partial insight, and are availchic at the EC Public Dcct=ent F.cc=.

The entire volume of =nterials in repense to Mr. Moss includes additional "RC =aterials crisettling and foundaticn prcble=s at the

  • Korth Anna site, =any of rrest interest and s ir nifiennee. T.AIC is .

unable to prcvide the 3 card with a ec=plete s--9ry at this ti=e be- l l

  • cause the dccu=ents only arrived at the Local Public Document Rec =

in Charlottesville, yesterday, July 15 -- the day of the ACRS =eeting and mary weeks after the Operating License Hearing. f f

Fevertheless, it is important to note that the fer ::er 20 Project ,

Manager for North anna, Mr. Rooert /erguson, recc=nended a Shcw Causci hearing on settle =ent and later described staff ccncern as to whether l, "this settle ent weuld ereclude tne issuance of an opers.tinry license." l Other cceparacle =aterials in the Moss volume should interest the Board.

p Dr. Robert F. Mueller, geologist and =ost recently co author of N CHI *.:ICAL Pr:ROLCGY (Springer-Verlag,1977), has sub=itted a letter of .'-

concern regarding the North Anna site. Please find it enclosed. It goes withcut saying that the Coalition shares his concerns. Te appeal to you to act with integrity and protect Virginians frc= what has turned out to be a geological, hydrological, and techncloCical "excep-tion or worst case" - the North Anna thelear Power Station.

Sincerely, .

June *%1len ('. irs. P. M.)

YEPC0 #138, 4/09/77 President, Na.T Eno:

XRC respense, 6/04/77 s ERC me=o, 4/02/77 Dr.1Meller,7/,11/77 m _. _ _ _ , , . . _ _ _ . _ _ . - - _ _ _

. _ . - _ _ _ y,. - -, . _~ ,

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