ML20234E175

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Discusses USGS Discovery of Active Earthquake Fault within Excavation Proceeding for Util Proposed Power Reactor on Bodega Head.Press Release Encl
ML20234E175
Person / Time
Site: 05000000, Bodega Bay
Issue date: 10/08/1963
From: Pesonen D
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION TO PRESERVE BODEGA
To: Seaborg G
US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
Shared Package
ML20234A767 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-85-665 NUDOCS 8709220304
Download: ML20234E175 (3)
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t BAY AREA CHAPTER Northern California Association

. To Preserve Bodega Head and Harbor 2.2ttar.cstierwsc - Berkeley 4, California 2820 Telegraph Ave.

Aovisons October 8, 1963 .

Ansel Adoms David Brower

, John Eminons Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman N r 14 onc'"

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission J G*""'a Washington 25, D.C.

Weldon F. Hoold Jcel Hedgpeth

Dear Dr. Seaborg:

l Francis Herring

p. a. Wren The San Francisco press has reported a discovery by the Whorn Penn Mott, Jr.

U.S. Geological Survey of an active earthquake fault with-Inomos rorkin**"

Company's proposce power reac tor on Bodega Head. The Kenneth Rearoth Company'S reply to this finding was distressing C.C. WelCnel, T. Enc neynolds Vice President--Engineering, annou'nced that the company intends to continue excavation and implied that they intended cNv',"s*,cretary to disregard the findings of the U.S. Geological Survey.

, Of perhaps even more concern., however, was tne response o'f your, office to this information. Several accounts quoted.

your letter to Mr. Carver of the Department of the Interior, to the effect tha: pGLE's excavation would be deepened, to determine the extent of faulting within the reactor site.

The reason for our concern is the obvious inference from your statement that the provisions of 10 CFR 100 governing reactor site criteria have no meaning. For ex-ample, despite previsions of 10 CFR LOO.10(c)(1), that "no facility should ba located closer than one-fourth mile from the surf ace location of a known active eartnquake fault,"

PG&E has continued to excavate the site on Bodega Head, which is known to be less than one-fourth mile.from a known ..

active earthquake fault--one of the Earth's most active--

the San Andreas. N6w that the U.S.G.S. has found a fault within the reactor site, it would appear that the af f air is closed and that the company must move elsewhere.

Wo commend to your attention the judgement of Dr.

George W. Housner of the California Institute of Technology, PG&E's own expert, in his report to the company on this l

project (included in the Hazards Summary Analysis, Appendix

{ C, AEC' Docket 50-205):

"As regards .Jrost cound movement produced by faulting, I would say that if there appeared even a small likelihood of this happening, then the site should not be used."

Purpose, To work for preservation of the scer.ec and kistoric headlands of Bodego Boy and to ir:swre the

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And further l )

"...It is quite impossible to design a power plant to survive i without damage the large permanent ground surf ace displacement ' l that might occur if the earthquake fault slippage occurred at  !

the sito." .!

l Under what specific conditions would the AEC deny a construction permit for a nuclear reactor because of earthquake hazards?

It is misleading to suggest that the purpose of the present ex-cavation at Bodega Head is to assess the extent of faulting. The company is obviously constructing a reactor and is looking at the nature of the bedrock to the sa:ae extent that a hignway department would inspect a bed of fossils in the path of hignway construction.

The company has poured concrete. reinforced with steel, in a ring that is clearly designed to provide for laying up the. frame of the vapor.

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pressure suppression system--a permanent part of the. reactor complex.

This is construction, not geological exploration, and would appear to violate the provision of 10 7R 50.l(b) which states:

"No person shall begin the tenatruc tion of a production or utilization facility on a .te on which :ne facility is to be operated-until a const  : tion permit nas been issued.

As used in' this paragraph, che term ' cons truction' shall be deemed to include pouring the foundation for, or the installation of, any: portion of tae permanent facility on the site:..."

The present activity is c- ;rly a violation of this provision.

Since your agency appears to fin that the licensing and regulation of reactors 'is exclusively reserved to the federal government, are you prepared to enforce tne pr- Lsions of tnic regulation, promulgated by your agency?

It is becoming abundantly ;_ ear that this project has accumulated more momentum than a responsible utility management should nave allowed. According to testimony by the company in a recent lawsuit in Sonoma County, "After February 9, 1960, the company incurred engineering, material, construction and miscellaneous expenses in the amount of 51,586,648, all of which have been directly related to the proposed construction of the said facility, " in addition to a contract of approximately 3500,000 on the present hole. All of this has pr6-ceded even the sched,uling of barings by. your agency on the safety of the installation.

This suggests that the project hip gotten yLite out of hand and that perhaps the utility management no longer exercises adequate con-trol over it. The purpose of this letter is to sug.;est that the pre-rogatives of your agency be expanded to rescue the company from what has become an increasingly embarrassing mistake.

Sincerely, s/ David E. pesonen DAVID. E. pE30dEH  ;

Executive Secretary x

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( 'I HORTHERd CALIFOddIA ASSOCIATION .

.. 2820 Telegraph PRESERVE TO Avenue BODEJA nEAD At!D H 1RBOR i Tel:

Berkeley 5, California TH 1-6399 PRESS RELEA3E j (For Immediate Release)

San Francisco (Oct. 8)--The AEC was asked toda/ to " rescue" the P Gas and Electric Company "from what nas becouie an increasingly embar-rassing mistake" at Bodega Bay. The request was included in a letter to Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman of the AEC, from the dorthern Calif, j

Association to Preserve Bodega Head and Harbor.

The AEC announced last Friday that an earthquake fault had been f ound within the excavation by a U.S. Geological Survey team of seismologists and that t.te team leader, Zr. J.P. Eaton, stated that (

Bodega Head "is not an adequately safe location for a nuclear power plant."

i "It is becomtng abundantly clear that tais project has accumulated mers momentum than a responsible utility management should have allowed "

the letter commented. ,

Over 12 million has been invested in what PG&E describes as '"sste > reparation" before the AEC nearings on safe ty have been scheduled. )

i "It is misleading to suggest that the purpose of ,the present ex-cavation at Bodega Head is to assess letter charged.

the extent of faulting," the PG&E is obviously constructing "a permanent part of the reactor ' complex" in apparent violation of the AEC regulations on reactor licensing.

permit "Under what specific conditions would the AEC deny a construction I for a nuclear reactor because of earthquake hazards?" the lette- asks.

"Now that the U.S.G.S. has it would appear that found a fault within the reactor site, the affair is closed and tnat the company must e move elsewhere," the letter stated.

But the increasing compnny in-vestment at Bodega Head "suggeots that the project has gotten quite out of hand and that the control over i t. " -

' utility management no longer exercises adequate Daviu Pesonen, executive secretary'of the association and author of the letter, said at the time of the release:

"If PG&E can't stop a reactor that isn't even built, how are they going to control it when it's finished."

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