ML20236B882

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Responds to 760302 Memo Forwarding J Greenberg Expressing Concerns Re Seismic Design of Plant.Operation of Unit 1 Will Not Be Authorized Until Seismic Questions Thoroughly Evaluated by Commission
ML20236B882
Person / Time
Site: Diablo Canyon, 05000000
Issue date: 03/24/1976
From: Dircks W
NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To: Hart P
SENATE
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ML20236A877 List: ... further results
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FOIA-87-214 NUDOCS 8707290271
Download: ML20236B882 (7)
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NRC PDR JCook March 24, 1976 1.ocal PDR MGroff EDO Feading EHughes docxet nos. %-275 NRR Reading (MGroff) Shill and 30-323 LWR #3 File DAllison BCRusche EIGoulbotene JMiller Jfom HDenton IE (3) tionorable Pn111p nart RHeinenan IMR Branch Chiefs Unitea States Jenate VStello WRoss ELD RSBoyd

Dear Jenator riart :

CA (3) EGCase LVGossick I am pleased to respond to your memorandum of tiaron 2,1976 whjon forsarded tne letter of your constituent, No. Jill Greenberg, dated l'eoruary 10, ly76. j da. Greenaarg expressed concerns primarily about tne seis~ ale design of tne Diablo Canyon nuclear Power Plant . Althougn construction of the first unit at tue Diablo Canyon site is essentially complete, tue plant la not operat lag. Operation of tne plant sill not ne I autnorized until tae seismic questions discussed by (1s. Greenberg have been thorougn)y evaluated by the Commission and any actions whicn )

aaf be necessary to ensure an acceptaole level of safety nave teen taken. inis evaluation is in progress. rartner cetalla are presented in the onclosure, i 1

s mreenc;erIs letter indicates a Delie! ' nat tais natter is of t remenxua concern to 15. dobert Fo11ard, who recently resigned his eo plo f.aen t witu tne uomiasion's st:.fr in protest to Co nission pract ices. Pr. ecllard's protest 3 and tne Ge.r:ission'a detaile.1 l re apon.4e; .uve recentl y teen presentea t o tne Joint Co u1ttee on  !

Atom e ::arzy. do ,< e v er , I sould 11xe to point out here tnat or. Falura was not in/olveu ja tne evalation of tala particalar satter. 1 art nera. ore , to our knowledge , his recar. IAlliSon:mt RSBoN E se BCRusch .LVGossi ... _.fM 3// 7/76 3/ (76 _/d/7E 3 3/YY76 .,j/AY/76 3//f/76 Form AEC 318 (Rev. 9 53) AECM 0240 W u. s. oovaRNM T PRINTING 0,FICES 1974 526194 i

ENCLOSURE DIABLO CANYON SEISMIC DESIGN EVALUATION Tne Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is located on the Pacific Coast about 12 miles from San Luis Obispo, California. Construction is essentially completed for the first of tne two units at this site.

The owner, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, applied for an operating license in 1973 The Commission's staff is currently evaluating tne l operating license application. Tnis evaluation, which is now nearing completion, has been delayed nearly two years by considerations associated with the Hosgri fault.

The present situation presents no risk to public safety since the reactors have never operated and do not have operating licenses. New ,

fuel for the reactors is being stored at the plant. The Commission's I staff nas evaluated this storage and determined that it involves no f significant risk to public safety even if tne largest of earthquakes 4 5 ,.4 S sho

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Before operating licenses can be issued, all actions necessary to demonstrate an acceptable level of safety will be required. Further details concerning the operating license evaluation are presented below.

l Construction permits were issued in 1968 and 1970 for Units 1 and 2, respectively, at the Diablo Canyon site. Based on tne investigations conducted at that time the plant was designed to withstand the l

l following earthquakes:

(1) A great earthquake of magnitude 8.5 along the San Andreas l fault 48 miles from the plant.

1 (2) A major earthquake of magnitude 7.25 along the Nacimiento l l

fault 20 miles from the plant.

(3) A major earthquake of magnitude 7.5 along the off-shore extension of the Santa Ynez fault 50 miles from the plant.

1 (4) An aftershock of magnitude 6.75 not associated witn a known fault 6 miles from the plant (directly under the plant at a depth of 6 miles).

After the construction permits were issued, offshore investigations conducted by Shell Oil Company showed the existence of a fault which had previously been unmapped. Tnis is the Hosgri fault which runs l

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- 2-offshore from tne vicinity of Point Sal on the south to Point San Simeon on the north and passes within about 31/2 miles of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant at its closes approach. (One small splay of the fault passes within 21/2 miles of tne plant). There is a v i d a ta i n d i c a3 tA umt th+4ael+-may-extiend4pthee-eeuthward frma

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nnn 44meon enn1t a v t a n d i ng4 ether + n tha north nnet_Scint Ran-Simon.

Since the beginning of the operating license review, Pacific Gas and Electric Company has conducted additional investigations and submitted cxtensive information on the characteristics of the fault, its capabilities for producing earthquakes and the ability of ,he plant to withstand earthquakes whicn are more severe than those considered in the original design. The Company has proposed considering the Hosgri fault capable of producing an earthquake of magnitude 6.25. j Since this earthquake would result in somewhat more severe ground {

shaking tnan the original design earthquakes, the Company has performed l additional analyses in order to demonstrate that the plant could safely j withstand such an earthquake.

Ine U. S. Geological Survey, which is acting as a consultant to the Commission's staff in this review, has also conducted extensive investigations concerning the characteristics and capabilities of the Hosgri fault . The Survey nas recommended considering the Hosgri fault capable of producing a larger eartnquake than the magnitude 6.25 earthquake proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric. This general recommendation was made by the Survey and publisned by tne Commission's staff in January 1975 In January 1976, after considerable further study, the Survey made a tentative specific recommendation that the I dosgri fault should be considered capable of producing an earthquake I with a magnitude in the range of 7.0 to 7.5. Inis recommendation is based on the Survey's opinion that the fault is longer than Pacific Gas and Electric Company believes it is or, alternately, that the 1927 earthquake of magnitude 7.3 could have occurred on the Hosgri fault.

The Commission's staff nas not made final conclusions concerning the capability of tne Hosgri fault for producing an earthquake or the plant's capability for withstanding such an earthquake. Considering an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 to 7.5 on the Hosgri fault requires further analysis to determine tne effects of such an earthquake and what modifications would be necessary to withstand such an earthquake.

Tne analysis for an earthquake of that size at this distance from the plant would be unique in several respects. The Commission's staff 1

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is actively pursuing an analysis of the effects cf a magnitude 7.0 to 7.5 earthquake as well as considering the different interpretations of geological data.

In addition to its own technical expertise in the fields involved here, the Commission's staff has the assistance of capable consultants, including the U. S. Geological Survey. Furthermore , when the staff's evaluation is completed these matters must be considered by other bodies before an operating license can be issued. They will first be evaluated by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. Then the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hold public hearings near the plant site. At these hearings the Board will consider the evidence and recommendations presented by Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the Commission's staff, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and other parties, including the State of California and interested {

citizens, before making a decision concerning an operating license. 7~ M {

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.y.9 MEMORANDUM 4,.4,n.-.,(M..<$;3.r;$i

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} A communication attached from:

1 Ms. Jill Merbe Greenberg Smith College Junior Year in Italy Piazza Antinori 2

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&rt6n d."'4, Respectful'.y referred to:

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pures Mr. Carlton C. Kammerer, Director

{ Office of Congressional Affairs Uuclear Regulatory Commission Washin6 ton, D.C. 20555 1

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for silch consideration as the communication .g , w.f.,,. g,,w7 .

. t msmitted herewith may warrant and for a report ,g.?f3%.,6gy';Vp'.y.e.y;'

.< thereon. in dup'.10 ate to accompany return of

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Your assistance in thic matter w1U. be appreciated, i

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y--- re: Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant; status of ' ' ~

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7~~~ of points raised by Ms. Greenberg I ..-

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. T.* . PLEASE RETURN CONSTITUENT CORRESPONDENCE u..

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.w .u tu Piacca Antinori 2 Firenze, It alia -

.. - Febraury 10, 1976 \* .

enator' Philip Hart

'enator of the Ctate of Michican nited Stater Concrees

.;ashington Distrdu t of Colombia enr Genator Fert, I have opent mueb time end enercy in the part to encourece the United

.taten covernment to exercise its power to limit the dancerouc and alarm-inc construction of nucleer facilitiec in the United Stater. I an a constituent from the " tate of richiran end have previovely apneeled to you

,n my Senator to encourare an immediate ban on furthur construction of auclear reactorsn as well as initiatinc furthur reaearch procrame into the

'Tasards of Huclear Enercy, and the protective measuren necencary for a truly enfe and effective energy source. I write thic time not merely to

?xpress my extreme dirmay that so'little has been accomplished'; but to lemand that immediate action n'on b6 taken to halt operation of reactors e

hich are located in earthquake zones. The Huclear Reculatory Commiscion on to dedide by March 1, the future of not just the Diablo Canyon Reactor,

.ut the future of tr? international community as well. This plant is curreilt" he rubj ect of temenuous concern not merely on the part of ervironnentalictn ut if the alco a hirh rrnkinr dancerous rirkr 'nvolved official of the l' C, han recently reci tned in protert in the Ameriern n e of Huclear Enercy.

The Euclenr reactor plant at Diablo Cenyon in built about 12 milen from an Luis Obispo/ At the time construction was becun it wac established that his reactor waa to be built some 49 miles from the non Andreac fault and ipproximently 20 milec from the hinconada f ault. To cupport thic reactor in tare of earthouake, precautions were taken that would hopefully fortify the enctor n 1 Tl T, in any earthouale that regietered up to 6.75 on the :i chter rcric,

" hell Oil Co. 'ound an underwater f ault that ic 2.5 milec from

'le Diablo Canyon p1pnt. ' ecent rtudier by United 9tnter Geolocirts have evoeled thnt thir "aul t ir probably rerponnible for an enrthouaPe in 1927 tat renched 7.25 on the ' i chter renle. 'e Meif 5 e enn nrd Electric '?ompate he quakethese cbates findince, their claim remains that a more distant fcult caused of 1927.

' he Huclear Reculatory Conniccion in to decide uhether o crant a IIcenre f or operation to the Diablo Canyon Flent. I etroncly rce you to exert _ ac:much influence as poe-ible to n top furthur une of this lant end to "orbid the corrtruction of :.uclenr nd controveraiel locations ! I furthur urce you toeac: orr in cuch dnnt c"our encournce a delay in the onntruction of all Muclear Enercy Leactorc until cuch a time when our '

aowl>dge in more hichly developed co that cuch concerns ar there need not auce widespread concern by the public. The Euclear ;.eculetory Commission n to decide not juxt the immediate future of that part$ cular plant, but  !

he future of both huclear L'nercy as a enfe and fencnble means of enercy, nd that of the countlern number of livec uhich would doubtlessly cuffer n core of nn error by the ULC. i wait a 1responre.

implore you, ar my 9enetor, to take mhnnk you #or your time action immediately and anxiounly r,1c re,1y

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