ML20236B893

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Responds to to President Re Whether Plant Can Withstand Earthquakes.Plant Operation Will Not Be Authorized Until Thorough Evaluation of Possible Effects of Fault Complete.Investigation Underway
ML20236B893
Person / Time
Site: Diablo Canyon, 05000000
Issue date: 03/18/1976
From: Deyoung R
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To: Jennivine Rankin
AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED
Shared Package
ML20236A877 List: ... further results
References
FOIA-87-214 NUDOCS 8707290276
Download: ML20236B893 (10)
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Distribution Wocket file EIGoulbourne j MAR 18 1976 NRC PDR ELD l Local PDR GErtter (DR-9910)

LWR #3 File JCook socaat .os. do-27T) NRR Reading (MGroff) MGroff ana W-323 BCRusche EHughes JMiller Shill I HDenton JYore l PSeinemn IE (3) ns. Juditn hannan VStello LWR Branch Chiefs 61.wrta enest er raaedena, California 91161 DPA11ison SECY Mail Facility WRoss (3) (#75-1334) l

Dear ns danxin:

Your letter of r'ebruary lo,197b to t ne President nas been referred to

.ae far reply and 1 c:: plesaca to provido t ne following rssyonau.

ica expressed cancera apoat .netocr tae Diablo Canyon auclear rower i eldnt. near .2an Lula volspo, California can witastand eartuguaxca. aitn I re.;ard to the fault you mectionea, wnica is about 3 1/2 ailes froa tne plant , 1 ccn assure you tnat we .till aut autnorize o,>crat ion ci tne {

i plant unt11 se nave tnoroggnly evaluatea tne possi.,le effects of tme I fault and any act ions whien c.ay be neccascry to ensure an adequate level of safety nave acen t axen . Inia evaluatica is noie in progress and a raore cetailec cascription is provicca in the caclosure.

<ita re5 ara Lo JO2r question a00dt test lug naclear ,sowe:r plaulu fur car inquadoc, a t is true inat tne large co.aponents cannot ce t estea f:,r t art neuacJ . Iavrefore, con 0ervative de:1La procedurea art una tu accign isr smere eartoquar es an,1 a atrict qualit y a.5surancu prai,ra e la e.aployed in 00sil;n , 0:nstruat ica ana 5:ateria15. Por analier c o.M. 3. cu t : , saan a .aat. ors , inst ruacnt : aas pung.;, t cat intf is peri or' ea by anaxia; t ne 00~:. pone 113 to verify t out t aey will esat Jaut la .cr dLring ana af ter an cart aquaxc. In addit 2ca, t ne contain:ent str ct re, .;aaan jo provideo to ;00tain ra 10 activity in t he un11,mly ever.t of an ceci; cat &1 releace, la periodically tated 10r Acaic t i .;at ne:Ja sy prac.5uri41nc it to a nica pre.56ure wit:. air.

,. ) t n rc.nru to yaer quest 10n about noney, for Isrge cc:.oercia] nuclear yo nt psunta aa:a as yua Arc J$.s:ualas, tnc ..oa a j is prova ca Oy L.le utilitiva .nl:n 0 n the plants and not sy tue re aral icverncent .

.nc c a;eri 4 caer. .; eat's exp;.n;it area are ja tae aren of oaleti rC J c E r 0.. , react Dr r e.searca n;J de /elopicnt W orr, . Iais inulujca 3:a.11 re m r ut. rea c t pra . t 31:0 inclaa:2, in one c1;e, part of L.a cuot M a large LO sr react or intenaea la Jc.0JGStrat e t he IOd32 Dil}t V VI ex.r.erelal creedor react ors.

  • 8707290276 070721 PDR FDIA CONNDR87-214 PDR .
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ns. Judita raakin l With regard to the copper tuping, tais was copper-nickel tuoing installed in the condenser.. . sea water for cooling flows tnrougn tnis tuou.g ouring normal operation. Inia type of tuoing is widely useo elsesaere in.similar applications and is generally suitaole tor tne purpomu. Investigations 01 tne moslone kill indicated inat, wuile tne

tuoing may uave oven responsible, procedures to keep a small amount ut water tiowing throudn tne tuues waun the plant was not operating would proaaoly prevent any turti.er'iills. Wevertneless, Pacific Cas and t,lectric compar.y deciduc to repl ce ine copper-nickel tuoes witn
. lore expensive titanluiu tuDes, lasse titanium tuous will not only avolo adverse er.vironmental ertects out will.give longer life and fewer plant shutdowns to fix tube Icaks.

+ 1 trust you will tind tain infor.aation responelve to your concerns.

Sincerely, j

Oridnn1 +~a b.. n c %voant:

h. C. Leioung, 4ssistant director Ior Ligut mater r.cactors Division'of Project hanagecent cnc lu s t.rc :

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ENCLO3UAE 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 the 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 the operating license application. This evaluation, wnich 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 l fuel for tne reactors is being stored at the plant. The Commission's staff has evaluated tnis storage and determined that it involves no significant risk to public safety even if the largest of earthquakes should occur.

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.

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

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

i (2) A major eartnquake of magnitude 7.25 along the Nacimiento 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.

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

I After the construction permits were issued, offshore investigations conducted by Shell Oil Company showed the existence of a fault which had previously been unmapped. This is tne Hosgri fault wnich runs 1

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offshore from. tne vicinity of Point Sal on the south to Point San Simeon on the nortn and passes within about 31/2 miles of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant at its closes approach. (One small splay of tne fault passes within 21/2 miles of the plant). . There is evidence indicating that the fault may extend further southward from the vicinity of Point Sal and that it may connect with the San Simeon fault extending further. to tne north past Point ' San Simeon.

Since'the beginning'of the operating license review, Pacific Gas and Electric Company nas conducted additional investigations and submitted extensive information on the characteristics of the fault, its capabilities for producing earthquakes and the ability of the plant to withstand earthquakes wnich are more severe than those considered in the original design. The f >mpar.y nas proposed considering the Hosgri fault . capable of producing an earthquake of magnitude 6.25.

Since this earthquake would result in somewhat more severe ground shaking than the original design earthquakes, the Company has performed additional analyses in order to demonstrate that the plant could safely witnstand such an earthquake.

Tne U. S. Geological Survey, wnich is acting as a consultant to the j Commission's staff in this review, has also conducted extensive j investigations concerning the characteristics and capabilities of the Hosgri fault. 'The Survey has recommended considering the Hosgri fault capable of producing a larger earthquake than tne magnitude 6.25 earthquake proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric. This general recommendation was made by the Survey and published by the Commission's staff in January 1975. In January '1976, after considerable further study, the Survey made a tentative specific recommendation that the desgri fault snould be considered capable of producing an earthquake-with a magnitude in the range of 7.0 to 7.5 This recommendation is based on the Survey's opinion tnat tne 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 has not made final conclusions concerning the ,

capability of the HosSri 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 the effects of suon an earthquake and what modifications would be necessary to withstand such an earthquake.

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

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

  • i In addition to its own technical expertise in the fields involved  !

here, the Commission's staff has the assistance of capable consultants, including tne 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. Tney will first be evaluated b? the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. Then the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board will hold public hearings near the plant site. At these hearings tne Board will consider the evidence and recommendations presented by Pa'cific Gas and Electric Company, the Commission's staff, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and other parties, including the State of California and interested 3 I

citizens, before making a decision concerning an operating license.

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, og . o . . , NRC SECRET.ARI AT TO: Commissioner Date 3/3 O E xec. Dir./Oper. O Gen. Counsei Cong. Liaison O soncitor O Public Aff airs O secretary incoming.

Judith Rankin, 251 N. Chester, Pasadena, F rom, Ca. 91101 To: Presidene Fnra page 2/16

Subject:

Claiming that San Lntii n Ohinnn p1nne 4e constructed on earthounkn fnu1r.

O erepare repiv for signeture of:

O cnairman

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O Commissioner E DO, GC, CL. SOL, PA. SECY Signature block omitted O Return originai of incoming with response For direct reply

  • SUSPENSE: March 23 O For appropriate action , G,t ,, A, F or inf ormation g For recommendation Remark s: Routine Whirn unnen unforrgi.

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For the Commission:  !-  !" {6  ! <14J M }!

  • Send three (3) couesj aly to Secy Mail Fa ty Nac4: ACTION Si ' 4

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