ML21264A169
| ML21264A169 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/21/2021 |
| From: | Thomas Wellock Office of Public Affairs, NRC/SECY |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML21264A169 (1) | |
Text
Part II: Ensuring Safety in the First Temple of the Atom
As noted in Part I of this s tory on the NC State res ea rch rea ct or, t he At omic Energ y C ommis s ion w a s ve r y a nx ious t o pr omot e t he w or ld s fir s t c ivilia n r e a c t or. B ut it s e nt hus ia s m w a s t empered by t he c ha lle ng e of pla c ing a r e a c t or s a fe ly on a bus y c olle g e c a mpus a nd de ve loping a n a ppr ova l pr oc e s s for non-AEC reactors.
T he A E C t ur ne d t o it s R e a c t or Sa fe g ua r d C ommit t e e, t he for e r unne r of t oda y s A dvis or y C ommit t ee on R ea ct or Sa feg ua rds. T he C ommit t ee wa s formed in 1947 t o eva lua t e t he s a fet y of new r e a c t or s pr opos e d by A E C la bor a t or ie s a nd c ont r a c t or s. T he c ommit t e e w a s a bout a s popula r a nd a lso neces s ary as a traffic cop, recalled Safeguard C ommittee C hairman Edward Teller.
T he C ommit t ee s mos t s ig nific a nt c ont r ibut ion w a s e s t a blis hing a c ons e r va t ive a ppr oa c h t o s a fe t y g ive n t he e ng ine e r ing unc e r t a int y of t ha t e r a. We c ould not follow t he us ua l me t hod of t r ia l a nd e r r or, T e lle r s a id. T he t r ia ls ha d t o be on pa pe r be c a us e t he a c t ua l e rr or s c ould be c a t a s t r ophic. T he C ommit t e e de ve lope d a s imple pr oc e dur e of c ha lle ng ing a r e a c t or de s ig ne r t o w r it e a ha z a r d s umma r y r e por t t ha t ima g ine d t he w or s t pla us ible mis ha p s oon know n a s a ma x imum c r e dible a c c ide nt a nd demons t ra t e t he rea ct or de s ig n c ould pr e ve nt or mit ig a t e it.
T he C ommit t e e foc us e d on s e ve r a l ha z a r ds, inc luding a s ur g e in t he c ha in r e a c t ion c a lle d a r e a c t or runaway, a catas trophic releas e of radioactive material from fire, s abotage, or an earthquake, and ha z a r ds fr om r outine ope r a t ion t ha t mig ht r e s ult fr om le a ks or ina dve r t e nt e x pos ur e s. T he C ommit t e e a s ke d N C St a t e t o a ddr e s s t he s e c onc e r ns in a ha z a r ds s umma r y r e por t.
To meet t he C ommit t ee s des ire for inherent s a fet y, NC St a t e propos ed a wa t er boiler rea ct or, which w a s be lie ve d t o ha ve s t ude nt -pr oof s a fet y ma r g in g iven it s s t r ong ly neg a t ive c oeffic ient of r ea c t ivit y t ha t limit e d g r e a t ly t he pos s ibilit y of a r una w a y. N C St a t e a ls o de ve lope d int e r loc ks a nd a n e x t r e me ly de ns e c onc r e t e s hie lding t o dis c our a g e d s a botag e.
I n or de r for N C St a t e t o c ommit t he funds t o s uc h a long-t e r m pr oje c t, it ne e de d a n e a r ly a ppr ova l. T his c r e a t e d a dile mma s inc e t he c olle g e did not ye t ha ve a de t a ile d, c omple t e de s ig n. T he AE C us e d a t w o-s t e p c ondit iona l a ppr ova l t ha t w a s s imila r to it s la t e r c ons t r uc t ion pe r mit /ope r a t ing lic e ns e pr oc e s s. I n s t e p one, c ons t r uc t ion did not be g in unt il N C St a t e a ddr e s s e d t he mos t impor t a nt de s ig n s a fe t y is s ue s.
Whe n it did, t he AE C a g r e e d by c ont r a c t t o s upply e nr ic he d fue l. T he fue l w a s not de live r e d, however, unt il N C St a t e r e s olve d a ll out s t a nding s a fe t y que s t ions a nd a fina l ins pe c t ion t ook pla c e. Wit h t ha t, t he fir s t c ivilia n r ea c t or in his t or y went c r it ic a l in Sept ember 1953.
T he A E C a ppr oa c h t o s a fe t y a t N C St a t e for e s ha dow e d ma ny la t e r r e g ula t or y pr a c t ic e s. A s impor t a nt a s the 1954 Atomic Energy Act is to current regulatory practice, it is interes ting to s ee that many of the c r it ic a l e le me nt s ha ve e ve n de e pe r r oot s ba c k t ow a r d t he be g inning of t he a t omic e r a.
B y T homa s We lloc k, NR C H is t or ia n