ML20234D560

Forwards,For Info,News Articles Which Appeared in California Newspapers Following AEC 631004 Announcement of Receipt of Doi Rept on Bodega Head Reactor Site

ML20234D560
Person / Time
Site:	05000000, Bodega Bay
Issue date:	10/09/1963
From:	Dunesia Clark US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
To:	Palfrey, Ramey, Seaborg US ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC)
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ML20234A767	List: IA-85-665, Discusses Seismic Design of Nuclear Power Plants,Including Const of Nuclear Plants in Seismically Active Zones ML20234A761 ML20234A769 ML20234A792 ML20234A798 ML20234A803 ML20234A812 ML20234A816 ML20234A827 ML20234A830 ML20234A838 ML20234A841 ML20234A844 ML20234A847 ML20234A851 ML20234A855 ML20234A858 ML20234A861 ML20234A864 ML20234A868 ML20234A871 ML20234A874 ML20234A893 ML20234A896 ML20234A900 ML20234A911 ML20234A922 ML20234A929 ML20234A932 ML20234A937 ML20234A944 ML20234A956 ML20234A965 ML20234A968 ML20234A976 ML20234A984 ML20234A993 ML20234A996 ML20234A999 ML20234B005 ML20234B008 ML20234B023 ML20234B032 ML20234B035 ML20234B040 ML20234B062 ML20234B066 ML20234B076 ML20234B084 ML20234B098 ... further results
References
FOIA-85-665 NUDOCS 8709220127
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Dismaan Clark, Directer paristem of Pv611e Information Attaalmaset ess A. R. Emedesha. Gemara3. REmbeen.r M. L. Fries, Direet,or m1 Bagstation R. K. Donovan, OCL i

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- WASIIINGTON (UPD-Two U.S. months a a,l as>

e..~ ww d in built only if there is no reason-Geological Survey Researchers in-the r.edu% $ above bedrock at able doubt that it would, survive vestigating the potential ear *,h-Bodega b u:

any earthquake likely to occur on quake hazard of a proposed atom.

"Tha,e x e a y a lion now has the nearby San Andreas fault.

ic enurgy power plant at Bodega reached more than 40 feet below

• It appears to me that the 's',te Bay, Calif., have discovered a new sea !cvel and within the past few does not meet this test and that fault extending into bedrock at the days it has been found that the'it is 'not an adequately safe loca-l l

location of the gl.cc, the office of fault extends into the bedrock at tion for a nuclear power plar 4%,

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. Sen. Clair Engle. (JRif.), report. the 1o e a t i o n of the proposed Eaton added th t, acceptance of

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ed tod;y.

f plant," the report said.

Bodega Bay as J.( safe reactor:

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In addition, a government geol.

"It is rot yet known whether in site would establii.a precedunt y

i egist was quoted in a report to the a groingicalvnse the fault would that would make idifficult to.re.

Atomic Energy Commission that 1,o one.ideret,'. 2ctive or inactive. ject any proposd fu M dte on the proposed Pacific Gas & Elec-Work in conth.uing in an attempt the ground of earhMe risk.

tric Co. plant "Is not an adequato-to d. mrino approximately how Following reeegt ol 'hesa two ly safe location for a nuclear pow. lon;t t",o movement last occurred reports, Scaborg aske,d the Intes er plant."

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alon.; the fault."

rior department.to make a further The Citifornin. utihty.has 'eyn, Also disebed today was a let-report on 'geologie aspects of the site work on the plant on tb I.'o-wt to AEC chairman Dr. Glenn Bodega Bay fcn!t.,

%y noma County coast, although the Seaborg imm the geological sur-atomic energy commission has not vey reporting the judgment of Dr.

i yet granted a construction porrt J. P. Eaton, nismic har. anis in.

I The proposed plant has stirred upjvestiptor, who studied the Bo-oppo tdon from conservation adp.r... May site earlier. Eaton's as.

' other grvups contending that L i se:nnwnt wasymade before th e l

could pee a serious radiah hiest fault was reported.

j thra Ainiho event of an earthgaue The geologist said, "the magni-on the nearby San Andreas fault, tud of p:w.ible human damage A report to the AEC by the In-that. w.r.dd result from the destruc-l termt D e r a r t ment's geological tion ut the plant by an < earth-

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surnpoffice said that in recent quake suggests that it.should W,

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' Big Question is Bodega A Plant Site!

1 Faul.t An Active One or Inactive? I i

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ny DON ENGDAllt,

' posed to buUd a $61 mi!!ios. J.,wer continuing to' sink the shaft in the will be held - In Santa Rosa, the D The critical factor now in the plant on bie headlands, asi the site on the land side of Bodega AEC says - at widch evidence'.

about g g cal and se mo g hatdo over the proposed Bedega s!!ppage is " slight" and thet it Head and its experts - as well

Bay nuclear.fuelat power plant is has no evidence now that any as those of the U,$. Geologic Scr-will no doubt hold center stage. - f

'whethcr the carthquake fadt dis. movement of the earth occurred vice and the Atomic Energy Com-Pth!!c AEC interest in the quest:.

Icovered in the excavation is "ac. there in the past " tens of thou-mission - are watching further tjon of whether an " active" faultI tive" and likely to slip again, sands of yeace."

I developments.

nms through the plant site dates $

News of the evidence of slippage The AEC says it doesn't know W quality of the fault may from last May, when the AEC's..

~in the granite rock in which the whether the fault is geologicaDy well play a major role in determin-key reactor safeguard committee '

j power reactor would be bedded active, but work is continuing in ing whether the. nuclear plant is gave its conditional approval oi, l

was released Friday by the Atomic an effort td find out how long ago to be built.

PG&E's plans, '

• j Energy Commission a u! corfirm. rnovement occurred. along, the PG&E lias,apphed to'the AEC One of the conditions was conq ed by Pacific Gas & Electri: 0),

fault.

for a construction permitt befort firmatiott that *the "stactor andz i

The ut!!ity company, which pro " h power. company says it is an AECMelaa a. pub!Ic bearing (Contlaued en Page 5A, Ce!.1f G 64, wt : et., ed rt en pas) g,

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'$61 MILLION QUESTION

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tion for a nuclear power plant...

Dr. Eaton said he does not agree:

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8s 3 o d s o~a maA :l b.a d* S,gite e-.

foundation would m a

ground.

I aa w-6' shaking due to an earthquake.'He l

Fault ActiveorInactive?

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of a 1 stype carthquake-ranging.

from some bf PG&

(Continued from Page 1A) no positive evidence o.

r.ctive sediment above the rock, the con-

, sarbm, e buildings will not be locat-faults passing through tha ate-clusion might be drawn that at at two-tenths the force of gravity ed on an active fault line."

The writers generally agreed the oldest, the movement of the to a force equal to that of gravity George W. Housner, consultant with PG&E's consultants.that the rock along the fault was 38.000 to PG&E in design of the plant

• edge of the San Andreas Fault years or so.

predicted by Dr. Saint-Amand.

Zone is about 1.000 or more feet As for future faulting, the re.

He said he thinks the forces I

also pointed out the problem in a to the east of the plant site, and port says it is " extremely im. would probably range from three-j is " quito impossible to design alfound some evidence that it might report to the company, saying it probable, now that the (San An-tenths 'to. seven tenths. with j

be further.

dreas) fault zone is well-establish- " values appr'oaching one (times i

power plant to survive without They disagreed in a number of ed, that future major faulting the force of gravity) not impos-damage b large p e r m a n e n t aspects with Dr. Pier,re Saint-would pass tarough the rock of sible."

ground surface displacements that Amand, geologist-seistnologist who Bodega Head in preference to the Lamenting in part of this report J

might occur if the carthquake fault wrote a recent report on the situa-weak crushed material of the fault the " tenuous" arguments that 1

slippage occurred on the site...a tion in which he called it a "very zone itself."

must be used in drawing geologi-J However, the writers said It cal conclusions. Dr. Eaton con.

1 poor" site.

Interior Itepert The Interior report concludes may be "possible" that such would cludes that "because we cannot Along with word of the dis; that the Bodega headlands is cut-occur, prove that the worst situation will side the active fault zone: Dr.

The geologists recommended not prevail at. the site, we.must covery of the fault, the AEC re-Saint An.and said he considors it continued study of the excavation recognize that it might."

leased a report submitted by the to be within the tone.

as kgoes deeper.

Departnaent of the Interior on the DI:Kl": C8"lin"'5 geology and the seismological has.

Ancient Wood Selsmic Hazard Report Meanwhile. the digging at Bo-ards of the site.

De Interior report says it is Coupled with the geological re-dega Head e o a ti n u e s. PG&E The report-a two part document probable that the Campbell Cove port was " reevaluation of the spokesmen say the maximum I

,-was dated September and dealt area 'where the. plant would be seismic hazards" of the plant pro. depth of 73 feet below sea level

with geological discoveries up to located was caused by glacial ac-posal by Jerry P, Eaton, seismic 'will be reached by the middle of

, June 6 of this year.

tivity, and that fossil wood found hazards investigator, this month.

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The geological portion of the re-n the sediment removed is older Dr. Eaton wrote that he thinks Then the conc! ; ions of a!!

port. prepared by Julius Schlock-than 33,000 years.

the plant should be built "only if scientific hands will be assembled

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er. Manuel Bonilla and Alfred (Some *as yet unidentified" them is no reasonable doubt that and presented to the AEC for a I

Clebsch Jr., agrees more closely bone fragments were found on the it would survive any earthquake decision on the safety of the site.

with PGLE's consultants than with north face of the excayation. they likely to occur on the nearby San The geology may have yet an-some of the opponents who have said).

Andreas Fault."

other airing, however, if a move l

damned the site.

Since the earth slippage report.

And he'found' the site not'to by the Northern California Associ-i l

] At that time. the nprt said. ed Friday was also found la the nicet the test, and concluded it ation to Preserve. Bodega Head j

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.and Harbor in the stats Suprem Court is successful.

l The group, primary opponent'of i

the plant proposal, has asked the 1 l high couit to force the state Public i

Utilities Commission' to re-open (

hearings on the plant question to i explore the geological safety is-I sues.

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Quake Fault Report Adds

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^ khb/$cuhO l0h/85 Discovery that an earthquake miles northwest of San Francis-the Bodega Bay plant, but the

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l fault extends into the bedrock co on the Son'oma County coast AEC has not issued a cons'truc-0I l But the report said g'overn-tion permit for the reactor. The clea po y pl n te c n rms that it is an unsafe location for ment seismologists, are still decision on the permit will be

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a reactor," an opponent of the checking to determine whether made after public hearings at project claimed today, the fault could be considered ac. Santa Rosa and consideration The opposition spokesman, tive or inactive, of a further report on a!! geo-

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David O. Posenen of Berkeley, Posenen contended that the/e log,ic aspects of the site,. the also said if "there is a reason-is no way to prove that the AEC said.

able doubt about the.stfety fac-fault "hasn't been active." But ADVERSE REPORT tor, then Pacific Gas and Elec-a spokesman for P.G.&E., atom-The office of Sen. Clair Engle tric Company should gg else-ic information specialist IIal also disclosed that one govern-i where" to build its proposed $61 Stmuhe, expressed confidence ment geologist, Dr. J. P. Eaton, i

million dollar nuclear power that the tcismologists *certain-had told the AEC that he does generating facility, ly enn establish beyond a doubt not consider the. site "an ade-Posenen is executive secre-... 'thether or not this fault quately safe location for a nu-tary of thp Northern California will,:.ifcet the su,tability of the clear power plant."

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Association to Preserve Bodega site.,

Eaton is seismic hazards in-Head and Harbor.

IIELD PllEMATUILE vestigator for the U.S. Geologi-FAULT DISCOVERED "As far as this finding is con-cal Survey and made his assess-j f:The Atomic Energy Commis-cerned " he' said, "it's prema-ment before discovery that the iicn disclosed Friday that a fault ture to say that there's no way fault extended into bedrock.

j previously discovered in sedi. the fault can be proved active Company spokesmen declined

ments has been found O feet be-or in=tive."

• to speculate on what P.G.&E.

low sea level in the bedrock of, P.G.&E has spent nearly $2 would do.If its application to

'the proposed reactor site, 50 million' preparing the site for build the reactoris rejected.

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An carthquake f a ult penc a previous geologic report, the!

trates the bedrock m the Bo-Interior Department observed al dega Bay site where Hrif;c Gas fault "in the sediments above

& Electric Co. ph:ra; o build a bedrock" at the nuc! car reac-i

$61.million nuclear power plant, for power plant site.

government scientists disclosed "The excavation now has

today, reached more than 40 feet be,

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The Berkeley on.

of the low sea level and within the past j

Atomic Energy Conu :ica said few days,it has been found thati digging in the past 4.s days re-the fault extends into the bed-j vealed the fault anc scismolo-rock at the location of the pro-gists now are trying to deter-posed plant," the AEC said.

3 mine how long ago a quake oc-UNKNOWN NATURE l

curred along the fault.

"R is not yet known whether Fate of the controversial proj-In a geological sense, the fault cet could hinge on this finding. would be considered to be ac.

FURTIIEft STUDY tive or inactive."

This point could be vital to The proposed Bodega Bay j

the fate of the project. The of-nuclear power plant, site has t

fice of Sen. Clair Engle an-stirred considerable opposition 1

nounced t h a t Dr. Glenn Sea-from conservationists and other j

borg, chairman of tb Atomic groups who contend the possi.

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Energy Commission, had asked bility of earthquakes along the s

the Interior Department for a adjacent San Andreas fault

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l further evaluation of the "gco-makes it an unsafe lccation.

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I logic aspects of the fault" A company spokesman in San And in his letter, Seaborg told Francisco,.C. C. Whelchel, vice the Interior Department that president for engineer of P. G.

Information on how long ago & E., said scientists retained by movement occurred in the fault his firm call the discovery "a l

"will be important la our de-minor offset... in the lower 1

termination," Engle's office re-portion of the sedimentary de-l ported.

posits and the underlying grani.

l ON SONOMA COAST tic rock at the south side of the

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shaft."

l P.G. & E. already has begun site preparation work at t h e Whelchel said that according site, located 50 miles northwest to the P.C.&E. experts, "the, i

of San Francisco on the So. slippage appears to have been l

noma County Coast. But the slight and there is no evidence AEC has not yet issued a con. to date that any movement has struction permit.

occurred along this plane in

-In its statement, the AEC'of. tens of thousands of years."

~ fice,in' Berkeley noted that in He said a more completej evaluation would be made upon I

completion of the excavation,3 which will go down to 73 feet below sea level.

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WARNING j'

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Eaton's warning was for-DECISION On Bodega-A. Carver Jr., actinwarded to Scaborg by John A final. decision on the suitability of the tary of the Interior g Secro" PG&E's proposed.125 site for:

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1he c andings watt plant will be m,000-kilo '

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U[n$33 G the gra,ve concern e,xpressed EL $

the Atomic Energy Commisad f/

ciaorce in my May 20 lette held in Santa Itosa la

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of this proposed Bodega Headgarding t r... re.

been discovered in theAu carthquake fault has year.

location for a major nuclearThe plant,' which would bedrock at the site of the ~

power plant," Carver said draw water from Bodega

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Bay and exp He said the fault discov-,

clear powcr plant, proposed Bodega Bay nu; pacific ocean,el it,into ' the ered in the grette bedrock is opposed by

, many conservationists..who appeared to Atomic Energy Commis.

the

, have prosested it would Hu assurans Gat "no fauhcontradict ear.

5.on reported yesterday

' the Sonoma Ing had occuned nue dar-The 225-ane plant sue is 50 co had received a warningThe commission said it See Pope P, Col. 5 mnes non a San nadsm David Pesonen, executive s \\

from Dr. J. P. Eaton, the

secretary of the Northern Cal Intcrlor Department's if rnia Ass clation to Pre-OOdG0a-scismic hazards investi.

serve Bodega Head and Har }

bor the, fault " confirms wha gator, who said:

'1 Iresult from the destructionhuman damege th

!U.5.50f3 have been s' aying all along."

"When citizens stand up for they can get somewheret

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suggests that it should beof the plant by an earthquake i

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. OScT(0 ' a Pesonen declared.

f 3ennett, who was ou b e do bt that it wo

" Froin Page 1

,41 by his colleagues,tvoted -

ly to occursurvive any earthquake like<

ing the past-several thou..

pldned that PG&E's experts com e

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testimony to the commiss sandyearsf, San Andreas fault'on the nearby

, Head as a safe reactor" Acceptance of B o d in wW inskad M unk 4

TEST i

cath.,.

that will make it extremelwill establish a pr

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site does not meet this test"It appears to me that the site

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"This demonst that Ca11forn(rates again i

difficult to reject any pro.

and that it is not an ade i ishould prove their cases in a

y utilitics :

posed 9untcl future site

! Proper manner instead Y saic locatio grounds nuc! car power plant.,n, for of extremeon the thmugh banages of pass m a

of quake risk," Eaton said.

carth.

Bennett said Im gratified Dr. Glenn T.

chairman of the Atomic En.Seaborg,.PG&E I

to have a sup.

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pny.g Whelchel, PG crgy Commission, said the porting opinion from so fault was namg. t m charge o&E vice st f engt. i thority" respected an au.

the last few days when exuncovered within I

garded the fault as only "areplied that he re proposedd $01 million Pacificcavation at the site of the I

y minor MGet."

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have been slightc"The s!!ppage appears t

& Electric Icet belowplant reached more than 401 Company.

o any movement has occurredno evidence to d j

is sea level.

"It is not yet known w alor.

thous; ands.of ycars," tens this planc in-i fault would be consicc, in a geological sense,heth*

of the chel said.

Whel.

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tive or inactive," dered ac.

i said' Scaborg.

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t eh'c I eld the.

wow bc site level by thedepth nf'73 feet belowexcavated to attempt to determine approx" Work is continuing in an a

t sea imately how long ago move.

middle of clared.montig at which time, he de-this meit latt occurred along the evaluations more - complete fault."

of will be made ",thIs feature l

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. gated the poten a al enrth-l 1 ',

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. quake hazard of the site re-l t

' ported that Bodega Head."is

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${'}}}f .d. { plant,,r a n u c i e a r power tion fo j The AEC's Berkeley office j )E1 J Mb 'past few days found the fault. s- .said excavations within the investigators are now seeking j I o determine how long ago a t e

. Fault at Site imabr quake occurred alons lit.

3 Of A. Plant. " AEC REQUEST ~ I I s ,S['((A m ei/4 M g i.lI The discovery bro a ght a l-- The Atomic Energy quick rcquest from the AEC . Commission reported yes. - l or the U. S. Department.of. ~ f g i interior to make further geo'

• terday that an earthtsmke f logical studies of the Sonoma'.

County plant site. fault penetrates the n. d-g. The fault could have an hn'l i e ~ rock of the Pacific Gm &

portant bearing on iP.G&E's' j

' Electric Comp ~any's go-Cof[1)l ~ !(Conthiued on Page[Nba ' posed $61.million nudcar L j ' power plant.a t B o d c ga Bay;. q,,. 1 JoSo Wsrning on Bodega Quake Risk = { (Continued from Page 1) appears to have been slight the Department of the Inte t "Because we cannot prove irequest for a permit to build and there is no evidence to rior, that the worst situation will Ihc plant. date that any mover.ient has Dated Sept, 25, the letter not prevail at the site,',' he k Opponents of the atomic occurred along with plane in quoted Dr. J. P, Eaton, a sels-said, "we must recognize that I reactor, which would be lo-tens of thousands of years." mie: hazard. investigator, as it might. 4' ated 50 miles northwest of Whelchel said a shait 142 saying,he believes Bodega feet in. diameter has been Head,'is not an adequately " Acceptance of B o d e g a i (San Francisco, say the site is sunk at the Bodega Head site safe location for a nuclear ead as a safe reactor site i on top of the San Andreas to determine the suitability power plant." w111 establish a precedent that ' fault-the huge coastal crack of the foundation rock. The "Few places on the.carth will make it exceedingly dif-In the earth's crust.that shaft is now down to 56 feet are exposed to more certain ficult to rejcet any proposed . caused the 1906 quake. ' below sea level, he said, and carthquake sisk." Eaton said. future site on the grounds of 4 Another major' shift in the will be concluded in the kesticss fault, they say, \\vould die of this month when/nid. The case for Bodega Head extreme earthquake risk." it is as a safe site, he said, rests In the le tt e r covering -i 1 spill dangerous radioactive 73 feet deep < in the argument that granite Eaton's report, John A. Car- ' contaminants into the Bay if The condition of the bed-is a solid foundation even in ver, Jr., Acting Secretary of Ithe plant is bu!!t. rock will be determined at the event of a major quake, the - Interior, told. Scaborg, N After the AEC's announce. that time, he added. Final de-EPICENTER FORCE ."These findings do nothing to inent, C. C. Whcichel, vice termination as to the sulta-The case against the site allay, but only reinforce, the

president of engineering for bility of the site will be.made included Eaton's admission grave concern expressed in

'PG&E, said: by the AEC after public hear

• that seismologists do not my May'20 letter to you-re-

' $ "In the course of excava, ipgs in Santa Rosa. ' tion a minor offset was dis. The AEC admitted th.at' *1t know enough about the forces garding the seismic. dangers fcovered in the lower portion is not yet known whether in released in the epicenter of of this proposed Bodega Head such a temblor to estimate its location for a major nuclear, ht the sedimentary deposits a geological sense the fault affect.' 4

power plant.".

D 4 i.and the underlying granitic would be considered to bc ' rock at thd south side of the active or inactive." !' shaft. Material released by the 4['t i "According to scismologie commission, however. Includ-and geologic consultants re. ed a letter to Dr. Glenn T. > a ned by PG&E, the slippage Seaborg, AEC chairman, from 9 .pe,,g.,..um== gsy.ner==*.w-= tpam.y .ees - e . 1_ 2}}