ML20197C341

Responds to to Dept of Energy Re Present Status of Subj Facils.Based on Seismology & Site Geology Evaluation Continued Ntr Oper & Activities Authorized by Lic SNM-960 Were Found to Be Acceptable

ML20197C341
Person / Time
Site:	07000754, Vallecitos  File:GEH Hitachi icon.png
Issue date:	11/13/1978
From:	Dircks W NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO)
To:	Ryan L HOUSE OF REP.
Shared Package
ML20197C344	List: ML20197C341 ML20197C425
References
NUDOCS 7811210065
Download: ML20197C341 (3)

Text

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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMlf;SION L

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%'%.e f NOV 13 S8 j Dockets Nos.: 50-70 l5 and 70-754 l

The Honorable Leo J. Ryan Chairman, Subcommittee on Environment, Energy and Natural Resources >

Committee on Government 0perations  !

U. S. House of Representatives I Washington, D. C. 20515 e

Dear Mr. Chairman:

s I am pleased to respond to that portion of your October 6,1978 letter i to the Department of Energy, which pertains to the Vallecitos Nuclear [

Center (VNC). Your request for information was referred to Chairman ,

Hendrie by copy of the Department of Energy's October 18, 1978 response to your letter. As noted below, operation of the General Electric Test t Reactor at Vallecitos, which has been shut down in light of seismic con-  !

cerns, will be considered by an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, i Since the decision of the Board will be subject to review by the Commission, it would not be appropriate for the Chairman to respond to l your letter at this time. Accordingly, it has been referred to me for j reply.  ;

i The nuclear facilities at the VNC are the General Electric Test Reactor l (GETR), a 50 negawatt. thermal pressurized water test reactor, the Nuclear i Test Reactor (NTR), a 100 kilowatt thermal light water cooled research j reactor, the Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor (VBWR) and the ESADA- i Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor (EVESR). In addition there  :

are also several buildings in which special nuclear material (NRC  !

License No. SNM-960) and byproduct material (California State License  !

No. 0017-59) are stored and used. j The NTR, VBWR and GETR began operation in the late 1950's and the EVESR i n 1963. Site geology and seismology evaluations were submitted in  !

sup^ ort of the VNC siting of these facilities and were reviewed as part I

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The Honorable Leo J. Ryan of the former Atomic Energy Commission's licensing actions under the criteria existing at that time. The U. S. Geological Survey did not and does not have siting criteria for nuclear reactors. Rather, as advisors to the NRC staff they are involved in site geology / seismology reviews (such as the current review of VNC) and contributed to the current seismic and geologic siting criteria, Appendix A to 10 CFR Part 100.

In mid-July 1977, the NRC staff initiated a review of the geology and seismology of the VNC site as part of its review of en application for renewal of the GETR 1icense. Preliminary review of tne available geologic infornation caused the NRC staff to become concerned that the potential for surface faulting at the site had not been adequately invest-igated. GE was informed of the need for investigations. Subsequently, the NRC staff received the U. S. Geological Survey open file report No.77-689 which naps the Verona fault within 200 feet of the GETR. In October 1977, trenching at VMC revealed evidence of faulting which might be " capable" as that tern is used in 10 CFR Part 100. As a result surface displacement due to a seismic event could be postulated and, since surface displacement had not been identified as a design basis for GETR, the NRC issued an Order to Show Cause on October 24, 1977 requiring the shutdown of GETR. A copy of that Order is enclosed for your information. At present the GETR is ,

still shutdown while GE conducts seismic / geologic investigations. The seismic and geologic characteristics of the VNC region are the subject of reviews by the USGS and the NRC staffs, using Appendix A to 10 CFR Part 100 as guidance, and will be considered by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board prior to future GETR operation.

The VBWR and the EVESR were deactivated in 1963 and 1967 respectively, and all fuel has been removed. The NTR is currently authorized to operate with a limit on excess reactivity imposed. These facilities as well as ,

those licensed under the SNM and byproduct material licenses were evaluated in light of the recent seisnic concerns at VNC. Based on these evaluations l

continued operation of the NTR and the activities conducted under NRC 1 License No. SNM-960 and California State License No. 0017-59 were found to be acceptable. Copies of these evaluations are also enclosed.

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The Honorable Leo J. Ryan - 3-I trust that the information supplied in this letter and its enclosures is responsive to your requests. i I

Sincerely, l l

(Signed) wini .m J. Dircks  !

I)eputy .Exe ath e liiredor for Operations

Enclosures:

1. Order to Show Cause dtd. 10/24/77

2. Evaluations l 3. Ltr to DOE fron Rep. L. J. Ryan i

dtd. 10/6/78 1

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- ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, AND NATURAL RESOURCES SUBCOM MITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS m AveumN House orrice evitoiNo, noou n.asi.n.c W ASHiNGT ON O.C. 20$15 October 6, 1978 Honorable James Schlesinger Secretary Department of Energy 1000 Independence Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20545

Dear Mr. Schlesinger:

The Department of Energy has test facilities in the Livermore Valley Region.

It has recently come to my attention that the Verona fault, which is about six miles north of Livermore, trends northwestward past Vallecitos Atomic Laboratory. It has been found to be a relatively young fault. There are secon-dary faults in the vicinity as well.

The Las Positas fault passes within 500 feet of the southeast corner of the Livermore Laboratory complex.

In light of this information, what is the status of the atomic reactors located at both the Livermore and Vallecitos Labs? Have geologic and seismologic investiga-tions been made of the all nuclear facility sites? If so, when we*e they done? Did the USGS prepare geologic assess-ments of the region in which the lab is located? Was USGS siting criteria for nuclear reactors in effect at the time of the lab'.s construction followed? Would the siting of the lab meet current USGS and NRC criteria? What was accomplished as a result of the investigation? How many reactors are now in operation? How many were shut down? Please forward a listing of all reactors and types at each laboratory.

'ncere ,

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LEO J. .AN Chairma,

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