Hanford nuke plant’s earthquake risk underestimated, group says [View all]

[kristopher]

Hanford nuke plant’s earthquake risk underestimated, group says

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Seismic studies since (initial construction 30 years ago -k) have uncovered more faults, extended the length of previously known faults and challenged the assumption that large quakes are not likely in the area, says the report from the Washington and Oregon chapters of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). Geologists now believe one fault passes a scant 2.3 miles from the 1,170-megawatt plant called the Columbia Generating Station (CGS).

The new evidence suggests that the region could be rocked by shaking two to three times stronger than the plant was designed for, said Terry Tolan, the veteran geologist who prepared the report for PSR.

“No seismic structural upgrades have been made at the Columbia Generating Station despite all of the geologic evidence that has been assembled over the past thirty years which has dramatically increased the seismic risk at this site,” Tolan wrote...

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2022173243_nukequakesxml.html

The NRC Chair Macfarlane said in September that the NRC concludes "that CGS has been designed, built and operated to safely withstand earthquakes likely to occur in its region". This, in spite of the fact that they've also tasked Hanford to perform by 2015 much the same analysis as they've just been provided. Even admitting the existence of all recent knowledge, along with the public safety issue involved, will apparently have to be deferred until the affected industry determines if there is a risk the industry needs to spend money on.