Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing safety issues in Dominion Power's proposal for new reactors at North Anna.

By RUSTY DENNEN

Date published: 12/24/2004

In the late 1970s, as Virginia Electric and Power Co.'s application to build two nuclear reactors on Lake Anna was wending its way through the regulatory process, safety was a key issue.

Now that Dominion Virginia Power (formerly Vepco) is seeking permission to eventually add up to two more reactors at the Louisa County plant, those issues are being revisited by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The NRC staff has issued a draft safety evaluation report as part of Dominion's application for an early site permit.

That permit would allow Dominion to resolve site and environmental issues prior to submitting a construction plan and to "bank" a site for 20 years.

The NRC is looking at several items that could affect the safe operation of any new reactors. They include:

Seismology, geology, meteorology and hydrology.

Risks from potential accidents.

Security for operations and nuclear materials.

Emergency planning.

For example, in its initial review of the plant before the first two reactors were built, the NRC conducted an exhaustive study of geological faults and the potential for earthquakes.

That study concluded that, although there are faults in the vicinity of the plant, there was nothing serious enough to affect its safe operation.

Opponents of the latest application maintain that, among other things, more reactors would add to the tons of highly radioactive spent fuel already stored at the site and be a more inviting target for terrorists.

The company says the plant is well protected.

The NRC is expected to finish its safety evaluation by June 2005.

Earlier this month, the NRC released a draft environmental impact statement which concluded that an early site permit should be issued. Dominion is about midway through the three-year early site permit process.

The utility has said it has no immediate plans to add any new reactors at North Anna, only that it wants to have that option in the future.

If the early site permit is approved, Dominion would have to obtain a combined construction and operating permit before adding any reactors at the plant.

Any new reactors would be built near the existing Units 1 and 2, which sit under thick concrete containment domes overlooking the 13,000-acre lake. Those began operation in 1979 and 1980.

The plant was originally designed for four reactors, but Units 3 and 4 were scrapped in the early 1980s.

Dominion has 21 days to review the NRC safety report. After that, it will be available for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md., and on NRC's Web site at nrc.gov/reactors/new-licensing/esp/north-anna.html.

To reach RUSTY DENNEN: 374-5431 rdennen@freelancestar.com

Date published: 12/24/2004