The Columbia Generating Station (CGS),
formerly known as WPPSS Nuclear Plant #2
Near-Term Task Force
Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Accident
July 12, 2011
After
Fukushima, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
convened a Near-Term Task Force (NTTF) to evaluate whether
safety upgrades were needed at U.S. nuclear plants. But some
of the key task force recommendations have not been adopted
by the NRC.
The
task force report found deficiencies in the current
regulations and made 12 recommendations for improvements.
Key
recommendations:
#1:
Establish a “logical, systematic and coherent regulatory
framework for adequate protection that appropriately
balances defense-in-depth and risk considerations”
#2:
Require re-evaluation and upgrading of design-basis
seismic and flooding hazards
#4:
Strengthen station blackout mitigation capability for
design-basis and beyond-design-basis external events
#5: Require “reliable” hardened vents for Mark I and II
BWRs
#7: Enhance spent fuel pool mitigation and
instrumentation
#8:
Strengthen and integrate onsite emergency response
capabilities (eg. SAMGs and B.5.b)
Additional issues (post -NTTF)
-
Emergency planning zone size (evacuation and KI
distribution)
-
Filtered and/or severe accident capable vents
-
Expedited transfer of spent fuel to dry casks
The following Task Force recommendations were accepted
by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
-
Re-examine risks of earthquakes and flooding
(#2)
-
Require additional emergency equipment that can
be used during extended losses of alternating
current power (#4)
-
Require “reliable” and “severe accident capable”
vents for Mark I and II BWRs (#5)
-
Require reliable spent fuel pool instrumentation
(#7)
Task Force recommendations the NRC has postponed
or rejected:
-
Revising the regulatory framework (#1)
NO
-
Requiring filters for BWR containment vents
DECISION POSTPONED
-
Expanding emergency evacuation planning zones
beyond 10 miles
NO
–Japan
has done it – why not the U.S.?
-
Requiring accelerated transfer of spent fuel
from pools to safer dry casks
NO
–Defense-in-depth
measure to reduce fire impacts
Adapted from a PowerPoint
presentation by Dr. Edwin Lyman, Union of Concerned
Scientists (see slides 33 and following).
