Q: What is our current U.S. safety benchmark for new nuclear power plants regarding a crash of a commercial airliner, and what level of protection is the Plant Vogtle expansion designed for?
—Bernie Kraemer, Duluth
A: The current containment building at Plant Vogtle is built to prevent the release of radioactivity "under both normal operating conditions and the most severe of accident conditions," according the Southern Company's website. It states that the building is rated a Category 1 Seismic structure, built to withstand "powerful earthquakes," winds reaching 360 mph, flying utility poles and automobiles. Studies conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute, an independent, non-profit company in Palo Alto, Calif., since Sept. 11, 2001, "concluded that the containment structures that house nuclear fuel are robust and would protect the fuel from impacts of large commercial aircraft." The website describes the containment building as being constructed from thick concrete, "post-tensioned" and reinforced by rebar the size of a "human forearm." The structure also is lined with steel and is "designed to withstand extreme temperatures and pressures." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) takes seismic activity into account when designing and maintaining its nuclear power plants. When new seismic hazard information becomes available, the NRC evaluates the new data and models and determines if any changes are needed at plants. As of May 2011, the NRC stated all nuclear plants are safe from any potential seismic activity. The two new reactors at Plant Vogtle will be a new design and will incorporate many features to meet safety recommendations made since the earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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