The Diablo nuclear power plant in Avila, CA.
The Diablo nuclear power plant in Avila, CA, at Port San Luis, CA. From the 2009 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival Half-day Ocean Trip 18 Jan. 2009. Brochure says "068 Half-Day Ocean Trip, 6:45am-12noon. Meet at Patriot Sportfishing office on the pier at Port San Luis at 7:30am. Join Rich Hansen, Marlin Harms, and Larry Allen on this short cruise out of Port San Luis. It offers likely views of whales, sea lions, sea otters, and near-shore Pacific seabirds including several species of shearwaters and auklets. Bring liquids, lunch, sunscreen, and motion sickness medication. Dress for cold and wind, including gloves! Weather conditions may cancel. Caravan 50 miles round trip.
Wikipedia presence at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avila_Beach,_California
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_Canyon_Power_Plant
3/14/2012 Below are notes from a day-long presentation Rouvaishyana attended at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in late Feb,, 2012. Thanks to Gwen Infante, Docent Admin. Assistant, for typing up these notes.
Diablo Canyon Emergency Readiness
P G & E Education Center, Avala
February 22, 2012
I Facility overview – based on 3/11/11 tsunami. Introductory session by Tracey Vardas, 2-1/2 yr. veteran at Diablo. Previously worked for SLO County Office of Emergency Services.
· Fukushima Dai-ichi sequence: 9.0 earthquake on a subduction fault reactor shutdown, no offsite power
· Diesel generators on for backup
· Approx. 40’ tsunami overtopped seawalls, knocked out systems
II Features and Factors: ground acceleration/movement, size of anticipated waves
· Snorkels at 45’ Other equipment at 85’ (Measurements indicate feet above sea level)
· 2 fresh water reservoirs (T=5 million gal) at 310’ + smaller tanks at 115’
· 2 containment structures and 2 spent fuel packs anchored in bedrock
· 6 diesel generators (2.8 megawatt ea.) and underground fuel tanks
· on-site fire department
· Spent fuel pools and dry-cask storage
1. Uranium pellets in bundled rods as fuel
2. Intended off-site repository at Yucca Mt in Nevada, never completed
III Severe & Extreme Accident Response
· Severe Accident Management Guidelines
1. Control Reactor Coolant. Diablo Canyon has its own desalination plant
· Extreme Damage Mitigation Guidelines
IV John Lyles – Power Plant Overview Pressurized Water Reactor
· 2 containments and 2 turbines 1100 million Watts, which is 10% of CA daily electricity consumption
· 500 KV switchyard, 230 KV switchyard ½ mile east of plant
· Cooling water inlet at Diablo Cove
· Reactor – closed pipes – steam generator – turbine – generator. Cooling water – condenser
· 3 loops: 1) primary in reactor, 2) steam, 3) ocean water used for cooling
· Fuel assembly 17x17 fuel rods, each with Uranium dioxide in Zirconium alloy tubing, pressurized with helium gas (inert)
· 53/193 contain control rods. To stop process, drop fuel rods into core where neutrons are absorbed
· To change fuel, change vessel head
· Safety: concrete, steel, reactor vessel is deep within containment dome. Heats primary water
· Secondary water heated by primary water, spins turbines which turns generator. Condenser
· Transmission System: 500 KV, 230 KV, 115 KV. Midway switching station in Southern Central Valley, near Bakersfield. Gates station near Los Banos. Power goes to the CA grid, not to local electrical needs.
· Intake cove through plant to outfall. Cooling water is seawater. 2 pumps, 12 KV, 480 gpm (gallons/minute) each
· Refueling outages - Need to change rods every 18 months, maintenance done at that time. Outage workers called in.
· Water serves as shielding from radiation
· Emergency systems. Redundant trains, robust power supplies. Environmental staff section that addresses particulate matter and other issues
· Control room – Superviso9r, 2 operators, shift manager, 2 other staff. Alarm systems and written procedures.
Power Pt. handout info-Radiation Protection
Andrew Marshall, Diablo Canyon Security, 8 year veteran
Security wear camouflage or black. Trainers wear red caps & t-shirts
· Strategy: 1) Defense in depth, 2) interaction outside protected area, 3) 360 degree, many shooting positions.
· Vehicle barriers, gates, fencing doors, grating-physical barriers. 1 Mile exclusion zone in ocean.
· Personnel: well equipped, elevated, well-fortified positions.
· Security building – explosives detectors, x-ray, metal detectors. Employees have key cards. Hand readers ensure ID.
· 26 week academy, heavy on firearms. Co-operate with Sheriffs, Coast Guard, Harbor Patrol, local police and FBI. For info on positions, check www.pge.com
Randall Ward, Interim Fire Chief, 37 year veteran
· All-hazard department. 3 crews including Fire, Medical, HazMat, and Rescue.
· 5 person crew 24/7 on 6 day rotation (48 hours on, 96 off). 1 Captain, 4 firefighters – all are engine certified.
· Checking equipment, Fire Protection, Prevention Inspections, check fire extinguishers and hoses
· Procedural checklist. Fire Brigades: 1 leader, 4 crewmen, Incident Commander, Operations Responder
· Qualifications: State Certified Firefighters I/II, EMD-Defib., HazMat, Confined Space, Wildland, Auto Extrication, Heavy Rescue, Nuclear Response.
· Living quarters in Lot 7. Equipment: 2 engines with 2,000 gpm pumps, 4x4 brush unit, utility pickup, HazMat trailer with class A suits. Armed security officer goes on every run to guard engine. Report is operated via plant phone system.
· Communication: Phone, PA system, fire alarm, pagers, UHF radio, UHF~VHF converter so they can talk to Cal Fire.
· Off-site assistance. Coordinate and cancel Cal Fire (4 engines including ladder, water truck, etc) and other agencies. Closest off-site assist is ~ 20 mins – Avila. ICS plan (Incident Command System)
· Fire Protection: Water Deluge, sprinklers, hoses, hydrants, extinguishers. CO2, halon. 20 min wait time after CO2 release. SCBA – self-contained breathing apparatus. TLD – thermal estimating device. PED – personal estimating devices. Both of these check radiation exposure for fire and other personnel.
· After a fire system deploys, an investigation follows. Engineering, security.
Tracy Vardas PG&E employees have a regular job, outage job, and an emergency job. RCA – radiological control area. Release event could affect home gardens, crops, livestock feeding. Contamination plan.
· Emergency Plan – 1) unusual event, 2) alert, 3) site area emergency, 4) general emergency
· Plan describes general manner for key plant staff to respond to emergencies. Required by NRC ( Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Document inter-connected with county, state and federal response plans.
· 2 NRC staff on-site at all times. During disaster drills, they can bring a contingent of NRC & FEMA staff.
· Administrative procedures on writing procedures and changing them. See Power Pt-handout on Diablo Canyon Emergency Planning
Ellie, our tour guide.
· Hearing and eye protection, hard hats, amplified listening devices, and carried gloves. Upon entering the generator area, the noise and temperature increased dramatically.
· We looked at turbines and generators, steam pipes, and related assemblies. We also looked at the main control, after having seen the mock-up, used for training, simulations, and drills.
· Went downstairs to look at pressurizers, piping and electrical connections. There are thousands of miles of pipe and electrical wires in the plant.
· Felt temperature of seawater inlet (cold) and water destined for release (room temperature). Looked at entrance to containment areas.
· Returned to plant entryway and removed safety equipment.
· Drove uphill to water reservoirs, fire dept. training areas complete with wrecked cars for extraction practice. Lots of construction going on. Most of this is done by contractors, who are thoroughly vetted before being allowed on-site.