GEOLOGY IN THE REGULATORY REVIEW PROCESS FOR NEW NUCLEAR POWER FACILITY APPLICATIONS AT THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Regulatory review of new nuclear power facility applications at the NRC requires a thorough understanding of the geologic setting of a potential new site by NRC geologists to enable them to conduct a detailed technical evaluation of the geologic, seismic, and geotechnical information presented by the applicant in Chapter 2.5 of a Safety Analysis Report (SAR). The SAR is a part of the application required by Title 10, Part 52, of the Code of Federal Regulations, which is docketed to support public hearings related to site suitability. Information in SAR Chapter 2.5 is derived from field studies and literature surveys performed by the applicant to characterize the site region (a 200-mi radius around the site), site vicinity (25-mi radius), site area (5-mi radius), and site location (0.6 mi radius). This information includes discussions of basic geologic and seismic characteristics; potential for surface tectonic and non-tectonic deformation at the site location; tectonic structures and liquefaction features that may indicate a seismic hazard for the site; and geotechnical engineering properties of rock and soils at the site that may affect site suitability.

As part of the detailed technical evaluation of SAR Chapter 2.5, NRC geologists submit requests for additional information to the applicant to clarify data presented in Chapter 2.5; independently review pertinent literature; and conduct site audits to examine geologic features revealed by outcrops, surface and subsurface geophysical tests, and borehole data. The NRC presents the results of the evaluation in a Safety Evaluation Report (SER), and NRC geologists must defend the conclusions provided in the SER during the public hearings on site suitability before a construction license can be granted to the applicant. The NRC also requires the applicant to geologically map rock units exposed in the walls and floor of excavations for safety-related structures. NRC geologists examine the maps and the excavation exposures to determine that no capable tectonic structures or other potentially detrimental geologic features occur in the rock units that underlie the nuclear island. This series of actions by NRC geologists clearly illustrate the importance of geology in the regulatory review process for ensuring the protection of public health and safety and the environment.