Impact of reactors is challenged

Environmental groups contended Monday that federal regulators produced flawed conclusions and an incomplete evaluation of Southern Nuclear Operating Co.'s application for permits to expand nuclear Plant Vogtle.

"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has an obligation to assess environmental impacts," said Terri Porter, speaking for five groups that jointly challenged an environmental impact statement for the proposed reactor project in Burke County.

Specifically, they contend that Southern Nuclear and NRC staff did not fully explore the impact of two new reactors on the ecology of the Savannah River and did not fully investigate a plan to dredge the river channel to allow barges to deliver reactor components.

The groups also say that the NRC should evaluate a "dry cooling system" as an alternative to using river water.

During Monday's hearing before the Atomic Safety & Licensing Board, attorney Stan Blanton, representing Southern Nuclear, called those contentions unsubstantiated and said federal laws do not require exploration of every imaginable scenario.

"It does not commit every action into a federal research project to answer every question the opponents can come up with," he said, characterizing the existing studies as "thorough, conservative and certainly reasonable."

Concerns that studies failed to include the impact of drought and low river flow on reactor operations are groundless, he said.

River flow models, he said, used estimated low flows of 3,000 - and later 2,000 - cubic feet per second, when actual flows are rarely that low.

Even when the Army Corps of Engineers temporarily reduced flows from Thurmond Dam to 3,100 cubic feet per second to slow the decline of lake levels, the actual river flow at the plant site, 90 miles downstream, averaged 4,200 cubic feet per second, he said.

The impact of dredging was thoroughly studied, too, he said. If dredging is pursued, Mr. Blanton said - citing a 2008 survey of the river channel - the project will require only a fraction of the dredging initially estimated.

The sonar analysis by a licensed marine surveyor concluded that the amount of sediment to be moved would be about 36,000 cubic yards - far less than the 2 million cubic yards estimated by environmentalists or the 600,000 cubic yards estimated in the environmental impact statement.

"Based on that small amount of dredging, it's smaller than what would be required to build a boat slip," Mr. Blanton said.

Monday's arguments were part of a three-day series of hearings in which testimony from a host of experts is expected. The board is expected to issue a written ruling later this spring.

Testimony is scheduled to resume at 8:30 a.m. at Doubletree Hotel and Convention Center, 2651 Perimeter Parkway in Augusta.

Reach Rob Pavey at (706) 868-1222, ext. 119, or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.