Meltdown at Browns Ferry

Abstract

Browns Ferry nuclear power plant (abbreviated BF NPP - three reactors) is located in Northwest Alabama within the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) of the North American intraplate fault system. It has the same plan as Fukushima-Daiichi NPP in Japan, meaning it has the same design errors which led to the latter's meltdown in 2011 from flooding. Next to BF NPP is the very large Wheeler Reservoir. The NMSZ is capable of generating an 8+ class moment magnitude earthquake. BF NPP would then be at extreme risk from meltdown due to flooding from Wheeler of the backup diesel generators, both from a turbulent kinetic energy incoherent response, and the far more serious coherent tsunami-seiches response. It is strongly advocated that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) create a mitigation plan to safeguard BF NPP, including a possible levee. However, liquefaction flooding with possible Wheeler Reservoir run-in causing inundation, is expected and so the flooding hazard may be an intractable problem. The NRC should include in its mitigation plan facility shutdown. The BF NPP antiquated design is built to only withstand Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) of 0.1 g (g is the acceleration of gravity). Seismic study of the NMSZ anticipates PGA at BF NPP of around 0.25 g. Thus, ground shocks may disrupt the emergency cooling system from operating, even if the diesels are not flooded.