Site evaluation - 5 - Canada

Now we get to Canada. Actual documented regulations have always been thin in this country. Two teeny little documents sum up the recent thoughts on the issue, one is for design, and one is for site evaluation.

As regular readers know, I am an intellectual depressive, prone to anxiety attacks when faced with intellectual corruption. I had a lot of them at the old job. I really didn't want to get too close to the Canadian 'thing', but I have found a way around it. The one scenario, which I shall avoid, is the way it will be actually done. What I shall concentrate on, is the way it should be done, having great comfort that this is a fantasy!

Site Evaluation - Darlington - for a Westinghouse AP1000

Core Assumptions

Fact - No 'normal' earthquake scenario that has been used for the last 30 years can damage the heavy components of a nuclear plant on firm rock. The only thing that can do this is a direct hit on the hanging wall of a 'super-quake'. Recent earthquakes have shown this.

Fact - The term 'impossible' shall be defined as 'beyond contemplation of a reasonable intellectual'. It is known that ivory-tower scientists will never use this word, citing that it is 'possible' for the sun to blow up tomorrow, or that Mars Attacks!

Approach - This document will outline that it is impossible for a super-quake to hit the Darlington site (as opposed to certain American sites!). However, knowing that nuclear plants are rather hopeless seismically, outside the components that are impossible to damage anyway, the document will conduct a paper seismic review of the design. The emphasis will be on the effects of a reasonable earthquake on interior walls, controls, transformers, turbines, etc.

-whoops! gotta go to a rugby tournament!