NRC APPROVES RESTART OF NORTH ANNA REACTORS,

WILL ENSURE DOMINION MEETS COMMITMENTS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, after careful analysis of inspection findings and 

related information, has concluded Dominion Generation’s North Anna Unit 1 and 2 reactors can 

be restarted. The North Anna reactors, in Louisa, Va., have been shut down since Aug. 23, when 

a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred about 11 miles from the plant.

“The earthquake shook the reactors more strongly than the plant’s design anticipated, so 

Dominion had to prove to us that the quake caused no functional damage to the reactors’ safety 

systems,” said Eric Leeds, director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. “We’ve 

asked Dominion dozens of detailed questions, and our experts have examined Dominion’s 

answers as well as information from our own inspections. We’re satisfied the plant meets our 

requirements to restart safely, and we’ll monitor Dominion’s ongoing tests and inspections 

during startup of both reactors.”

The NRC issued Dominion a letter describing the staff’s review, which started with 

existing guidance for determining a reactor’s response to an earthquake. The staff used more 

recent experience, including insights learned from a reactor site in Japan damaged by a 2007 

earthquake, in asking Dominion additional questions regarding proper examination of technical 

areas that included: piping systems, including buried segments; nuclear fuel assemblies; steam 

generators; pumps and valves; and emergency diesel generators.

The NRC’s independent actions included an Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) that 

examined the plant shortly after the quake, as well as a restart readiness inspection in midOctober. Both Dominion and NRC’s results showed only minor damage that did not affect North 

Anna’s safety systems. The NRC held public meetings near the plant on Oct. 3 regarding the 

AIT’s findings, and on Nov. 1 regarding the restart readiness inspection findings and the staff’s 

technical review. The NRC also held a public meeting at the agency’s Rockville, Md., 

headquarters Sept. 8 regarding Dominion’s initial assessment. On Oct. 21 the staff briefed the 

Commission regarding the plant’s response to the earthquake.

The NRC has issued Dominion a separate letter documenting the company’s commitment 

to several additional quake-related actions, including:

Updating North Anna’s Final Safety Analysis Report to incorporate information from the 

quake and subsequent analysis;

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No. 11-212 November 11, 2011
Additional characterization of the fault responsible for the Aug. 23 quake, as well as any 

special ground motion effects at North Anna; 

Re-evaluating plant equipment (including an assessment of potential improvements) 

identified in earlier seismic reviews;

Developing any needed inspections or evaluations for components within the North Anna 

reactor vessels; and

Permanently updating seismic monitoring equipment for the North Anna reactors and 

dry-cask spent fuel storage facility.

The staff’s letters to Dominion, as well as its technical evaluation, will be available on 

the NRC’s Virginia quake Web page.

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