ILLINOIS ~LLUT1ON
    CONTROL BOARD
    September 26. 1P72
    )
    IOWA-ILLINOIS GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY)
    )
    )
    v.
    )
    PCB 72-279
    )
    )
    ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
    )
    )
    SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT (by Mr. Dumeile)
    On November 15, 1971 in PCB 71-20. 3 PCB 95, the Board by a 3-1
    vote granted a permit to the Iowa-Illinois Gas & Electric Company and to
    Commonwealth Edison Company to operate Quad-Cities nuclear units 1
    and 2. The majority opinion of that date contains these words in its opening
    paragraph:
    We note that there are environmental considerations on
    both sides in this case. Petitioner Iowa-Illinois operates
    an old, smoky coal-fired power plant in Moline that cannot
    be retired until Quad-Cities is in operation. Every day’s
    delay in bringing Quad-Cities on line means another day
    of dirty air in Moline.
    My dissent on the Quad-Cities permit (which has since been vacated by
    the Board because of a U. S. Supreme Court ruling) was based on concern for
    people’s lives because of inadequacies in the emergency core cooling system
    design; the unnecessary radiation dose to the public because of neglect to
    install in advance of startup a radioactive gas cleaning system; and lack of
    information on the effects of the jet diffuser in terms of fish passage.
    The implication of the Board’s majority statement quoted above is that
    the “old, smoky coal-fired power plant” in Moline will be retired when
    Quad-Cities 1 is in operation. The question here then is “When is Quad-Cities
    a reliable source of power?” There is no magic in the June 1. 1974 date
    proposed by Iowa-illinois so far as Quad-Cities 1 is concerned. Refueling
    of boiling water reactors takes place every year and 25 of the core is
    repkced each time.
    5—501
    —2—
    The McGraw—Hill Publication Nucleonics Week publishes monthly figures
    oi nuc’ear power generation, The past two months of available data show the
    following generation in gross
    Mwh.
    MONTh
    QUAD-CITiES 1
    QUAD-CITIES 2
    July
    199, 025
    194, 760
    August
    291,597
    246,483
    Using 850 Mw as each units gross capacity, a load availability of
    31.8 and 46,6 for Quad-Cities 1 for July and August respectively and
    31,1 and 39. 5 for the same months for Quad-Cities 2 was computed. In
    normal base load operation, figures around 85 would be expected. We can
    say then, that as of the end of August, neither Quad-Cities unit was yet
    delivering power at an expected rate and the variance therefore appears to be
    justified.
    There is a new complication. The September 7, 1972 issue of Nucleonics
    Week tells of a shutdown of Quad-Cities 2 due to a jet pump” being displaced
    from its normal position’ and attributes this to seven parts of the pump--
    mostly various bolts --had inexplicably worked loose. One of the bolts has
    not been found......
    A General Electric spokesman said the problem was
    caused by incomplete’ installation.’ Will other instances of ‘incomplete
    installation be discovered in either Quad-Cities units 1 or 2? Will other
    parts inexplicably work loose’? We do not know and can only hope that a
    major construction defect does not appear. Loose bolts in the interior
    of a nuclear reactor do nothing to gain public confidence in the safety of
    nuclear power plants.
    The August 1972 recommendation by the AEC’s prestigious Advisory
    Committee on Reactor Safeguards that Commonwealth Edison’s Zion-i
    nuclear plant (a different type) be derated to 85 of full capacity for its
    first core life (3 years) because of lack of operating experience in large
    reactors and the recently discovered fuel degradation problem is proof
    positive that all is not yet known about nuclear power generation. The
    Zion derating is expected to cost Edison some $6 million per year in lost
    revenue (Nucleonics Week, October 5, 1972).
    A second complication is the pending Atomic Energy Commission ruling on
    the adequacy of emergency core cooling systems. The AEC may not rule
    in this matter until March 1973 or later and may then ordac a derating until
    retrofitting is done.
    5 —
    502
    —U—
    Iowa—Illinois and Moline may have to endure the old, smoky plant
    for a while longer depending upon developments in the inst—changing nuclear
    power field. I would urge Iowa—Illinois to now fully investigate possible
    low ash doai usage in order that particulate emissions be kept to a minimum.
    I, (:hrjstan L. Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control. Board,
    hereby certify the above Supplemental Statement was submitted on the
    -~
    day of October, 1972.
    ~
    ~
    //~1~
    /
    /
    Christan L. Moffett,’~(4erk
    Illinois Pollution Control Board
    /1
    )
    Jacob I). Dumelle
    Board Member
    5
    —
    503

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