Hazard Assessment Chart

References

 "Counties/Cities in Planning Areas." Dominion Home. 19 Apr. 2009
 "DSpace@MIT : U.S. nuclear power plants as terrorist targets : threat perception and the media." DSpace@MIT : Home. 19 Apr. 2009 .
 "Earthquakes in Virginia." Geography of Virginia. 19 Apr. 2009 .
 "NRC: Escalated Enforcement Actions Issued to Reactor Licensees - S." NRC: Home Page. 19 Apr. 2009 .
 "NRC: Security Spotlight - Protecting Against Aircraft." NRC: Home Page. 19 Apr. 2009 .
 "Surry Power Station." Dominion Home. 19 Apr. 2009 .
 U.S. Government Accountability Office (U.S. GAO). 19 Apr. 2009 .

This graphic compares the relative sizes and wall thicknesses of the WTC towers, the Pentagon, and nuclear reactor containment buildings

Background

The Dominion Nuclear Power Station Surry, commonly referred to as Dominion Surry, is located on 840 acres in Surry County, Virginia, which is in the southeastern corner of the state. The plant is situated on the south bank of the James River, across the river from historic Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the United States. The Emergency Planning Area for Dominion Surry includes the cities of Newport News and Williamsburg, as well as the counties of Isle of Wight, James City, Surry, and York. The plant houses two triple-loop Westinghouse pressurized water reactors, which produce a combined 1,598 Megawatts of power, providing energy to approximately 400,000 homes. The reactors have been in operation since December 1972 and May 1973 respectively. In 2003, the operating licenses granted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were extended from forty to sixty years. The plant uses river water as its condenser coolant, eliminating the need for the distinctive cooling towers associated with nuclear power plants. Dominion Surry was originally planned to house four reactors, so more may be added if energy demand continues to increase. The plant has an above average safety record, with relatively few Nuclear Regulatory Commission citations, and only one fine in the past 13 years. Dominion Surry is by necessity located on the James River, as it uses river water as the condenser coolant. The reactors work by circulating the primary reactor coolant under pressure through the fuel rods, which superheats the coolant. The primary coolant is then circulated through pipes to heat the secondary coolant to steam. It is this steam that turns the turbine and generators to generate power. Both the primary and secondary coolants are closed systems. The condenser coolant (river water) then is used to cool the secondary coolant and condense the steam back into water so it can be reheated and continue the power generation cycle. At no time does river water contact radioactive material or enter a radioactive part of the power station. The only byproduct is that the river water is slightly heated when it returns to the river. Unlike power plants located on lakes or reservoirs, the continuing flow of fresh water from the James River negates any measurable cumulative increase in water temperature. Continued environmental monitoring has shown that the power plant has minimal effect on the surrounding environment and virtually no radiological impact.