December 23 , 2002 - Report Showing Aircraft Could Not Breach Nuclear Structures Confirms Exelon, Industry Confidence in Safety Contact: Craig Nesbit - 630-657-4208 WARRENVILLE, Ill. - Structures that house nuclear reactor fuel at U.S. nuclear power plants are extraordinarily strong and would prevent a release of radiation even if struck by a large commercial airliner under some of the worst conditions, according to analysis conducted over the past several months by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The independent analysis showed that even under severe circumstances of an airplane crash there would be no radiation release and plant structures containing reactor fuel would protect the health and safety of the public. The analysis relied on sophisticated computer modeling techniques to analyze structure, materials and a variety of impact forces. The analysis covered large airliner crashes into nuclear plant containment structures, used fuel storage pools, used fuel storage containers, and used fuel transportation containers. "Our facilities were built for maximum safety and protection," said Jack Skolds, president and chief nuclear officer of Exelon Nuclear . "Protection against extreme forces such as earthquakes and tornadoes has always been part of our designs. This most recent analysis shows just how robust these plants really are. "The public, especially people who live near our plants, should be greatly reassured by these results. We may not be able to produce electricity after such an event, but we will always remain safe." Exelon Nuclear is the largest operator of nuclear power plants in the nation, with 17 reactors at 10 sites in Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The analysis used several criteria that increased the severity of the crash scenario. Most notable was the assumption that a large aircraft traveling low to the ground at speeds similar to the estimated speed of the jetliner that struck the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, precisely executes a hit that transfers the full impact of the crash to the structure being struck. Separate analyses assumed direct hits by both the aircraft's fuselage and a 9,500-pound engine. This size engine is typical of the majority of aircraft currently in service; it would envelop engines on 767-400s, 757-300s, 747-400s, 737-800s, DC 10-30s, MD11s, A320-200s, A330-200s and L1011-500s. The analysis also increased severity by assuming that a Boeing 767-400 would strike at its maximum takeoff weight (450,000 pounds) even though fuel would be consumed both in takeoff and en route to any power plant site. The Boeing 767-400 was used for the analysis for several reasons. For example, Boeing aircraft account for almost two-thirds of the commercial aircraft registered in the United States. The Boeing 767 series is the most widely used "wide body" aircraft in the U.S. commercial fleet. The 767-400 envelops 88 percent of all commercial flights in the U.S. employing Boeing aircraft. Nuclear plant structures are considerably smaller than the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, making it physically impossible for both engines and the fuselage of the plane to transfer the full force of impact to the containment building or other facilities analyzed. Representative structures were analyzed because U.S. nuclear power plant construction varies from site to site. The assumed speed of the aircraft used in the study is 350 miles per hour-approximately the speed at which the aircraft struck the Pentagon, based on reported flight recorder data and analysis of security camera video that captured the impact. Experienced pilots say this is a realistic speed to apply in a scenario where the pilot of a large jetliner wishes to maintain flight maneuverability close to the ground and execute a precise hit. Although full analytical details will not be released to the public for security reasons, EPRI announced the following general results: . For the analyzed models representative of nuclear plant containment buildings (the structure, often a dome, where the reactor is housed), no parts of the engine, the fuselage, the wings or the jet fuel entered the containment buildings. The impact left no holes in the containment structure, despite some crushing and spalling (chipping of material at the impact point) of the concrete. . Evaluation of the representative used fuel pools (where used reactor fuel is stored) determined that the stainless steel pool liner did not tear and there was no loss of pool cooling water even though some crushing and cracking of the concrete occurred at the point of impact. Because the pools were not breached, there would be no release of radioactivity to the environment. . For the analyzed dry fuel storage facilities, the steel canister surrounded by concrete that contains the used fuel assemblies was not breached. Therefore, no radioactivity would be released to the environment. . For the analyzed used fuel transportation container, the container was not breached, so there would be no release of radiation to the environment.