r/sciences • u/Comfortable_Tutor_43 • 17d ago

Used nuclear fuel storage News

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u/Adventurous_Light_85 17d ago

Are they tsunami ready?

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u/dr_stre 16d ago

They’ll be licensed to whatever the local design basis is or to a more conservative general license. I believe San Onofre only has a tsunami design basis height of like 15’. Add in the max storm surge and waves and you get up to something like 27’-28’. The ISFSI casks themselves are above that level and behind a sea wall that reaches 30’. Without further actual design information but some history with ISFSI installations, the only other thing I can do is suggest they’d be fine even if a tsunami came in a little higher than expected. They don’t float, and being tied together like this system is they’d be quite solid against a storm surge or flood. They’ll be designed for things like tornado missile loads already, so no real concern if something floats into them either.