Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station
Encyclopedia
The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant
on the shore of Lake Erie
near Monroe
, in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan
. It is approximately halfway between Detroit, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio
. It is also visible from parts of Amherstburg, Ontario
. Two units have been constructed on this site. The first unit's construction started in 1963, and the second unit reached criticality in 1988.
The plant is named after the Italian
nuclear physicist
Enrico Fermi
, most noted for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor as well as many other major contributions to nuclear physics. Fermi won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics
for his work on induced radioactivity.
On October 5, 1966 Fermi 1 suffered a partial fuel meltdown, although no radioactive material was released.
On August 8, 2008, John McCain
was taken on a 45-minute tour of the plant, becoming the first actively campaigning presidential candidate to visit a nuclear plant.
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Fermi was 92,377, an increase of 9.5 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com
. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 4,799,526, a decrease of 3.4 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Detroit (30 miles to city center) and Toledo, Ohio, (27 miles to city center). Additional Canadian
population is not included in these figures; cities include Windsor, Ontario
(population: 230,000), 26 miles (41.8 km) to the city center.
The main cause of the temperature increase was a blockage in one of the spigots that allowed the flow of cooled liquid sodium into the reactor. The blockage caused an insufficient amount of coolant to enter; this was not noticed by the operators until the core temperature alarms sounded. Several fuel rod subassemblies reached high temperatures of around 700 °F (371.1 °C) (with an expected range near 580 °F, 304 °C), causing them to melt.
Following an extended shutdown that involved fuel replacement, repairs to vessel, and cleanup, Fermi 1 continued to operate intermittently until September 22, 1972, but was never again able to reach a fully operational state. It was officially decommissioned December 31, 1975. It is currently in SAFSTOR
with a gradual "final" decommissioning in progress. There is some debate about whether the details of the accident as written in the book Fermi-1 New Age for Nuclear Power and published by the American Nuclear Society in 1979 are completely accurate. Several of the claims in the ANS's account are contradicted by certain parts of We Almost Lost Detroit
, a book written by local Detroit newsman John Grant Fuller
(subtitled "This Is Not A Novel").
boiling water reactor
owned by DTE Energy
and operated by subsidiary Detroit Edison
. It was opened in January 1988 and is currently in operation.
On June 6, 2010 a weak tornado touched down and damaged the Fermi 2 generator building and forced an automatic shutdown leaving over 30,000 people without power in the area.
The plant is connected to two single-circuit 345 kV Transmission Lines and 3 120 kV lines. They are operated and maintained by ITC Transmission.
(NRC) for a Combined Construction and Operating License
(COL) for a third reactor. The new unit is supposed to be built on the same site, slightly to the southwest of Fermi 2. The reactor design selected is the 1,520 MWe
GE-designed passive Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor
(ESBWR). Review of the 17,000-page application could take four years, after which construction could take six years. The cost is estimated at as much as 10 billion dollars.
CEO Anthony Earley said that DTE's analysis "so far shows that nuclear power will, over the long term, be the most cost-effective baseload option for our customers, ... We expect nuclear to remain the low-cost option, but we will continue to evaluate nuclear against other resources and will commit to proceeding with construction only at the right time and at the right cost".
In March 2009, a coalition of citizen groups asked federal regulators to reject plans for Fermi 3, contending that it would pose a range of threats to public health and the environment. The groups have filed 14 contentions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
, claiming that a new plant would pose "radioactive, toxic and thermal impacts on Lake Erie
's vulnerable western basin."
This proposed plant should not be confused with the original Fermi 3 project which was to be a companion unit identical to Fermi 2. The original Fermi 3 was ordered in 1972 and cancelled in 1974. See DOE data page 67 and http://www.world-nuclear.org/wgs/decom/database/php/qry_reactorsdb_details_test.php?var1=United%20States&var2=Enrico%20Fermi-3&var3=BWR&var4=BWR&var5=Suspended%20indefinitely/Cancelled&var6=Detroit%20Edison%20Co&var7=1171&var8=MWe_Net&var9=Frenchtown%20Township,%20Michigan&var10=-&var11=-&var12=-&var13=-&var14=-&var15=-&var16=-&var17=-&var18=-&var19=-&var20=-&var21=1526&var22=n/a&var23=3579%20MWt&var24=1972&var25=General%20Electric%20(GE)&var26=1220%20MWeWNA Fermi 3 data].
.
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
on the shore of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
near Monroe
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
, in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan
Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan
Frenchtown Charter Township is a charter township of Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,777 at the 2000 census. Frenchtown is the second most populated township in Monroe County after Bedford Township...
. It is approximately halfway between Detroit, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. It is also visible from parts of Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
. Two units have been constructed on this site. The first unit's construction started in 1963, and the second unit reached criticality in 1988.
The plant is named after the Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
nuclear physicist
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
, most noted for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor as well as many other major contributions to nuclear physics. Fermi won the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
for his work on induced radioactivity.
On October 5, 1966 Fermi 1 suffered a partial fuel meltdown, although no radioactive material was released.
On August 8, 2008, John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
was taken on a 45-minute tour of the plant, becoming the first actively campaigning presidential candidate to visit a nuclear plant.
Surrounding population
The Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
defines two emergency planning zones around nuclear power plants: a plume exposure pathway zone with a radius of 10 miles (16.1 km), concerned primarily with exposure to, and inhalation of, airborne radioactive contamination, and an ingestion pathway zone of about 50 miles (80.5 km), concerned primarily with ingestion of food and liquid contaminated by radioactivity.
The 2010 U.S. population within 10 miles (16.1 km) of Fermi was 92,377, an increase of 9.5 percent in a decade, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data for msnbc.com
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
. The 2010 U.S. population within 50 miles (80.5 km) was 4,799,526, a decrease of 3.4 percent since 2000. Cities within 50 miles include Detroit (30 miles to city center) and Toledo, Ohio, (27 miles to city center). Additional Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
population is not included in these figures; cities include Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
(population: 230,000), 26 miles (41.8 km) to the city center.
Fermi 1
The 94 MWe prototype fast breeder reactor Fermi 1 unit under construction and development at the site from 1957 to 1972. On October 5, 1966 Fermi 1 suffered a partial fuel meltdown. According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, there was no abnormal radiation release to the environment.The main cause of the temperature increase was a blockage in one of the spigots that allowed the flow of cooled liquid sodium into the reactor. The blockage caused an insufficient amount of coolant to enter; this was not noticed by the operators until the core temperature alarms sounded. Several fuel rod subassemblies reached high temperatures of around 700 °F (371.1 °C) (with an expected range near 580 °F, 304 °C), causing them to melt.
Following an extended shutdown that involved fuel replacement, repairs to vessel, and cleanup, Fermi 1 continued to operate intermittently until September 22, 1972, but was never again able to reach a fully operational state. It was officially decommissioned December 31, 1975. It is currently in SAFSTOR
SAFSTOR
For nuclear power plants governed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, SAFSTOR is one of the options for nuclear decommissioning of a shut down plant. During SAFSTOR the de-fuelled plant is monitored for up to sixty years before complete decontamination and dismantling of the site,...
with a gradual "final" decommissioning in progress. There is some debate about whether the details of the accident as written in the book Fermi-1 New Age for Nuclear Power and published by the American Nuclear Society in 1979 are completely accurate. Several of the claims in the ANS's account are contradicted by certain parts of We Almost Lost Detroit
We Almost Lost Detroit
We Almost Lost Detroit, a 1975 Reader's Digest book by John G. Fuller, presents a history of Fermi 1, America's first commercial breeder reactor, with emphasis on the 1966 partial nuclear meltdown. It was republished in 1984 by Berkley....
, a book written by local Detroit newsman John Grant Fuller
John G. Fuller
John Grant Fuller, Jr. was a New England-based American author of several non-fiction books and newspaper articles, mainly focusing on the theme of extra-terrestrials and the supernatural. For many years he wrote a regular column for the Saturday Review magazine, called "Trade Winds"...
(subtitled "This Is Not A Novel").
Fermi 2
Fermi 2 is a 1,098 net MWe General ElectricGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
boiling water reactor
Boiling water reactor
The boiling water reactor is a type of light water nuclear reactor used for the generation of electrical power. It is the second most common type of electricity-generating nuclear reactor after the pressurized water reactor , also a type of light water nuclear reactor...
owned by DTE Energy
DTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
and operated by subsidiary Detroit Edison
Detroit Edison
The Detroit Edison Company, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility which serves most of Southeast Michigan. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.- History :...
. It was opened in January 1988 and is currently in operation.
On June 6, 2010 a weak tornado touched down and damaged the Fermi 2 generator building and forced an automatic shutdown leaving over 30,000 people without power in the area.
The plant is connected to two single-circuit 345 kV Transmission Lines and 3 120 kV lines. They are operated and maintained by ITC Transmission.
Fermi 3
In September 2008, Detroit Edison filed an application with the Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
(NRC) for a Combined Construction and Operating License
Combined Construction and Operating License
The Combined Construction and Operating License replaced the previous Draft Regulatory Guide 1145 as the licensing process for new nuclear power plants in the United States...
(COL) for a third reactor. The new unit is supposed to be built on the same site, slightly to the southwest of Fermi 2. The reactor design selected is the 1,520 MWe
MWE
MWE may refer to:*Manufacturer's Weight Empty*McDermott Will & Emery*Midwest Express, an airline*Merowe Airport - IATA code*Multiword expressionMWe may refer to:*Megawatt electrical...
GE-designed passive Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor
Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor
The type of nuclear reactor formally known as the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor is a passively safe generation III+ reactor derived from the predecessor Simplified Boiling Water Reactor and the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor...
(ESBWR). Review of the 17,000-page application could take four years, after which construction could take six years. The cost is estimated at as much as 10 billion dollars.
CEO Anthony Earley said that DTE's analysis "so far shows that nuclear power will, over the long term, be the most cost-effective baseload option for our customers, ... We expect nuclear to remain the low-cost option, but we will continue to evaluate nuclear against other resources and will commit to proceeding with construction only at the right time and at the right cost".
In March 2009, a coalition of citizen groups asked federal regulators to reject plans for Fermi 3, contending that it would pose a range of threats to public health and the environment. The groups have filed 14 contentions with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
, claiming that a new plant would pose "radioactive, toxic and thermal impacts on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
's vulnerable western basin."
This proposed plant should not be confused with the original Fermi 3 project which was to be a companion unit identical to Fermi 2. The original Fermi 3 was ordered in 1972 and cancelled in 1974. See DOE data page 67 and http://www.world-nuclear.org/wgs/decom/database/php/qry_reactorsdb_details_test.php?var1=United%20States&var2=Enrico%20Fermi-3&var3=BWR&var4=BWR&var5=Suspended%20indefinitely/Cancelled&var6=Detroit%20Edison%20Co&var7=1171&var8=MWe_Net&var9=Frenchtown%20Township,%20Michigan&var10=-&var11=-&var12=-&var13=-&var14=-&var15=-&var16=-&var17=-&var18=-&var19=-&var20=-&var21=1526&var22=n/a&var23=3579%20MWt&var24=1972&var25=General%20Electric%20(GE)&var26=1220%20MWeWNA Fermi 3 data].
Ownership
The plant is operated by the Detroit Edison Company and owned (100 percent) by DTE EnergyDTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
.
Seismic risk
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's estimate of the risk each year of an earthquake intense enough to cause core damage to the reactor at Fermi was 1 in 238,095, according to an NRC study published in August 2010.Reactor data
The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station consist of one operational reactor, one closed unit and one additional is planned.| Reactor unit | Reactor type | Capacity | Construction started | Electricity grid connection | Commercial operation | Shutdown | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net | Gross | ||||||
| Enrico Fermi-1 | FBR | 61 MW | 65 MW | 01/08/1956 | 05/08/1966 | 11/29/1972 | |
| Enrico Fermi-2 | BWR-4 | 1106 MW | 1154 MW | 09/26/1972 | 09/21/1986 | 01/23/1988 | |
| Enrico Fermi-3 (planned) | ESBWR | 1520 MW | MW | ||||
External links
- Public Comments "Public Comments at the meeting re: FERMI 3 with the NRC. This includes youtube videos of speakers calling for an end to the new nuclear reactor project. Featured are a Professor from the U of M, Don't Waste Michigan members, Sierra Club members, and other concerned citizens."