Environmental consequences of postulated plutonium releases from Westinghouse PFDL, Cheswick, Pennsylvania, as a result of severe natural phenomena

Potential environmental consequences in terms of radiation dose to people are presented for postulated accidents due to earthquakes, tornadoes, high straight-line winds, and floods. Maximum plutonium deposition values are given for significant locations around the site. All important potential exposure pathways are examined. The most likely calculated 50-year collective committed dose equivalents are all much lower than the collective dose equivalent expected from 50 years of exposure to natural background radiation and medical x-rays except Earthquake No. 4 and the 260-mph tornado. The most likely maximum residual plutonium contamination estimated to be deposited offsite following Earthquake No. 4, and the 200-mph and 260-mph tornadoes are above the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) proposed guideline for plutonium in the general environment of 0.2 μCi/m2. The deposition values following the other severe natural phenomena are below the EPA proposed guideline