Palo Verde Nuclear Plant

[azsnowman]

CNN reported this morning that there are possible threats to the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant 50 miles west of Phoenix. Palo Verde is one of the nations largest nuclear power plants!

Dennis :o

[Guest]

Lets hope its a hoax. How far is it from you Dennis?

Keep us updated if you hear anymore on this.

Patricia

[Amanzi]

Yes, keep us informed of any information you have Dennis.

[Steve H.]

Do you think they would hit a plant they threatened...that would be plain stupid. If they say Nevada, I'd be concerned about something across the country, like Hutchinson Island :o . But really why would they give us advance notice, like threats??

[isobar]

One of the networks today said it is actually the nation's largest plant. Saw a view from the air. It's enormous!

I don't think it's the terrorists that gave us the heads up, but intelligence sources. Also, bridges in CA and banks in NY, if I remember correctly. I don't know, my head is spinning from all this right now. It's a shame we have to live like this.

[Aslkahuna]

they WOULD try to hit one they threatened just to show us how leaky our Security procedures are if they succeeded. My son just called and passed the same report to me along with the report that evacuations in Phoenix and possibly even Tucson could be called for if they did attack. He has also received an e-mail from his Department Head at the UofA stating that classes at the University would be cancelled if the attack occurred and evacuations ordered. My son and I have agreed upon a plan should it be necessary for us to evacuate and have pick a location to meet and and where we would stay. My van is capable of sleeping us and the dog and I have water and supplies already stored in it and can put in spare gas, food, a campstove plus additional cooking gas and power packs to run the radios and my laptop. I have onboard TV plus CB/Ham radio capability. The van can be lived in for two weeks with what I have. The house has capability to be lived in for 30 days without power, water and gas.

Steve

[Aslkahuna]

The Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant is THE largest in the US making it a symbolic target for terrorists.

Steve

[JQ Public]

def keep us updated

[cycloneye]

I hope that nothing happens there because it would be a calamity.

[southerngale]

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Thursday the government is investigating a possible threat against the Palo Verde nuclear power plant near Phoenix.

“This is again a coordinated effort among federal agencies with the great support of the state and locals that we’re addressing a very specific piece of threat information,” Ridge told reporters.

There was no immediate indication that the threat referred to by Ridge was linked to the FBI’s search for al-Tayyar.

Word of the investigations of the possible threats came three days after the Homeland Security Department raised the national terrorist threat assessment to “orange” — the second-highest level on the five-tier alert scheme — out of concern that war with Iraq could trigger terrorist attacks against U.S. interests at home or abroad.

The Palo Verde power plant, operated by Arizona Public Service Co., is the biggest nuclear power station in the nation. It has three reactors capable of generating up to 3,800 megawatts, enough to power nearly 4 million homes.

Arizona Public Service is a unit of Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

[Steve H.]

I don't think they could get close to that plant. I think you're OK out there. They would have hit it by now. I'm sure it's swarming with security and fighters overhead. 8)

[wx247]

They wouldn't necessarily have hit it by now. Stay safe and keep us informed of this breaking story!

[azsnowman]

Actually I'm over 240 miles NE of the Palo Verde but well within the fallout range! If you think I was joking about alll the summer folks returning, you should see this town NOW......the streets are worse than they are in the summer! Lines at gas stations are now 3-4 cars deep!

Dennis

[Arizwx]

I am exactly 86nm SE from the Palo Verde NPP,with a prevailing WNW wind at 12kt G to 17kt.Keep your eye on midlevel and upper level indices,the prevailing winds are due to shift 2,possibly 3 ways over the next 72hrs.
1.)WNW
2)SSW
3)NW
All are probable over the the 72hr window,as the ULL over the N Rockies pulls out.The 'backdoor' effect that has hampered the Colo/Wyo Region is due to rebuild per the AVN.IF that is the case,a "Boxing" or relative micro Rex Block would set up a pooling of swirling winds,covering all of Arizona.
Which means:Areas of Most Concern:
Remeber what Al Qeada and OBL have said:The Next Attack will make 09-11 look like a picnic.Consider:


#1.)PHOENIX Metro(SMSA=Standard Metro Statistical Area Maricopa,Co.
This is approx 49 mi from Palo Verde NPP




(1.8Mill City est.)2.9 Million pop
Gila River Res(Native American) 108,000pop est Regional

Pinal Co:Casa Grande/Regional(inc Native American:190,000pop

#2.): TUCSON Metro:937,000 Metro/ 505,000 city est. PIMA, Co.
approx 114 nm SE from Palo Verde NPP



Sierra Vista/Bisbee/Green Valley/Douglas/Agua Prieta,MXTubac/Nogales,AZ &Nogales,Sonora,MX:387,000 pop Regional
Yuma/Rio Colorado,MX:300,000 Metro POP
Mexicali:1.2MILLION pop est.

EL PASO,TX:440,000 City est 1.4Million Metro est (Incl: Ciudad Juarez,MX)

Flagstaff/Prescott/Williams/Sedona/Pinetop/Show
Low/Coconino,Co.,AZ:240,000pop(Inc Apache nation)

ALL of the LOWER COLORADO RIVER VALLEY(Lake Havasau,AZ/Bullhead City/Laughlin,NV est 125,000 pop regional NOTE:(TRIPLE that number this time of year:Winter Residents)

ALBUQUERQUE,NM:709,000 Metro(477,000 City est)

SAN DIEGO,CA:1.6Million city 2.3mill Metro est.

TIJUANA,Estado N BAJA,MX:1.7 Million est

LAS VEGAS,NV/Clark Co.:977,000 city est 1.2 Million Metro(includes Henderson)/
Plus these key installations(NOT including AFB /Army/Navalor Marine which are too numerous to list)

***HOOVER DAM***Nevada(all installations)

*** White Sands,New Mexico ***

***Evergreen Airpark(Pinal Co.)***

***Hughes/Raytheon Missile Systems***(Tucson)

***Coronado Island*** San Diego

***Allied Signal*** Tucson

***Qwest*** Phoenix

***SkyHarbor Airport*** Phoenix

***Tucson International Airport***

***McCarren Intl/Las Vegas***NV

*** Lndbrg Field/San Diego***

************US BORDER(ALL)INS US CUSTOMS**************

*** Tucson Sector/DeConcini POE***

***San Diego,CA/Tijauna,MX POE Border***

*** El Paso,TX/Ciudad Juarez,MX POE Border***
All of these are well within Fallout Zones again,depending on prevailing winds and Wx Disturbances.This is an El Nino Year,so we are quite active avg 1 system per 4.9 days(Mar)
IF a High sets up off of Southern California,the onshore flow,now pretecting LOS ANGELES,CA and ORANGE CO.,CA (pop est 12+Million)Regional So Cal Pasadena /San Bernadino,Co/Palm Springs,CA
would become a peripheral concern.

This is a wake up call.There are those that believe that we are not populated in this region...do the math.

The DOE at Lawrence/Livermore Labs(SF Bay Area)has elevated alert status.
#1 Stat Alert remains:Palo Verde NPP AZ

Stay Alert!!!!

My ONLY means of survival should a scenario unfold:
IF a FULL or Partial Full Meltdown(Core Reactor(s)) occur,
#1.)EMS per Comcast Cable Sytems(Hi Speed Internet)would alert the TUS North Metro,most vulnerable to the Blast..equivalant to 1.8 Nagasaki/Hiroshima Blasts)...Meltdown would occur within 45-120 min depending on the damage to PV NPP
Blast Zone:W PHX(wiped off the Map)
PHX Proper:Extreme
NW TUS:Major/Significant
TUS:Moderate

4 Million HOMES would be taken OFFLINE (Grid) Immediately..NO POWER from Las Vegas to Tucson inc PHX.
Est: 8 Million Ppl.+ ALL Services(Gas,Fuel,Possibly partial Cellular)
Fiber Ring for Cable would remain servicable with major interruptions
ALL Major Comm Outlets PHX Radio/TV would be silenced
Only HAM Ops and Partial PCS Cell would remain
2 Way RF:Possible interruptions
All Fire/Police/EMS/Hospitals On Highest Level
SkyHarbor:Shutdown
Casualites:Extreme

Tucson:North(this is where I am)
My only route out is is Oracle/Florence Hwy to the Biosphere II,toward San Manuel from Oro Valley to the 'backside' of the Santa Catalina/(Mt Lemmon) Mountains(Granite to 9,290Ft asl)HAM OPS ARE NOW operable @ Mt Bigelow.
This provides minimal,yet survivalble cave'cover' on the 'lee' side.22 Miles to my East as the crow flies(no direct route)4X4 ONLY!!!
Est Travel Time: 1 hr

Tucson: Possible damage/casualties. Significant to Unknown:Variables too high ATT.

Anyone wishing to IM me('msn'messenger):Intrepid53@comcast.net

[Arizwx]

[azskyman]

The contours of the valley and the city of Phoenix make a west to southwest wind the one to keep an eye on in the event of some sort of breech to Palos Verde.

There are ranges to the south of Phoenix that might tend to corral any radiation and focus it on the city in that scenario.

As with any risk, we must take it seriously, and I do believe that Arizona officials are doing just that.

While this particular target has much symbolic significance, so to do thousands of other sites around the country. We can all name more than a handful in our very own states.

Still...it is good to be vigilant and be thinking of any probability.

My family and I have a planned meeting place established both inside the state of Arizona and elsewhere in the US if it would be necessary.

Two years ago we entered an era where risk is the "new norm" and vigilance has new meaning.

We simply need to think smart, stay prepared, and never to make assumptions of security.

I suspect this environment will be with us at least until we have left Iraq, dealt with Iran, dealt with Korea, and perhaps dealt with others along the way as well.

But there are still plenty of things to be thankful for...to be appreciative of...and we must hang on to those as best we can.

azskyman

[Aslkahuna]

My son and I have a designated meeting place in NM to the east of here in case SV is ordered to evacuate along with TUS. If not, he will come here. We are serviced by a different power company (actually a cooperative) so we might maintain power. I can get to the location in NM with minimal time on I-10 by using my chase routes east of here and sneaking into I-10 beyond the AZ line. My main concern is a major hit on Fort Huachuca because then I'm dead meat being only 3 miles from the Intel HQ.

Steve

[southerngale]

Arizona leaders say nation's largest nuclear power plant is secure
03/20/2003

By Barrett Marson
© 2003 Arizona Daily Star


PHOENIX - Top state leaders feel comfortable with the security at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station despite the admission that it may be the target of a terrorist attack.


"I think right now the safest place in Arizona may be within the perimeter of Palo Verde," said Chuck Blanchard, Arizona's interim homeland security director.


In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham acknowledged under questioning from Sen John McCain, R-Ariz., that intelligence shows Palo Verde might have become a target for terrorists.


Gov. Janet Napolitano, after a request from U.S. Homeland Security Director Tim Ridge, moved an unannounced number of guardsmen to the nation's largest nuclear power plant.


Jim McDonald, a spokesman at Palo Verde, said the plant can withstand a direct hit from any size plane without posing a danger to the reactor's core.


"It is possibly the strongest civilian structure in the United States," McDonald said.


Palo Verde, with three domed reactors, puts out about 30 billion kilowatt hours of electricity a year. The plant is co-owned by Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project and several other utility services.

For more Tucson news, visit The Arizona Daily Star

[url]
http://www.kmsb.com/bits/KMSB_az_palove ... d69ce.html[/url]

[vbhoutex]

For those interested, I have been in chat and/or on the phone with Arizwx for the last 2 hours. He has had a major power outage tonight and the backup battery on his comp is low. As best he can tell all is fine since Tucson has power. However in counter to the article above he just talked to a friend that said the plant is not secure yet. He thinks they have taken it off line but doesn't know for sure. He promised to call me if anything is up. Keep all of our friends in AZ in your prayers as the situation with the plant apparently is not settled yet. If something does happen they all are in danger. Both Azskyman and M2 live in Phoenix. Arizwx is close by to the SE of the plant in Oro Valley, AZ and Azsnow is 240 mi ne of the plant.

[M2]

I am approximately 50 miles due East of the Palo Verde nuke plant as the crow flies - downwind in the prevailings for more exact terms. Arizwx is approxmately 140 miles SE of Palo Verde; Aslkahuna is ~400 miles to the Southeast. They can't 'shut it down' as they supply major power for several states. Phoenix is still lit. There would be no 'n-blast'. Officials are worried about planes flying into the containment towers. The term 'meltdown' is just that - in the worst possible scenario, the core would heat up so hot that it would burn through the containment vessels down through the foundation into the ground, releasing hot steam and radiation into the atmosphere. No mushroom cloud. Whatever caused that catastrophy would of course explode, but we're not talking a Hiroshima here; that's not the nature of a power plant. Yep, the National Guard has been there since the beginning of the week. Millitary helicopters are flying around there nonstop; they're also traversing the city. We have nonstop jets here anyway with Luke AFB closer to Palo Verde, so they're in there too with the F-16s flying support.

You should see all the law enforcement around the city - unprecedented! I walked out of the office, a black & white was in the parking lot with his door open watching people. Police are out in droves driving by 2x all over the city, down the side streets, on the Interstates, parked in store parking lots & strip malls, standing at the corners or apartment buildings - really. They are everywhere and this is a good thing. It should hopefully deter some wacko from doing anything major. Then again, there were about 400 protesters down near ASU in Tempe who were causing a big rukus and the police had to break up that nonsense too.

We have heard of no specific evacuation plans. If there was an 'incident' - they'd declare marshall law & everyone would be confined to house/office. Nobody would be evacuating anywhere. The streets would be cleared. And then they'd tell us to seal up our houses (with duck tape & plastic) for a time. You guys laugh; we're not laughing in Phoenix. Go read the FEMA procedures on a radiological 'event' - they'd want to "contain" it and those exposed. Evacuating 1.5 million Phonicians quickly is impossible and improbable. The wind and its contents move faster than that.