nuclear-news

Confidence in nuclear power safety falling, after oil safety failure

this story is especially pertinent now, as the nation reexamines its energy policy in the wake of the calamitous BP Gulf spill.

Nuclear Reactor Eaten by Leaky Acid, Again : TreeHugger, 9 June 2010, Back in 2002, an Ohio nuclear power plant developed a leak that allowed highly pressurized cooling water containing boric acid to seep out. That acid ate away a football-sized hole into the 6-inch steel lid to the nuclear reactor, leaving the reactor’s integrity at grave risk. The cause of the narrowly averted disaster was thought to have been fixed, but the New York Times reports that signs of even more leakage have been showing up again — again stoking fears of poor safety……..this story is especially pertinent now, as the nation reexamines its energy policy in the wake of the calamitous BP Gulf spill. One thing you’ve no doubt heard popping up with some frequency is the need to use more clean, safe nuclear power. The safety record is impeccable, its supporters say; there hasn’t been a major accident in decades. Sound familiar? That was pretty much the line given to offshore drilling up until you-know-what happened.
Which is why these signs of leaks and other indicators of accidents-waiting-to-happen should be taken more seriously than ever, and regulatory agencies like the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should be put into action — especially as the nuclear industry gets ready to build new plants for the first time in decades.

Nuclear Reactor Eaten by Leaky Acid, Again : TreeHugger

June 10, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, nuclear technology, radiation, radioactive, reactor