nuclear-news

Nuclear plants not safe from airplane crash risk

this is the first time that it has been officially admitted that plane crashes could cause a nuclear disaster, and raises questions about the safety of nuclear plants around the UK.

Nuclear risk from plane crashes is higher than estimated, inquiry shows A plane crash could trigger a ‘significant radiological release’, according to an inquiry into the expansion of Lydd airport in Kent Rob Edwards guardian.co.uk,  21 February 2011The risk that planes will crash into nuclear plants and release potentially lethal clouds of radioactivity is significantly higher than off icial estimates, according to expert evidence to a public inquiry.

• Studies submitted to the inquiry to expand Lydd airport in Kent, which began last week, cast doubt on assurances from the government’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that the dangers of accidental plane crashes are too small to worry about.

  An analysis by an independent expert concludes that the method used by the HSE to calculate the likelihood of crashes is “flawed” and could underestimate the risk by 20%. And a previously secret report for the HSE accepts that a crash could trigger a “significant radiological release”.

  Critics say that this is the first time that it has been officially admitted that plane crashes could cause a nuclear disaster, and raises questions about the safety of nuclear plants around the UK.

Nuclear risk from plane crashes is higher than estimated, inquiry shows | Environment | guardian.co.uk

February 22, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK