nuclear-news

The General Electric Corporations’s connection with Fukushima

5 of the 6 reactors at Fukushima-Daiichi are GE manufactured Mark 1 systems.   To add further insult to injury—the GE Mark 1 reactors at Fukushima—have “23 sisters in the US.”  According to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) data, 23 of the 104 existing nuclear plants in the US are GE boiling-water reactors with GE’s Mark 1 radiation containment systems.  

nuclear reactors such as those at Fukushima are little more than a radioactive time-bomb …”looking for a place to happen.’

Fukushma the Japanese Chernobyl’…a year later and politics still ‘trump’ safety…UK Progressive,  JEANINE MOLLOF | APRIL 29, 2012  “…….. The GE Connection to Fukushima… Tanaka has not been the only engineer involved in the building and operation of ‘boiling-water’ reactors who became a whistle-blower against corporate practices deemed scientifically negligent in the nuclear industry.  Dale G. Bridenbaugh, Gregory C. Minor and Richard B. Hubbard, all former engineers with GE resigned in protest over major design flaws in the Mark 1 nuclear reactor designs they were reviewing.

Dubbed the “GE Three”—these engineers switched sides and joined the anti-nuclear movement in 1975.  The GE Three were reviewing the Mark 1 system which is among the oldest reactors in use.  Arguing that the Mark 1 system was a disaster in the making to deaf corporate ears—the three engineers quit in disgust.

It should be noted that 5 of the 6 reactors at Fukushima-Daiichi are GE manufactured Mark 1 systems.   To add further insult to injury—the GE Mark 1 reactors at Fukushima—have “23 sisters in the US.”  According to Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) data, 23 of the 104 existing nuclear plants in the US are GE boiling-water reactors with GE’s Mark 1
radiation containment systems.

Bridenbaugh was interviewed March 15, 2011 by ABC News and explained
the concerns;

…”The problems we identified in 1975 were that, in doing the design of
the containment, they (GE) did not take into account the dynamic loads
that could be experienced with a loss of coolant.”

In other words, the integrity of the nuclear reactor’s coolant system
to withstand what engineers call a “station blackout”—(where a power
loss compromises or totally destroys the coolant system)– must be
reexamined in older and newer nuclear plants.  Without a coolant
system in play for these ‘boiling water’ reactors—there is no way to
prevent spent radioactive fuel from going ‘critical’ and exploding
into the atmosphere.   As Bridenbaugh explains in more genteel
tech-speak:

”The impact loads the containment would receive by this very rapid
release of energy could tear the containment apart and create an
uncontrolled release.”

Subsequently, secondary or back-up power generators are critical to
public safety.  Without such precautions, nuclear reactors such as
those at Fukushima are little more than a radioactive time-bomb
…”looking for a place to happen.’
http://www.ukprogressive.co.uk/fukushima%E2%80%A6-the-%E2%80%98japanese-chernobyl%E2%80%99%E2%80%A6a-year-later-and-politics-still-%E2%80%98trump%E2%80%99-safety%E2%80%A6/article18462.html

April 30, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Reference, safety, USA