Water damage can crack nuclear plants, says NRC

NRC warns nuclear plants to watch for water damage The Reporter, 28 April 13, YORK — Federal authorities are warning nuclear power plants that store spent fuel in dry casks to watch for water damage, citing two incidents at central Pennsylvania plants.

  The York Daily Record says the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued    an information notice last week detailing how moisture can degrade structures and components associated with spent fuel storage…… Water was also blamed for cracks on concrete storage units protecting spent fuel and debris from the damaged core of Three Mile Island’s Unit 2, which is stored in Idaho. In 1999, Transnuclear installed the concrete enclosures to cover and protect the material but a year later officials started noticing insignificant cracks in the units. In 2007, officials said, seasonal freezing and thawing of water trapped near the roofs and in the cracks of the enclosures worsened the problem…… http://www.thereporteronline.com/article/20130428/NEWS03/130429512/nrc-warns-nuclear-plants-to-watch-for-water-damage

April 29, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA