nuclear-news

American energy chief finds Japan’s nuclear safeguards inadequate

FirstEnergy nuclear chief finds Japan’s nuclear safeguards lacking after visiting Fukushima Tim Schooley Reporter–Pittsburgh Business Times, 8 April 14, “………Sena was one of a number of U.S.-based chief nuclear officers who visited Fukishima last September. He found the plant’s location was an issue……He told the audience the regulatory requirements are much stricter for nuclear power plants in the United States. That starts with the location requirements and the higher margin for safety U.S. plants must achieve for all types of environmental disasters…….Describing the industry here as under major cost pressures, Sena said the impact Fukushima has had on the American industry is a heightened awareness of just how big an environmental damage to prepare against…….

He also saw major cultural reasons for Japan’s nuclear nightmare at Fukushima, seeing a conformist culture and a technological arrogance that helped lead to a lack of training, licensing and emergency training in place for the country’s 50 nuclear plants.

None of those plants are in use now in Japan, which has few natural resources of its own. Japan is considering new energy options, including buying natural gas from Russia, he added. http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/blog/energy/2014/04/firstenergy-nuclear-chief-finds-japans-nuclear.html

April 9, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general