nuclear-news

CONTROL ROD DRIVE MECHANISMS OF 3 US NUCLEAR REACTORS CONTAMINATED WITH CHLORIDES because of a f-up by GE Hitachi during post refurbishment testing. THE REACTORS COULD FAIL TO SCRAM-shutdown or do so more slowly in an emergency or even create a nuclear emergency due to inability to control-shutdown the nuclear reaction. And what then to do? Scram yourself as far away as possible—ideally over 1000 miles away in the southern hemisphere where it will have less impact.

“The completed evaluation indicates that a stop piston separation could cause a slower scram speed and damage the drive so it could not be withdrawn…” https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2017/20170713en.html

River Bend, Louisiana, LaSalle Unit 2, Illinois, and Hatch Unit 2, Georgia are impacted. The US NRC states that “Pursuant to 10 CFR 21.21(d)(4), GEH is providing the final report with the conclusion that, in limited cases, the chloride contamination could create a substantial…