Leak at Japanese nuclear plant following earthquake
The recent earthquake in Japan, which measured 6.8 on the Richter Scale, triggered a leak at a nuclear power plant. The leak from the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa facility was minor and thought not to be harmful.
A spokesman from Tokyo Electric, who run the plant, said: "We have confirmed that water containing a slight amount of radioactive materials leaked out of the facility. But the leakage is believed to be far below the levels that could affect the environment." The quake also triggered a serious fire which took several hours to contain.
[via Energy Daily]
Related story: More on the nuclear power debate
Japan gets 35% of its energy from nuclear power but also experiences 20% of the world's earthquakes. Therefore, all nuclear power plants in Japan are designed to shut down automatically when an earthquake is detected.
The leak, although small, is likely to stimulate debate on whether there is ever such a thing as a totally safe nuclear power plant.
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SUNK ATOMIC BUILDINGS FATAL
Japanese owners TEPCO, first admitted fire & no outlets. Later: 1 liter (2 pints) radiac & 100 toppled barrels, then 1200 l and 400 barrels. Then said preliminary check found 50 problems. But IAEA noted more than 100, saying might take a year to start.
Most problems came from ground under plant turned to mud in quake-caused liquefaction. All buildings sank in different directions, half metre differences cracking water and oil pipes, cables and radiac gas ducts. Oil leaked from transformers, reactor pumps, switch stations and waste pipes.
Broken cables ignited oil leaks and caused the generator fire, taking hours to put out.
Swedish expert on liquefaction, geologist Nils-Axel Mörner (phone *46=Sweden 8 717 18 67 MORNER@POG.NU), says an atomic plant on liquefaction ground can never be restarted.
Japanese inspection and IAEA are biased for atomic power. Truths on hazards are found with citizens movements like netsite: http://cnic.jp.
Roland von Malmborg, environmentalist
Saltsjobaden, Sweden
von.Malmborg@swipnet.se
Posted by: Roland von Malmborg | August 12, 2007 11:44 PM
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