Alan J Fletcher <[email protected]> wrote:
> Alabama Tornadoes 2011: Emergency Declared at Browns Ferry Nuclear ... > > http://m.ibtimes.com/alabama-tornadoes-2011-emergency-declared-at-alabama-nuclear-plant-photos-139188.html > > Categorized as an "Unusual Event" > This article says: Preston D. Swafford, TVA's chief nuclear officer said on a March 26 tour of that plant that Browns Ferry was ready for "a one-in-a-million-year flood, or however many zeroes you want to go out," according to the New York Times. Yeah. Great. But in 1975 they were not ready for a 20-year-old guy with a plumber's candle looking for an air leak. He accidentally set a fire in a hallway. It burned for 7 and a half hours, badly damaging 1,600 cables. All three sets of "redundant" controls were in that hallway, and the reactor nearly went out of control. I think it was shut down for a year for repairs. The supervisor said, "We had lost redundant components that we didn't think you could lose." In May 1974 they discovered this reactor was built with "improper" valves in the primary cooling systems of the 3 reactors. The valves were made for 600 p.s.i. and installed in place that required 1,200 p.s.i. I still support nuclear power because it beats coal, but anyone who supports it should realize that it has significant risks, mainly because of human error. I sure hope Rossi will soon eliminate the nuclear fission industry . . . and coal, and oil. - Jed
