Leaving aside the financial aspect for a second and focusing on the energetic and scientific one. The articole at some points presents a scenario saying that " The 400-page report, due to be released later this week, also described a darkening mood at the prime minister’s residence as a series of hydrogen explosions rocked the plant on March 14 and 15. It said Mr. Kan and other officials began discussing a worst-case outcome of an evacuation of workers at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This would allow the plant to spiral out of control,releasing even larger amounts of radioactive material into the atmosphere that would in turn force the evacuation of other nearby nuclear plants, causing further meltdowns."
I am REALLY surprised by all this. I mean is it possible at all that a meltdown in a nuclear plant can really trigger other nuclear meltdowns in other nuclear plants? Can anyone provide with any scientific reports that shows that this is possible? Nuclear plants are at several kilometers of distance one from the other. I just cannot see how one can affect the other.
Many thanks.
[quote=mammamia]I am REALLY surprised by all this. I mean is it possible at all that a meltdown in a nuclear plant can really trigger other nuclear meltdowns in other nuclear plants?
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Nuclear plants are at several kilometers of distance one from the other. I just cannot see how one can affect the other.
Many thanks.
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mamma -
In and of itself the answer is no. Each plant is designed with its own control room to operate completely separate support systems. Some plants do have some cross connect capability in case of "normal" or anticipated emergencies.
The problem at Fukushima Daiich was that there were three separate, significant accidents going on simultaneously. While each plant was staffed for emergency response, the problem at one of the plants was so severe that the radiation levels were dangerously high at the other plants’ control rooms. And don’t forget, what they were responding to was far beyond any "normal" emergency.
The short answer is no, a meltdown at one plant won’t directly cause a meltdown in another, but it may result in radiation levels in an adjacent plant that prevents or hampers casualty response that eventually leads to damage in the plant that otherwise would have been able to be protected and placed in a safe and stable condition.
Also - the Fukushima Daiich units were within yards of each other, not kilometers.
Hope this helped…
Dogs -
Ok, so we are speaking about separate plant inside the same basic facility. But above it also says: The report quoted the chief cabinet secretary at the time, Yukio Edano, as having warned that this “demonic chain reaction” of plant meltdowns could have resulted in the evacuation of Tokyo, 150 miles to the south. “We would lose Fukushima Daini, then we would lose Tokai,” Mr. Edano was quoted as saying, naming two other nuclear plants. “If that happened, it was only logical to conclude that we would also lose Tokyo itself.”
In other words from what you say I gather that the "Fukushima Daini" and the "Tokai" are two separate power plants all in the same facility (both in Fukushima Daiich).
We are not suggesting that (bringing this a bit nearer to home) France have 50 nuclear reactors around the country, and the meltdown of one (in Camargue - I am making this up) could cause the meltdown of another (in Champagne). Mamma Mia! That would really be a bit too fiction and not enough scientific.
Thanks for answering, thanks for taking the time.
mm
mm -
Without having access to the full report quoting the Cabinet Secretary, I don’t know the context in which he is speaking. But if he is saying that the accident at Fukushima Daiichi would be the direct cause of meltdowns at Fukushima Daiini AND Tokai he is flat out wrong.
Now if he is postulating that damage to the plants at Daiini and Tokai caused by the earthquake had progressed to an accident severity on the order of the damage at Fukushima Daiichi, then he may closer to the mark. But we know that didn’t happen.
Calling it a "demonic chain reaction" of meltdowns as if they were dependent on the Daiichi accident is sensationalist and a page right out of Arnie Gunderson’s drama playbook.