[ UPDATE : Further embarrassing TEPCO revelations and Russia’s Medvedev calls for new world safety rules. ]
Twenty-five years ago today, Reactor Four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant ruptured, and explosions sent highly toxic and radioactive material up into the atmosphere.
We still live in the fallout plume of Chernobyl, a shadow that haunts us with future risk if the new Shelter Implementation Plan programme is not financed :-
https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/features/chernobyl-15/shelter-fund.pdf
In the light of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Multiple Nuclear Accident in Japan, and the setting of an official exclusion zone, it is important to re-consider whether the low-risk-of-high-damage nuclear power technology should continue to be used in action taken against low-risk-of-high-damage Climate Change.
Governments and other institutions have been checking and re-checking nuclear power facilities and holding talks :-
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/15/european-union-stress-test-nuclear
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/15/european-union-stress-test-nuclear
https://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_nuclear-power-the-missing-safety-audits_1536223
https://www.newschannel9.com/news/nuclear-1000446-commission-watts.html
https://www.inewsone.com/2011/04/22/france-to-check-security-of-n-plants/45173
The central lesson of both Chernobyl and Fukushima is that over time, engineering systems degrade, constructions rust and crumble, human operations become slack, and small chances can add up to have big consequences.
Public information has been created to help the newsreading public get to grips with the new reality of nuclear power. We cannot rely on nuclear power. Nuclear power stations break down, sometimes without warning. Nuclear power always poses a risk. Sometimes there are spills, leaks and emissions of dangerous gas – sometimes there are fires or explosions – and there is always the danger that somebody might misuse the fuel or waste :-
https://www.physorg.com/news/2011-04-google-earth-populations-nuclear.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-13159407
The Japanese Government and nuclear power industry did not respond to the warnings issued in 2007 in Japan after an earthquake caused a radioactive leak at a nuclear power plant :-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/8392730/Japan-nuclear-crisis-tsunami-study-showed-Fukushima-plant-was-at-risk.html
https://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2007/2007-07-16-04.html
Neither do they appear to have responded adequately to warnings of cracks in reactors, which have been known about for a long time. It is possible that reactor cracking, or other neutron damage, may have played a part in the release of radioactive chemicals still ongoing at Fukushima Dai-ichi. Only careful study will confirm or deny this, but engineers may not be able to get close enough to find out for some time as the radiation levels are so high :-
https://nuclearhistory.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/japan-nuclear-reactors-coverup-of-cracked-reactors-2002/
https://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/nuclear-reaction/hamaoka-reading-the-news-and-things-to-come/blog/11303
https://weblog.greenpeace.org/nuclear-reaction/2010/04/nuclear_history_repeating.html
https://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2195746/METI-warns-TEPCO-over-damage.html
https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/
https://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=845&catid=23&subcatid=152
Can the United Kingdom now listen to warnings about cracked nuclear power reactors at home ? :-
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2004/dec/02/energy.nuclearindustry
“Cracked reactors may force closure of nuclear plants : Terry Macalister : The Guardian, Thursday 2 December 2004”
https://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2006/jul/05/energy.frontpagenews
“Documents reveal hidden fears over Britain’s nuclear plants : Unexplained cracks in reactor cores increase likelihood of accident, say government inspectors : John Vidal and Ian Sample, The Guardian, Wednesday 5 July 2006”
https://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/jul/06/nuclear.freedomofinformation?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
“More checks on reactors ordered after cracks found : John Vidal and Ian Sample, The Guardian, Thursday 6 July 2006”
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5149650.stm
It is being admitted that not enough is known about the effects of radioactive fallout from nuclear power plant accidents. Let us only hope that our governments feel it necessary to spend the money to find out :-
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/26/chernobyl-lessons-missed-research-gaps