Fukushima News 3/12/14:*Just In* "Radioactive Metal from Fukushima" Detected in Pacific Northwest

missingsky102

Published on Mar 12, 2014

*Just In* Scientists Raise Alarm: "Radioactive metal from Fukushima" detected in Pacific Northwest — Concern for impact on humans, west coast ecosystems — Continuing contamination crossing ocean, not going away soon — "A surprise... This is an international issue... Gov't should be doing something"
http://enenews.com/scientists-raise-a...

Radiation surge detailed in 2011 accident
Data recorded by radiation monitoring posts near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant show the environmental radiation level rose sharply 1 hour before a hydrogen explosion took place at the plant.
14 monitoring posts around the plant recorded the radiation level every 20 seconds after the plant was damaged by the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th of 2011.
Data recorded by one of the monitoring posts, located 5.6 kilometers northwest of the plant, show that the radiation level began surging after 2:10 PM on March 12th.
At 2:40 and 40 seconds, the post measured 4.6 millisieverts per hour, the highest level of the day. That was about 1 hour before a hydrogen explosion occurred at the No.1 reactor of the plant.
The data suggest the accumulated doses of radiation would have reached 1 millisievert in about 20 minutes. 1 millisievert is the annual exposure limit for ordinary people.
Masamichi Chino, senior researcher at the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, says the rise in the environmental radiation level may have been caused by an emergency operation to protect the No.1 reactor by reducing pressure within the containment vessel. Tokyo Electric Power officials began the so-called vent work at around 2:00 PM.
The vented air was released after going through water to reduce the amount of radioactive cesium. The step is intended to reduce the substance to 1 thousandth of its original level. But the measure may not have been effective.
Chino says the data can help researchers investigate how radioactive substances were released into the atmosphere and study the effectiveness of the venting process.

US nuclear expert calls for strict safety measures
A US nuclear expert has stressed the need to prepare for accidents at nuclear power plants, saying there is no way to completely prevent them.
A former chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, spoke to NHK in Tokyo on Tuesday, the 3rd anniversary of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
Jaczko noted that the plant is still releasing radioactive materials through contaminated water.
He said someone who is considerate of people's health and the environment should lead the workers at the plant. He also called for thorough explanations to be given to the people who had to leave their homes.
Jaczko said nuclear plants in Japan are less likely to have accidents thanks to the new safety measures that were introduced after the Fukushima disaster.

Official: Japan will be ruined if public doesn't realize they're being exposed to Fukushima radiation — "99.99% of the people are being sacrificed" — Rest of world will be taken down too (AUDIO)
http://enenews.com/lawmaker-if-japane...

THREE YEARS AFTER: Majority of Japan's nuclear reactors face bleak future
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disa...

'Inadequate equipment, workforce for Fukushima decontamination'
http://rt.com/op-edge/fukushima-decon...

Japan's Lower House speaker voices opposition against nuclear energy at 3/11 memorial
http://japandailypress.com/japans-low...

Sendai nuclear plant expected to be one of the first to go back online
http://japandailypress.com/sendai-nuc...

A nuclear reactor designed to burn up surplus Cold War plutonium has been closed by the US Department of Energy. Initially it was meant to cost $1bn. So far it has cost $4bn. To complete and operate would cost $25-34bn.
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news...

All WIPP employees will help in cleanup of nuclear site
Dept. of Energy approves recovery plan for site of nuclear waste repository
http://www.currentargus.com/carlsbad-...

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Radiation threat at Fukushima is real, 300 tons of radioactive water daily pours into Pacific - energy activist

Photo: EPA

Anti-nuke sentiments are simmering in Japan as the nation prepares to mark the third anniversary of Fukushima disaster. Thousands of people flooded the streets of capital Tokyo on Sunday to voice their anger at the nuclear power industry and the government’s plans to restart some of Fukushima's dormant reactors. For more on this topic, the Voice of Russia has talked to Harvey Wasserman, author of numerous books and editor of www.nukefree.org website.

On March 11, 2011 the deadly 9.0-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami struck Fukushima in the northern Japan triggering the triple reactor meltdown and explosions that tainted much of Fukushima Prefecture with radioactive materials. The tragedy claimed the lives of about 16 thousand people and left over 2 thousand still unaccounted for.

Three years ago a disastrous tsunami and earthquake killed nearly 19000 people and set off the nuclear crisis in Japan. Did the region manage to recover from the catastrophe? What are the current results of its recovery?

It's never really recovered and the radiation threat is still very real at Fukushima, there were three meltdowns and four explosions, there are thousands of very highly radioactive elements scattered around the side and every day some 300 tons of radioactive water pours into the Pacific ocean. One public radio station in the US has called it "a post-apocalyptic event" and the treat for the world ecology is very serious. We believe that all nuclear reactors should shut down and we should convert to renewable energy as fast as possible.

Have you heard of this recent news about Fukushima that the government is soon to allow people to return to Fukushima area, those who lived around it, when a lot of the people that have heard of this in Japan are a bit upset because they do know that the levels of radiation near Fukushima are still way above normal. Have you heard of this?

Yes, this is a very pro-nuclear administration in Tokyo, very dangerous and very irresponsible. It is pushing to open reactors that shouldn't open. I was in Japan in the mid 1970s and the population warned very strongly against building Fukushima, against building reactors in an earthquake and tsunami zone. Builders of Fukushima even took down a natural 85-foot high seawall to build these reactors right at sea level which is responsible for much of the destruction. But the radiation is going all through the Pacific ocean, we don't know the effects it will have but they are not good and it is extremely unpopular and in Japan the idea of reopening some of the old reactors- this must stop. This is a threat to the health of the entire world.

Absolutely, I agree with you. I do understand that there is of course economy is at stake here and paying out to the unfortunate people that have suffered through this disaster near Fukushima and paying out the necessary money as subsidies to the crisis is not the smartest move so perhaps that is why the Fukushima administration government is allowing people to m0ve back to their homes near Fukushima which could be another reason. The nuclear catastrophe had a great impact on the environment. What are the main consequences? And what have been done so far to struggle against them? Is it possible that the region will be safe to live in the future?

There is really nothing that can be done. As you know the Chernobyl reactor in what now is Ukraine is still not covered with the sarcophagus to prevent radiation from leaking even though it happened in 1986. The attempt to bring the disaster at Fukushima under control is still not anywhere near finished three years later when huge amounts of spent radioactive fuel rods to deal with at Fukushima and no real way to do it. We are essentially helpless in the face of this disaster and yet more reactors stay on earthquake folds in tsunami zone not only in Japan but around the world including the US. The danger is horrific but the corporate investments are very high and therefore the Abe Administration and other administrations don't want to shut the reactors but if we are to survive on this planet, these nuclear power plants must be closed.

Harvey, would you develop a little bit on geothermal and wind energies and of course solar energies? Do we have enough technology these days to actually switch to alternative means for energy development?

The most important of the new technologies is photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight to electricity. I believe photovoltaics will be the biggest industry in the history of the world, they will cover all our buildings, out vehicles, our machinery and convert the power that we need. We do have major breakthroughs in wind, in bio-fuels, in geothermal, ocean thermal, other forms of renewable energy are coming on very strong and yet they are very clearly superior to nuclear and even to fossil fuels. And we must make what I call a 'solartopiantransition' or we are simply not going to survive on this planet and the good news is that these technologies are good for the economy, they create jobs and they come in more cheap certainly than nuclear power and other sources as well. So there is good news here, but in order to get there we have to shut the atomic power plants.

What are the dangers that the western coast of North America is facing due to the fact that the Pacific ocean is right there?

Well, airborne radiation came to the US within four days, it took ten days to get here from Chernobyl but inevitably we live on a small planet and this radiation goes all over the world and there is really no escaping it. There is now indication that the first waterborne cesium from the ongoing flood of contaminated water at Fukushima will be reaching the west coast in this summer. And that is the terrible thing. It is something that we have to take very seriously.

As ex-Californian myself I will definitely tell my friends to prepare. What is the name of that technology you just spoke about?

Photovoltaic cells, you know the solar panels that you see on roof tops. Ford has actually come out with a car now that has photovoltaic cells on the roof to get electricity from the sun as the car drives. This will be everywhere, photovoltaic cells will take over the world if we can’t preserve it long enough by shutting the commercial reactors.

Harvey, thank you so much for such an insight on all of this.

Miguel Francis

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Nuclear regulators misled the media after Fukushima, emails show

Published time: March 10, 2014 20:11

An employee (C) of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) measures using a dosimeter at the central operating control room of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at TEPCO's tsunami-crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant at Fukushima prefecture March 10, 2014 (Reuters/Koji Sasahara)

Emails obtained by journalists at NBC News reveal that officials at the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission — the government agency that oversees reactor safety and security — purposely misled the media after the Fukushima, Japan disaster in 2011.
On Monday this week — one day shy of the third anniversary of the Fukushima meltdown — NBC published emails obtained through a Freedom of Information Act that for the first time exposes on a major scale the efforts that NRC officials undertook in order to diminish the severity of the event in the hours and days after it began to unfold.
“In the tense days after a powerful earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan on March 11, 2011, staff at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission made a concerted effort to play down the risk of earthquakes and tsunamis to America’s aging nuclear plants,” Bill Dedman wrote for NBC.
Through the course of analyzing thousands of internal NRC emails, Dedman and company unearthed evidence that proves nuclear regulators went to great lengths to keep the scary facts about the Fukushima meltdown from being brought into the public eye.
Even when the international media was eager to learn the facts about the Fukushima tragedy while the matter was still developing, emails suggest that the NRC’s public relations wing worked hard to have employees stick to talking points that ignored the actual severity of the meltdown.
"While we know more than these say,” a PR manager wrote in one email to his colleagues, "we're sticking to this story for now."



Read More Here

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Nuclear Event - State of Delaware, [Salem Nuclear Power Plant]

Earth Watch Report  -  Nuclear Event

The Salem 2 nuclear reactor, seen at right at PSEG Nuclear's Artificial Island generating complex in Lower Alloways Creek Township, returned to service this morning.Staff Photo by Britney Lillya

  By South Jersey Times

Salem Unit 2 nuclear reactor shut down after control rod issue

on January 31, 2014 at 2:21 PM
LOWER ALLOWAYS CREEK TWP.
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Nuclear Event

USA

State of Delaware, [Salem Nuclear Power Plant]

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Nuclear Event in USA on Saturday, 01 February, 2014 at 05:43 (05:43 AM) UTC.

Description

Salem Unit 2 was manually taken offline by control room operators at 10:01 a.m. Friday, according to Joe Delmar, spokesman for PSEG Nuclear, after an issue with one of the control rods. There was no threat to the health and safety of the public, and no issues with the manual shutdown, he added. A return to service is not available at this time. The plant had been online 430 consecutive days, Delmar said, and it produces 1175 megawatts of electricity �" enough power for a million homes. On Friday morning, Delmar said control room operators were conducting monthly testing on the control rods used to control reactor power. During the monthly testing, one of the control rods dropped out of its expected position, he said. At this time, the expected cause of the control rod mispositioning is believed to be a blown fuse with a more detailed investigation under way. In a pressurized water reactor like Salem, the control rods are inserted into the top of the fuel assemblies. There are 193 nuclear fuel assemblies inside the Salem reactor core and 53 control rods. In response to the control rod mispositioning, Delmar said control room operators took appropriate actions including adding boron to the reactor water to reduce power level and maintain shutdown margin as required by NRC technical specifications. Operators then made the subsequent conservative decision to safely shut the unit down, he said. Salem Unit 1 and the neighboring Hope Creek plant were not impacted and remain at full power. Salem 2 is one of three reactors operated by PSEG Nuclear at its generating site on Artificial Island here.

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Nuclear Event - State of Massachusetts, Plymouth [Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station]

Earth Watch Report  -  Nuclear Event

Associated Press
In this Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 photo, retiree Bob Scamen stands near a discharge pipe for the Braidwood Nuclear Power Station about 300 feet from his property, in Braidwood, Ill., 50 miles southwest of Chicago. In 1998 the pipe poured out 3 million gallons of water but, at first, Scamen did not realize it was radioactive. Radioactive tritium has leaked from three-quarters of U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping, an Associated Press investigation shows. The number and severity of the leaks has been escalating, even as federal regulators extend the licenses of more and more reactors across the nation. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
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Nuclear Event

USA

State of Massachusetts, Plymouth [Pilgrim Nuclear Generating Station]

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Nuclear Event in USA on Saturday, 18 January, 2014 at 04:15 (04:15 AM) UTC.

Description

The owner of the Pilgrim nuclear power plant has told the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission that radioactive tritium has been discovered in a newly installed groundwater monitoring well at the plant. A sample taken from the well Dec. 30 indicated a tritium concentration of 69,000 picocuries per liter. Those levels dropped to 20,000 in samples taken Jan. 6 and to 14,300 after additional samples were obtained Jan. 9. The EPA limit for tritium in groundwater used for drinking purposes is 20,000 picocuries per liter. However, the groundwater at the Pilgrim site is not used for drinking. In 1991, the EPA calculated it would take a year-long ingestion of water containing 60,900 picocuries per liter of tritium to yield a radiation exposure dose of 4 millirems, a fraction of the approximately 620 millirems of radiation exposure that Americans receive each year from natural and manmade sources. Last April, Entergy identified a separation in its neutralizing sump discharge line. The company theorized, at that time, that this line was the source of tritium groundwater contamination first identified years earlier at the site. The new monitoring well is adjacent to the catch basin where the outfall from the sump discharge line was rerouted, which supports that theory. However, the NRC also said that additional monitoring will be necessary before it can conclusively rule out other possible sources. The NRC will continue to inspect and report on the company’s implementation of its groundwater monitoring and prevention activities, as specified by the Nuclear Energy Institute’s Groundwater Protection Initiative. In addition, any subsurface contamination will be reviewed to ensure that public health and safety are protected. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen and is produced primarily by nuclear fission. Because it emits light in the dark, it can be used in exit signs, watch dials and some gun sights. It is also used to boost the yield of nuclear weapons.

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>Associated Press
This Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 file picture shows a cooling tower at the Salem nuclear power plant owned by the Public Service Energy Group and a building on a small farm in Lower Alloways Creek Township, N.J., in rural Salem County. One of the highest known tritium readings was discovered in 2002 at the Salem facility. Tritium leaks from the reactor's spent fuel pool contaminated groundwater under the facility _ located on an island in Delaware Bay _ at a concentration of 15 million picocuries per liter. That's 750 times the EPA drinking water limit. According to NRC records, the tritium readings last year still exceeded EPA drinking-water standards. And tritium found separately in an onsite storm drain system measured 1 million picocuries per liter in April 2010. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Tritium found at Pilgrim nuclear power plant

PLYMOUTH —

The owner of the Pilgrim nuclear power plant has told  the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission that radioactive tritium has been discovered in a newly installed groundwater monitoring well at the plant.
A sample taken from the well Dec. 30 indicated a tritium concentration of 69,000 picocuries per liter. Those levels dropped to 20,000 in samples taken Jan. 6 and to 14,300 after additional samples were obtained Jan. 9.
The EPA limit for tritium in groundwater used for drinking purposes is 20,000 picocuries per liter. However, the groundwater at the Pilgrim site is not used for drinking.
In the NRC announcement of the discovery, the commission provided a link to more information on tritium contamination: www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/tritium-radiation-fs.html.
In 1991, the EPA calculated it would take a year-long ingestion of water containing 60,900 picocuries per liter of tritium to yield a radiation exposure dose of 4 millirems, a fraction of the approximately 620 millirems of radiation exposure that Americans receive each year from natural and manmade sources.
Read More Here

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The number and severity of the nuclear leaks has been escalating, even as federal regulators extend the licenses of more and more reactors across the nation.

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Relicensing the Pilgrim nuclear plant in Plymouth

Old age is catching up with the nation’s nuclear power plants

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Fukushima News 12/7/13: NRC-Tepco Should Dump Water; New Fuku "Hot Spot"; State Secrecy Law Passes

MissingSky101


   

Published on Dec 7, 2013

NRC chief: Consider releasing contaminated water
The top US nuclear regulator says Japan should study discharging water containing radioactive tritium from Fukushima after diluting its contents.
The chairperson of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Allison Macfarlane, spoke with NHK in Tokyo on Friday.
She referred to the radioactive water building up at the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Workers are decontaminating the water, but currently have no method of removing the tritium.
Macfarlane noted that the decision is up to Japan.
She said the issue is very complex with no silver bullet to solve it.

Highest radiation levels measured outside reactor
Tokyo Electric Power Company says radiation levels are extremely high in an area near a ventilation pipe at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
TEPCO found radiation of 25 sieverts an hour on a duct, which connects reactor buildings and the 120-meter-tall ventilation pipe.
The estimated radiation level is the highest ever detected outside reactor buildings. People exposed to this level of radiation would die within 20 minutes.
The exhaust pipe in question was used to release radioactive gases following the outbreak of the accident 2 years ago.
TEPCO says radioactive substances could remain inside the pipes.

Japan's Diet enacts state secrecy law
Lawmakers in Japan have approved a bill that gives the government the authority to designate certain official information as special secrets. The law will strictly penalize those who leak information.
Lawmakers in the ruling coalition used their majority in the Upper House to cut off debate on the secrecy bill.
Then they voted in favor of it.
The law gives senior government officials the authority to define information as 'special secrets.'
That would include material related to defense, diplomacy, counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism.

TV: Officials near San Francisco to monitor Fukushima plume, concerns for environment and food supply — Supervisor: The risks to Californians are concerning — Commissioner: We can't rely on Japan or Tepco — Will waves of cesium and strontium pollute coast? (VIDEO)
http://enenews.com/tv-bay-area-offici...
http://archive.org/details/KOFY_20131...

California town passes Fukushima resolution: "Urgent international rescue" needed at site — "Poses health and safety concerns to America's West Coast" — "Much greater contamination is likely"
http://www.town-of-fairfax.org/pdfs/c...

Bloomberg: Fukushima isotopes are nearing West Coast — Official: U.S. ocean water to have 100 Bq/m3 of cesium-137?
http://enenews.com/bloomberg-fukushim...

BBC: Work at Fukushima Unit 4 a "distraction"; The "real nightmare" is coming from 3 molten cores — NYTimes: Melted fuel is "all over the place... First goal is simply to stop uncontrolled releases of radioactive material" (AUDIO)

http://enenews.com/bbc-work-at-fukush...
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2013/12/06...

Tepco "We deny press's misinformation when it affects the stock price."
http://fukushima-diary.com/2013/12/te...

Fukushima Clean-Up Chief Admits Contaminated Water will be Dumped into Ocean
http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-New...

This alarming map shows dozens of nuclear materials thefts and losses every year
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/w...

The Same Level of Treatment
IAEA Promotes Better Training for Cancer Care Professionals
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2...

Ministry panel eyes three Fukushima towns for storage of tainted soil
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013...

Natural Ways to Combat Latent Radiation Damage
http://survivalmedicineblog.com/2012/...

How To Fight Radiation Exposure Naturally
http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.co...

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Nuclear Event - State of Alabama, [Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant] : Carbon Dioxide Leak

Earth Watch Report  -  Nuclear Event

Image Source  :  WTVY.com

...

04.08.2013

Nuclear Event

USA

State of Alabama, [Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant]

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Nuclear Event in USA on Saturday, 03 August, 2013 at 15:28 (03:28 PM) UTC.

Description

A carbon dioxide leak prompted an Alabama nuclear plant to declare an alert, though federal authorities say the issue does not threaten the public. Southern Co. spokesman Ike Pigott said a carbon dioxide release was detected in an auxiliary building of the Unit 1 reactor at Plant Farley around 5:20 a.m. Saturday. An initial investigation suggests that the gas came from a fire suppression system, though no fires were detected. Pigott said the volume of gas was equivalent to what might be released from a large fire extinguisher. Both reactors continued operating normally. No other equipment failures were reported. No radiation was released. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokesman Roger Hannah said federal inspectors were monitoring the incident, but they do not believe it poses any threat to the public.The Dothan/Houston County Emergency Management Agency, the Alabama Emergency Management Agency were advised that an incident classified as an “ALERT” has been declared at the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant. An alert is the second least serious of four nuclear plant emergency classifications assigned by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This means that certain events could degrade or have degraded the level of safety at the power facility. There has been no radiation release so NO protective actions are required at this time for the public’s health and safety. Houston County officials and Alabama Emergency Management Agency will keep the public informed of any changes or developments in the situation at Plant Farley. Protective actions will be recommended if they become necessary.

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Nuclear Event in USA on Saturday, 03 August, 2013 at 15:28 (03:28 PM) UTC.

Back

Updated:	Sunday, 04 August, 2013 at 04:05 UTC
Description
Alabama Power has lifted an alert caused by a carbon dioxide leak at a nuclear power plant. The utility said the alert was lifted Saturday at 11:10 a.m., about five hours after it was first declared. Alabama Power spokesman Ike Pigott (PIG'-utt) said the carbon dioxide release was detected in an auxiliary building of the Unit 1 reactor at Plant Farley. The leak was then contained. It appears the gas came from a fire suppression system, though no fires were detected. Pigott said the volume of gas was equivalent to what might be released from a large fire extinguisher. Both reactors continued operating normally. No other equipment failures were reported. No radiation was released.

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Ala. nuclear plant ends alert over CO2 leak

The Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Ala. —

A carbon dioxide leak prompted an Alabama nuclear plant to declare a five-hour alert on Saturday, though federal authorities said the incident did not threaten the public.
The carbon dioxide leak was detected around 5:20 a.m. inside an auxiliary building serving the Unit 1 reactor at the Joseph Farley Nuclear Plant, about 18 miles from Dothan, according to Alabama Power spokesman Ike Pigott. The firm then declared an alert, the second-lowest of four emergency classifications used by federal regulators.
The utility ended the alert at 11:10 a.m.
Initial indications show that the gas came from a fire suppression system, though no fires were detected or reported. Carbon dioxide is often used to put out fires at industrial sites because it can extinguish flames without damaging sensitive equipment.


Read More Here


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Montgomery Advertiser

Nuclear plant ends alert for CO2 leak

Aug. 3, 2013 9:52 PM

Written by

Associated Press

COLUMBIA — A carbon dioxide leak prompted an Alabama nuclear plant to declare a five-hour alert Saturday, though federal authorities said the incident did not threaten the public.
The carbon dioxide leak was detected about 5:20 a.m. inside an auxiliary building serving the Unit 1 reactor at Joseph Farley Nuclear Plant, about 18 miles south of Dothan, according to Alabama Power spokesman Ike Pigott. The firm then declared an alert, the second-lowest of four emergency classifications used by federal regulators.
The utility ended the alert at 11:10 a.m.
Initial indications show that the gas came from a fire suppression system, though no fires were detected or reported.


Read More Here


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