Chernobyl

[#1]

Ok, I know it happened years ago but if you get the chance to see the HBO mini series it's a good example of cover up and denial.

Of course things are added for dramatic affect but the main facts are clearly known, the series shows the attempted cover up and how many senior figures refused to accept the facts from experts in the field.

Scary stuff !

Who is to say it could never happen again ?

Or I guess it did in Japan ?

[#2]

Fantastic show!

[#3]

I don't think that the Fukushima incident is in the same league as Chernobyl, with only 1 death compared to the thousands attributed to Chernobyl.

We also know that Fukushima was caused by an Earthquake so yes, I'm sure it could and may well happen again.

[#4]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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We also know that Fukushima was caused by an Earthquake so yes, I'm sure it could and may well happen again.

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What strikes me is the number of nuclear power stations built so close to sea level, and therefore susceptible to tsunamis.  I realise they need a plentiful supply of cooling water, but surely they could be built on higher ground close to the sea, and syphon off some of the large amount of energy produced to pump water up to the site level.

[#5]

Good point @RobPN but pumping the thousands of gallons needed to cool the core cost a lot of money not just in power, that then reduces the efficiency of the plant but it also adds to the ongoing maintenance costs and of course is another point of failure!

[#6]

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@Anonymous wrote: I don't think that the Fukushima incident is in the same league

We also know that Fukushima was caused by an Earthquake so yes, I'm sure it could and may well happen again.

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The earth quake might have caused the reactors to go off line but it was the flooding of the diesel backup generators by the tsunami that really sealed its fate. No electricity. no cooling. Just bad planning / some would say bad luck, as quite obviously they just didn't expect such high waves to come along.

Happens even in the UK. I know of a large site that simply got flooded and it all stopped working. Electricity supply transformers went under water and blew up (literally). The standby generators were below the river level. They flooded out. Not that they would have helped much as the switch rooms went under water as well. When it was rehashed, the switch rooms were relocated to the top floor, generators were raised and the transformers? They ended up on high level concrete plinths. Engineers live and learn by experience. 

[#7]

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@idonno wrote:

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The earth quake might have caused the reactors to go off line but it was the flooding of the diesel backup generators by the tsunami that really sealed its fate. No electricity. no cooling. Just bad planning / some would say bad luck, as quite obviously they just didn't expect such high waves to come along.

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It’s semantics really, the flood came from a tsunami that was triggered by the earthquake.

What site are you referring to @idonno?

[#8]

There was also the, ' three mile island ' incident in America caused by a stuck valve but no reported injuries have been recorded.

The most dangerous site in the England is sellafield that reprocesses nuclear waste from a number of other sites, there have been claims of incidents that have not been reported along with claims (unconfirmed) that a specific type of cancer is much higher in areas near the site.

[#9]

It's certainly been an excellent series, last one next Tuesday?

[#10]

Fifth and last in series t'night on Sky Atlantic, but have downloaded the 2am showing for later - so no advert interruptions!