Update: Leak Stopped, But Fermi 2 (Nuclear Reactor) Still Shut Down

[Ian David]

NEWPORT, MICHIGAN -- Detroit Edison has stopped a leak of coolant at the Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Station in Newport, Michigan, but the plant remains offline. The leak was first detected around 4:00pm Monday afternoon in the containment building that houses the nuclear reactor. Fermi 2 is near Monroe, Michigan, about 25 miles northeast of Toledo.

The NRC says the coolant was leaking at a rate of 50 to 75 gallons per minute. Exactly how much coolant was lost is not known.

The NRC had issued an "Alert" for the plant. All nuclear plants use four emergency classifications to describe problems, and "alert" is the second level of severity, meaning something is happening or has happened that would degrade the level of safety at the plant. "Alert" level does not indicate damage to the plant, and there would be little or no radioactivity released.

That "alert" was lifted after the leak was stopped Monday evening.

A spokesperson for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission office in Chicago says the plant was shut down without complications and nonessential workers were allowed to leave for the day. Detroit Edison says the public was not in danger, and no evacuations were ordered.

More:
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=2851200

[purji]

1. I live in the evacuation area

(less than 20 miles)Every year we get our pamphlet that tells us where the kids will be taken if something happens during school hours and our shelter info.
They test the siren once a month,but no siren yesterday.
Ohio's news covered it much better and earlier than Detroit.

[noonwitch]

4. That's because the Detroit media is busy taking down a mayor

I'm a loyal dem, and luckily don't live in the city anymore, but I am shocked at Kwame's blatant corruption and lying.

[jmcgowanjm]

2. GE Power Systems Contract Est Optimization Bidness Model in Nuclear

ATLANTA, GEORGIA (March 27, 2003) — GE Power
Systems’ latest Contractual Service Agreement (CSA)
with Detroit Edison, a client for over 20 years, is the
first agreement to implement GE’s collaborative approach
to services in the nuclear power plant industry. GE’s 10-year
CSA with Detroit Edison is focused on optimizing the
operational reliability of the Neutron Monitoring System at
Detroit Edison’s Fermi 2 Power Plant

http://www.gepower.com/about/press/en/2003_press/032703.htm

GE we bring good things to life.

[jmcgowanjm]

3. "Unless we build a whole new rail and highway infrastructure,"

Because U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) regulations
require shipments use the best maintained roads and rail
lines, routes will go through major cities, Olsen
says.
"51 million people who live within two miles of the
shipping routes are exposed to a real risk of accident."
"Unless we build a whole new rail and highway
infrastructure," she says, "we're stuck using the ones which
go straight through Detroit, Chicago and St.
Louis."
But even under the best case scenario, Olsen sees
dangers. Radiation will be emitted through the
transportation cask containers and to stop it, she explains,
a lead shield would have to be constructed that would make
the truck so heavy it couldn't move. "If you were next to one,
say stuck in traffic, it would be comparable to receiving one x-
ray an hour for an adult, so you don't need an accident
to increase the radiation exposure people will receive."
Waste shipment truck drivers would receive the
heaviest exposure. A Detroit Edison spokesman says risks
are minimal for both transportation and storage.

http://goodfelloweb.com/werbe/nukes.htm

[Ian David]

5. One solution I have seen proposed is a Tube Freight Transportation System

Basically giant underground pneumatic tubes or Maglev trains inside giant vacuum tubes.



Introduction
Under a research program on advanced freight movement, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) with the support of the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center is examining the technical and economic feasibility of tube transportation systems to address future freight transportation requirements.

Tube freight transportation is a class of unmanned transportation systems in which close-fitting capsules or trains of capsules carry freight through tubes between terminals. All historic systems were pneumatically powered and often referred to as pneumatic capsule pipelines. One modern proposed system called SUBTRANS uses capsules that are electrically powered with linear induction motors and run on steel rails in a tube about two meters (6½ feet) in diameter. The system can be thought of as a small unmanned train in a tube carrying containerized cargo.

An underground tube transportation system can carry high-volume freight into highly congested areas with minimum effect on surface transportation systems. If this system were implemented in congested areas, passenger vehicles could be separated from freight vehicles with improvements in efficiency and safety for both modes. The improvement in efficiency would result in lower freight rates and a lower environmental impact on air quality and noise. Also, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M estimates that productivity lost to traffic congestion costs more than $40 billion per year.

The separation of trucks and automobiles was recommended by the Hoover Commission on Highway Safety in the late 1920s. The concept has been reevaluated periodically. It is now timely to initiate a reevaluation. Such an analysis should be based on current and future highway needs in the framework of the emerging economic and market environment anticipated in the early 21st century.

However, it must be stressed that tube freight transportation is a promising concept for a future system. A great deal of additional research and development and the commitment of substantial resources are necessary to produce even a prototypical operational system. The initial operational systems are most likely in major metropolitan areas where current and projected traffic congestion inhibits increased movement of freight by trucks; a nationwide tube freight transportation network will not be feasible for many years, if at all. While tube freight systems have considerable potential to move goods efficiently and offer significant advantages, such systems are not likely to have any near-term impact on the trucking or railroad industries.

This article will discuss the history and advantages of tube freight systems, current tube freight system proposals, and issues relative to implementing such a freight system.

More:


http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/fall94/p94au21.htm

[jmcgowanjm]

6. the commitment of substantial resources

I think we could have done this instead of
whatever we did 35 years ago.

Now I think we'll have to be satisfied with this:

If things go as projected, the initial section of light rail will
be extended into Glendale, west Phoenix, north Phoenix
and farther into Tempe and Mesa under provisions
of Proposition 400, a 20-year transportation plan of
highways, streets and transit approved by voters in
November after a contentious campaign. The light-rail portion
of the half-cent transportation tax that funds the plan
would provide an estimated $2.3 billion for light-rail
extensions.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0125lightrail25.html

They (the Saudis) could increase production, but they
would soon regret having done so. An abrupt increase in
their production rate would pull water up through the
dolomitized streaks in the Ghawar field, like a teenager
sucking on a soda straw. Saudi Arabia was supposed to be
the world's last source of unused production capacity. At
this point, there seems to be no surplus oil production
capacity anywhere in the world.

http://www.princeton.edu/hubbert/current-events.html

I could see a light rail in the interstate median.
Better happen soon though and forget even that
if we invade Iran or Venezuela.

[leftofthedial]

7. where'd it leak to?

yikes!

[hector459]

8. Do you really think they would tell us the truth about this?

I kinda doubt it.