'Tornado Alley' reactor not fully twister-proof (xpost)

[bananas]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4864610

'Tornado Alley' reactor not fully twister-proof
Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The closest nuclear power plant to tornado-ravaged Joplin, Mo., was singled out weeks before the storm for being vulnerable to twisters.

Inspections triggered by Japan’s nuclear crisis found that some emergency equipment and storage sites at the Wolf Creek nuclear power plant near Burlington might not survive a tornado.

Specifically, plant operators and federal inspectors said Wolf Creek did not secure equipment and vehicles needed to fight fires, retrieve fuel for emergency generators and resupply water to keep nuclear fuel cool as it is being moved.

(snip)

David Lochbaum, a former nuclear plant engineer who now works on nuclear safety for the advocacy group Union of Concerned Scientists, said the equipment that a tornado could disable is the “backup of backups,” but that potential should raise concern nonetheless.

(end snip)

Read more: http://cjonline.com/news/2011-05-26/tornado-alley-reactor-not-fully-twister-proof

tick tick tick ...

[DeSwiss]

1. ....

"Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do." ~Wendell Berry

[Cannikin]

2. There have been several tornadoes in the vicinity of Arkansas Nuclear One

over the last few weeks. I've wondered about a similar situation there.

[madokie]

3. To me it matters not so much the reason for the accident

it matters that accidents happen and these nuke plants should be designed to take anything that nature can throw at them or don't build the sunsabitches. Not use nature as an excuse as to why we have a runaway nuke plant as is happening in Japan right now. Just how much intelligence does it take to figure that out anyway. I mean what the fuck over.

[Fledermaus]

4. How long do the batteries work? 4 to 6 hours Are the diesel generator hardened?