2000 liters of mildly radioactive water leaked from Temelin Nuke Plant, Czech Republic

[Ian David]

GLIDE Number: NC-20070301-10131-CZE
Date / time: 01/03/2007 11:50:48
Event: Nuclear Event
Area: Europe
Country: Czech Republic
State/County: Unknow
City: Temelin
Number of Deads: None or unknow
Number of Injured: None or unknow
Damage level: Minor



Description:
Two thousand liters of mildly radioactive water leaked in the first unit of the controversial Temelin nuclear power plant two days ago, the plant's spokesman Milan Nebesar told the press on Thursday. Nebesar said the leak did not pose a threat either to Temelin's employees or to the environment. Despite checks, the water leaked through a manually- operatedfaucet, most likely left open by an employee during maintenance, when the plant's staff were

filling in a system that supplies the unit's primary circuit.
The leaked liquid ran into a waste tank. The plant's first unit is currently shut down for a fuel replacement, and is to be put back into operation in about a month. The accident took place at the time when Austrian opponents of the Temelin plant have been putting pressure on their government so it sues the Czech Republic over the controversial facility. The Austrian anti-nuclear activists blocked border crossings three times within last three weeks and plan more protests and blockades in order to achieve their goal.

On Tuesday, leaders of the two countries agreed in talks in Prague to set up a joint parliamentary commission on the plant. Temelin is a twin-unit, Soviet-era nuclear power plant updated with American technology, 60 kilometres from the Czech-Austrian border. It was launched in 2000 despite protests by Austrian leaders and anti-nuclear activists, who dispute Czech claims that Western security controls had rendered the plant safe.

A similar leak took place in the plant's second unit last August, the CTK news agency reported.

More:
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?lang=eng&id=10131