unloading fuel at the nukes

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Electric Utilities and Y2K : One Thread

As a worker at a nuclear plant I am aware of the potential problems that we are being faced with now and in the future. If we start losing the Nukes because of Y2K noncompliance as a result of N.R.C. directives...can we reasonably expect martial law to soon follow ? If it does ..what will that mean to the average nuclear plant worker ? It seems to me that if the plants are taken off line that they will be required to unload fuel..a time consuming process. What about the plants , such as ours that have a very limited storage space for fuel rods? We are already using temporary storage casks for them, Im not sure that we have enough on site to unload 2 800+ megawatt reactors.

-- Anonymous, July 02, 1998

Answers

I would love to see this last question answered. About storage space for fuel rods.

Aren't many nuclear power facilities ALREADY beyond the (formal) technical storage limits set by the NRC? [I recall reading a TIME mag. article about an industry whistle-blower in Connecticut(?), a few years back - that drew my attention to this issue.]

Is this man's fears realistic? Is last question a... problem? Is there enough (pool?)space at every facility to contain unloaded fuel rods safely?

-- Anonymous, February 26, 1999


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