Soviet-designed nuclear reactors widely used in Eastern Europe may not be able to handle possible glitches or failures from the year 2000, a U.S. Energy Department official warned last week. According to Ken Baker, principal deputy assistant secretary at the department's office of nonproliferation and national security, several non-primary systems in the reactors are not Y2K ready. These include radiation monitoring systems, security access systems and computers monitoring power distribution in the nuclear plant. If one of these systems fails, an operator will have to fully stop a nuclear reactor. "There is concern that, if not fixed, these problems could result in simultaneous shutdown of several nuclear plants, causing disrution of power supplies in the middle of winter," Baker said. The 68 Eastern European reactors are at 23 sites in Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Slovakia and the Ukraine.

-- W (Watcher@@@.com), October 05, 1999

Answers

Why isn't Cuba ever mentioned? I believe they have two Russian nukes. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but why is Cuba always left out. Could it be that it might have ramifications for FL?

-- Jim the Window Washer (Rational@man.com), October 05, 1999.

Does anything in Cuba still work?

-- decay (away@fidel.itty), October 05, 1999.

I believe the two Russian style nuclear plants in cuba were abandoned years ago, when Russia went broke.

dave

-- dave (wootendave@hotmail.com), October 05, 1999.