MOSCOW TIMES: Minister: Nuclear Plants Are Y2K-Safe - "Have a bottle of champagne on hand, and second, some vodka, but not too much, or you might fall down or pass out and hit your head on a shelf," he adds....hopefully not including his nuke plant technicians in this advice!

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Friday, December 24, 1999

Minister: Nuclear Plants Are Y2K-Safe

By Melissa Akin

Staff Writer
MOSCOW TIMES

For those who fear a Y2K computer failure could lead to a catastrophic Chernobyl-style meltdown at one of Russia's nuclear reactors at midnight Dec. 31, Nikolai Ponomaryov-Stepnoi has some advice.

"Have a bottle of champagne on hand, and second, some vodka, but not too much, or you might fall down or pass out and hit your head on a shelf," suggested physicist Ponomaryov-Stepnoi, vice president of the Kurchatov Nuclear Research Institute, which operates four reactors in northwestern Moscow.

Ponomaryov-Stepnoi, who spoke by telephone Thursday, is one of Russia's army of nuclear officials anxious to assure citizens that they should not worry about nuclear reactors at power stations and research institutes scattered around the country and across Russia's borders in former Soviet republics.

They all insist they're ready for the Y2K problem, in which computers using the old two-digit code to specify the year might misread "2000" as "1900," causing unforeseen disruptions.

All Russian nuclear installations have tested their systems for potential Y2K failures, Nuclear Power Minister Yevgeny Adamov said at a press conference Thursday.

"We don't expect any radiation-related consequences or consequences related to anomalous ... behavior of our systems," Adamov said.

Around 24,000 date dependent devices were changed throughout the nuclear industry, including the facilities that produce materials for Russia's nuclear bombs. All in all, with $2 million of foreign aid, the ministry fulfilled 70 percent of its $10 million Y2K solution program, nuclear officials said.

"Naturally, there wasn't enough funding," Adamov said. Alternative technical solutions were found where funding failed to cover planned expenses, Adamov said, without elaborating.

"People at the Russian reactors - and the other reactor systems as well - they've been doing triage," said Morgan Libby, manager of the Y2K program for nuclear power plants at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. "Obviously [they've] fixed the most important things first."

But the primary safety systems at Russian plants have passed muster for Y2K with the U.S. Energy Department. Russia's State Nuclear Inspectorate is also unconcerned by Y2K, a spokesman said Thursday.

Still, some international bodies appear concerned.

The European Commission is considering a payout of around 2 million euros ($1.98 million) for last-minute fixes and other remediation projects that will likely extend into 2000, Libby said. Neither Minatom nor European Union officials in Moscow could confirm the commission was considering additional funding.

A Central Intelligence Agency official testified before the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee in October that the chance of an accident at a Russian reactor at the turn of the year was small, but present.

Even if the operators do their jobs perfectly, the official said, faulty information systems could lead to poor decision making, for example, or a loss of outside power could lead to fluctuations and even shutdowns.

If operators don't do their jobs perfectly, it could lead to the kind of catastrophic accident that happened at Chernobyl, he said.

But nuclear officials rule that out.

While Ponomaryov-Stepnoi is drinking to the new millennium in Moscow, Vladimir Vysotsky will be manning his post in the automated heating and measurement department of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. That plant, just a few hours drive from Moscow, is part of the northwest and central Russian section of the national power grid and supplies the capital with some of its electricity.

"I have no fear," Vysotsky said by telephone from Udomlya, the town in Tver region where the plant is located.

The reason for Vysotsky's confidence: The main safety systems that prevent accidents in the reactor's core, shutting down the reactor if an accident is imminent, can't be hit by the Y2K glitch.

Those mechanisms run on analog systems, which run continuously like a windup clock and will glide through the date change without noticing it. Only two-digit date dependent systems, which click from day to day, month to month, and year to year, can be tripped up when the year suddenly turns from 99 to 00.

The plant has also stocked up extra fuel for its diesel generator in case external power sources fail, Vysotsky said.

In any case, Adamov said glitches were not exclusive to Y2K.

"Every day we have some routine failure," he said at Thursday's press conference. "It is usually connected to human error."

[ENDS] In a separate article, Marshal Nikolai Barisnikova assured readers of the MOSCOW TIMES that they had nothing to fear from Y2K mishaps with Russia's nuclear missile force, either. "The Russian people never have anything to fear from the peace-loving Russian military at any time," he said. "Anyway, they are all pointed at the Americans, and we will have launched them by the end of the year. Let the Americans fix them if they want to. My main concern will be getting them all away in time to still make it to Minister Ponomaryov-Stepnoi's New Year's soiree, where I understand that I will be required to apply my technical expertise to testing whether or not his champagne and vodka are y2k compliant. If I hit the shelf that I've targeted with my head, they will be."



-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999

Answers

LINK

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.

I get pretty fearless myself somewhere around the second liter of Skoll. Got V-8?

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), December 27, 1999.

"Anyway, they are all pointed at the Americans, and we will have launched them by the end of the year. Let the Americans fix them if they want to."

Unhhh...anyone else catch this? is the 'they' in this phrase another term for the Nuclear Missles? Sounds like ole' Ivan had a slip of the tongue...probably too much Vodka. As they say, "In Vino Veritas". All I got to say is:

Got KI?

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@aol.com), December 27, 1999.


Sorry, Billy Boy, that was my own tongue-in-cheek addition, I just wanted to see if y'all were awake out there :)!

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.

LOL! You B*stard! Nice one...at least the retraction'll keep the more radical elements from geeking too hard.

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@aol.com), December 27, 1999.


LOL, kinda figured that Johm, if that had been for real I'd have had about 300 copies of the article in my e-mail this morning!!!

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), December 27, 1999.

John,

[ENDS] In a separate article, Marshal Nikolai Barisnikova assured readers of the MOSCOW TIMES that they had nothing to fear from Y2K mishaps with Russia's nuclear missile force, either. "The Russian people never have anything to fear from the peace-loving Russian military at any time," he said. "Anyway, they are all pointed at the Americans, and we will have launched them by the end of the year. Let the Americans fix them if they want to. My main concern will be getting them all away in time to still make it to Minister Ponomaryov-Stepnoi's New Year's soiree, where I understand that I will be required to apply my technical expertise to testing whether or not his champagne and vodka are y2k compliant. If I hit the shelf that I've targeted with my head, they will be."

There are a couple of things in your little "addendum" which give it away as a "joke", but a lot of folks aren't going to catch them. Unfortunately those people, (if they don't read further down the thread) may spend a lot of time worrying, and trying to track down your phantom "story".

What you've done here is irresponsible. After first skimming this, I was incredulous, and ready to demand a link for confirmation of the story. Re-reading it and scrolling down to your admission that it is a hoax leaves me stunned that you would make light of such a serious situation.

The Russians have done enough saber-rattling lately to make this seem real. I personally am VERY concerned that these inept bunglers will get a false attack warning and let a few ICBM's fly. We don't need you scaring other folks unnecessarily.

Up until now, I used to look forward to your posts here. Now I will regard the rest of them as I do this one.....Bullshit.

-- (cavscout@fix.net), December 27, 1999.


Hey, Cavscout, lighten up! Whether you read my posts or not is immaterial to me - it's still a free country. The article itself was real, as was the link. My italicized addition to it was self- evident ironic humour, as anyone who saw the words "peace-loving Russian military" included in it, together with the Marshall's desire to 'Y2K-test' the Minister's champagne and vodka should have noted instantly. I considered adding the Koop-type warning "Humour - May Be Hazardous To Your Peace Of Mind" but figured that, since I was dealing with adults, it was unnecesary. Obviously, there are still a few people around who really need such hand-holding, including yourself, so I'll concede to you on that...

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.

That's a real cute joke and you are sick, get some help.

-- NOT (funny@at.all), December 27, 1999.

Well, I guess we have here an example of the effects of 'dumbing down' in American education :)! Ironic commentary has long been a literary staple to highlight the idiocy or sheer ludicrousness official utterances. Nikoli Kruschev and Billy Boy, free-thinking Americans, both 'get it' good-humouredly. CavScout says he got it, but admits he had to work at getting it, then immediately starts off down the road to socialism by bleating about the hypothesized 'others' who might not get it and who thus need to be protected against 'unlabeled irony.' Then the humourless NOTfunny@all appears to keep him company and prove his point. All we neec now is a contribution from LadyIllogic to make it all truly bizarre...

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.


Hey John,

1) You have no idea what my educational level is, so don't lecture me about "the dumbing down in America education", you arrogant asshole.

2) Get off this bullshit about "self-evident ironic commentary". From what I've seen here you seem to think of yourself as some kind of scoop reporter ala Matt Druge. Any serious reporter wouldn't fool around with that kind of crap without reporting it as such.

3) As for your implication that I'm not a "free-thinking American", you can kiss my red-white-and blue ass.

4) I never said that anyone needed protection from your post, or anyone else's. All I said more or less, was that your "joke" was in bad taste.

5) as for your attempt at guilt by association by grouping me with ladyloser, all I can say is *quietly and right in your face* go fuck yourself.

-- (cavscout@fix.net), December 27, 1999.


Thanks, CavScout. That certainly gave me a fair idea of your educational level :).

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.

You're very welcome ol' buddy.

I got the same idea about your intelligence from your post.

If you're referring to the profanity in my posts, just regard them as a "literary staple to highlight the idiocy or sheer ludicrousness" of YOUR comments.

-- (cavscout@fix.net), December 27, 1999.


No problem with the profanity, CavScout - it's obviously an integral part of which you are. If you can live with being like that every day, then I can certainly bear it for a few seconds.

So your Doctorate's in profanity then? I noticed a certain elegant, practiced ease in your cursing - I should have guessed :)!

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.


Hey, CavScout! Sorry for giving you a hard time today - to tell you the truth, I'm short on sleep, stressed-out, and overworked, like a lot of other people right now, so I'm more hair-trigger than usual. I kinda got to reflecting on it all a few minutes ago and realized that you meant well with your initial comment. It just goes to show how easy it is for a fire-fight to start between friendly forces! Anyway, no hard feelings on my part, if none on yours, and any reciprocal apology you may wish to proffer is cordially accepted in advance, so you don't have to make it :)!

Just thought I'd clear the air before the day ends - and to accompany that with my hope that all goes well for you and yours during and after the rollover.

I'll put the safety on before I touch the keyboard tomorrow, just to make sure that no other stray shots go off...:)

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 27, 1999.



I would like CavScout and John Whitley to mud wrestle! What do you think Your highness? (CavScout lighten up, John, I think you are funny)

-- Rubicon (Notmy@ddress.net), December 28, 1999.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ