Y2K Problem Interrupts Monitoring System at Japanese Nuclear Plant

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Y2K Problem Interrupts Monitoring System at Japanese Nuclear Plant By Naomi Okada Associated Press Writer

TOKYO (AP) - A Y2K glitch shut down a radiation alarm system at a Japanese nuclear power plant, just three months after the nation's worst nuclear accident ever. The malfunction at Shika Nuclear Power Station, 170 miles northwest of Tokyo, didn't shut down the plant itself, and there were no leaks or safety problems.

The radiation detectors themselves were unaffected. But the computer at the government office that receives information from them went dead shortly after midnight today, said Kohei Fukamoto, spokesman for Hokuriku Electric Power Co., the company that runs the plant.

The problem was detected about 10 minutes past midnight. It was unclear when the malfunction could be corrected, but there were no plans to shut down the plant.

Although not immediately dangerous, the problem was especially unnerving in the wake of the worst nuclear accident in Japan's history. On Sept. 30, an accident at a uranium-processing plant 70 miles northeast of Tokyo killed one worker, seriously injured two people and exposed at least 150 people to radiation levels that were above normal levels.

The glitch at the Shika Nuclear Power Station surfaced after Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi had already announced on television that no major Y2K problems had arisen.

There were some small snags at other nuclear facilities, but no radiation was leaked and there were no safety problems. Officials were still investigating whether the trouble was brought on by the millennium computer bug.

At a nuclear reactor run by Tokyo Electric Power in Fukushima prefecture, 148 miles northeast of Tokyo, a piece of monitoring equipment malfunctioned early this morning, company official Takashi Kurita said.

Kurita said the problem was probably not related to Y2K, since similar equipment in other reactors was trouble-free. The reactor's operations were not affected.

Other incidents at nuclear power plants mainly involved problems with data transmission among computers, and officials were still looking for causes.

Among other mishaps, Japan's Meteorological Agency reported that some of its systems displayed "100" instead of "00" when the year changed from 1999 to 2000 but said its regular operations had not been affected.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 01, 2000

Answers

So what's your point? This is old news and all you've offered is cryptic "yeah, well, you'll see!" complaints elsewhere. I am not trying to underplay what could yet occur on Monday, but at this point you're just whining, surely.

-- Ned Raggett (ned@kuci.org), January 01, 2000.

Don't call me Shirley.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 01, 2000.

That's the best that you've got Andy?

-- CJS (Andy'saloser@biteit.com), January 01, 2000.

CJ,

What do you want?

This is not over by a long shot, hasn't even started.

Stick around buddy.

Your input will no doubt be very valuable.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 01, 2000.


Hey it's just like they told us, there's no way there could be any safety risks, right? As long as the wind is blowing a little radiation can't hurt you.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), January 01, 2000.


For the brain-dead pollies.

Midnight can be viewed as stage one of the effects of y2k. Unfortunately some information may not be available from relatively closed societies such as china for weeks. Russia exists across 12 of the 24 time zones. It was good news that reactors in the first 2 time zones appear unaffected so far. Of critical impotance will be the embedded chips in their gas delivery systems. They are major suppliers to Germany etc. of fuel.

The second phase will begin next week when businesses and gov't agencies that are shut down now start up.

The third phase will play out as any effects on supply lines that will be reflected in company earnings in the 1st quarter.

The news so far is very encouraging, but it's not over by any stretch of the imagination.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 01, 2000.


Doh!

I was da one dat helped dohs guys to make sure dey were compwiant. Hmmm... dat reminds me, we did it da same way at all de udder nuculer pwants here in Amewica.

Doh! Torry bout dat. :-(

(don't tell Mr. Burns it was me)

-- Homer Simpson (eating@doughnuts.atwork), January 01, 2000.


Andy,

This is probably on another thread somewhere as I haven't read them but Japan did lose a nuke plant last night.

-- Moore dinty Moore (dac@ccrtc.com), January 01, 2000.


What happened to all the nukes in Russia...?

We hear... nada.

3 nukes shut down in the USA, not y2k-related 'natch.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 01, 2000.


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