- FMA
- The Fabricator
- FABTECH
- Canadian Metalworking
Categories
- Additive Manufacturing
- Aluminum Welding
- Arc Welding
- Assembly and Joining
- Automation and Robotics
- Bending and Forming
- Consumables
- Cutting and Weld Prep
- Electric Vehicles
- En Español
- Finishing
- Hydroforming
- Laser Cutting
- Laser Welding
- Machining
- Manufacturing Software
- Materials Handling
- Metals/Materials
- Oxyfuel Cutting
- Plasma Cutting
- Power Tools
- Punching and Other Holemaking
- Roll Forming
- Safety
- Sawing
- Shearing
- Shop Management
- Testing and Measuring
- Tube and Pipe Fabrication
- Tube and Pipe Production
- Waterjet Cutting
Industry Directory
Webcasts
Podcasts
FAB 40
Advertise
Subscribe
Account Login
Search
Not just Japan's problem
- By Vicki Bell
- March 16, 2011
The plant loomed large on the horizon, and I never passed it without glancing over and marveling at how eerie it appeared to me—like something from another world.
I no longer live/drive near the plant, but I’m reminded of the days when I did—and the controversy— as I watch the horrific events unfolding in Japan.
Hollywood disaster movies pale in comparison to the real-life destruction and continuing drama Japan is experiencing. When we watch movies, we often are required to suspend our disbelief—to imagine that the unbelievable can occur. What's happening in Japan may be beyond belief, but it's very real, and we need to remember that the worst disasters imaginable can and do happen and try to plan accordingly.
What are the odds of similar disasters happening in the U.S.? Should you be worried about meltdowns and leaks if an earthquake damages any of the 104 atomic power plants located here?
As noted in an article published today on msnbc.com, "the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has calculated the odds of an earthquake causing catastrophic failure to a nuclear plant here. Each year, at the typical nuclear reactor in the U.S., there's a 1 in 74,176 chance that the core could be damaged by an earthquake, exposing the public to radiation. No tsunami required. That's 10 times more likely than you winning $10,000 by buying a ticket in the Powerball multistate lottery, where the chance is 1 in 723,145.
"And it turns out that the nuclear reactor in the United States with the highest risk of core damage from a quake is not the Diablo Canyon Power Plant, with its twin reactors tucked between the California coastline and the San Andreas Fault.
"It's not the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, a four-hour drive down the Pacific coast at San Clemente, surrounded by fault lines on land and under the ocean.
"It's not on the Pacific Coast at all. It's on the Hudson River."
The article goes on to list the 10 nuclear power plants with the highest risk of suffering core damage from an earthquake. It also notes that the NRC, the federal agency responsible for nuclear power safety, says the odds are in the public’s favor.
I suppose that's comforting, if you're a betting man or woman. Wonder what the odds were in Japan?
Published today on wnyc.org is an article that addresses questions being raised about U.S. plants that have the same design as the damaged plant in Fukushima. According to the article, 23 of the nation’s plants are General Electric boiling water reactors—the same design as the one in Fukushima. And it appears there is plenty of controversy about whether the design is deficient.
The nuclear issue is a hot topic and will continue to be, as it has been for decades—at least for some. For the past 30 years, Concepcion Picciotto, 65, has kept vigil outside the White House speaking out against nuclear weapons. I saw Picciotto there on my trip to Washington D.C. in February. Among her signs was one about Chernobyl, the site of the world’s worst-ever nuclear accident.
The article "Chernobyl 25 Years Later Becomes Japan's Lesson on Meltdown," published on bloomberg.com, describes the Chernobyl incident and compares it to what's happening today in Fukushima. "The Chernobyl reactor was not so protected as the Japanese reactors are; it did not have the metal protection," said Volodymyr Omelchenko, an energy analyst at the Razumkov Center for Political and Economical Studies in Kiev. "Also, the explosion was much stronger at Chernobyl than at Fukushima, the system of protection as well as system of cooling were worse at Chernobyl."
According to Omelchenko, the incident at Fukushima is more a reminder of the accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, which stemmed from an electrical or mechanical failure. No earthquake required.
Reading the latest headlines, I’m wondering if Omelchenko will change his mind in the coming days. I hope he doesn't have to. And I hope the engineers who design nuclear reactors are working to understand the potential problems and rectify them everywhere. The last thing I ever want to read in my lifetime is another report comparing nuclear disasters.
Follow fabcomlady on Twitter.
Become a fan of The Fabricator® on Facebook.
subscribe now
The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently. The Fabricator has served the industry since 1970.
start your free subscriptionAbout the Author
Vicki Bell
2135 Point Blvd
Elgin, IL 60123
815-227-8209
- Stay connected from anywhere
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Welder.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Tube and Pipe Journal.
Easily access valuable industry resources now with full access to the digital edition of The Fabricator en Español.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 03/05/2024
- Running Time:
- 65:35
After Ludlow Manufacturing Inc. (LMI) received The Fabricator's 2024 Industry Award, Todd Ludlow, founder and president of the...
- Trending Articles
Volatility in steel prices likely to continue
Tube laser positions fabricator for future growth
Fighting the fear of new technology in the manufacturing shop
Precision Cut Industries appoints president
Norton RazorStar abrasive discs designed to improve grinding performance
- Industry Events
NASCC: The Steel Conference
- March 20 - 22, 2024
- San Antonio,
The Fabricator's Manufacturers & Suppliers Event (MSE)
- March 26, 2024
- Schaumburg, IL
Coil Processing Workshop & Tours
- April 2 - 3, 2024
- Corpus Christi, TX
GOLF4MFG South
- April 15, 2024
- Charlotte, NC
16th Annual Safety Conference
- April 30 - May 1, 2024
- Elgin,