Posted on 03/15/2011 7:55:45 PM PDT by Frantzie
The warnings were stark and issued repeatedly as far back as 1972: If the cooling systems ever failed at a “Mark 1” nuclear reactor, the primary containment vessel surrounding the reactor would probably burst as the fuel rods inside overheated. Dangerous radiation would spew into the environment.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
oh come on this was done way back in the 70s wasn’t it .... not that i’m an immelt fan (fart in his general direction)but he wasnt even barely out of college if that.
I trust almost nothing that the NYT prints (and truth be known, I think they are at a much higher scum level than GE). I am concerned that there is a movement afoot in the liberal community to "punish" the nuclear industry. The NYT is publishing articles like this to get the public in the mood to "slam" the nuclear industry.
Remember, this happened to the banking industry less than a year ago. We are still reeling by the NYT led mis-information campaign.
It’s amazing that both the Japan nuclear reactor problem and Katrina inundating New Orleans stem from the exact same design flaw.
Emergency Generators!
In Katrina’s case the huge generators needed to power the massive pumps to pump out the below sea- level city were placed near sea level, so the hurricane driven seawater overran the generators, disabling the massive pumps. The same thing happened to a New Orleans hospital as the ground level emergency generator was flooded out.
In the Japanese nuclear case, all reactors in the plant automatically shut down perfectly during the earthquake, yet the minute’s later tsunami overran the emergency generators, killing emergency electrical power needed to run coolant water into the already shut down reactors.
It’s the same simple engineering problem – emergency generators- and their fuel tanks- sited too low to the anticipated sea level.
We don’t have an unsafe nuclear technology; we have an emergency generator location problem.
Great point. I still think GE makes junk, is an incredibly liberal company that is rotten to the core (including reactor core).
I never met anyone from GE that was not an asshole.
:( We will end up bailing them out.
In fact the reactor design withstood greater than designed forces in the earthquake. It was the tsunami that caused the problems. If anyone is at fault it is the Japanese for not considering the worst case scenario where the tsunami was concerned. Not GE. The Japanese told GE what to design for.
The Japanese told GE what to design for.
That, and another -1 for Japan storing their spent fuel at the same location, using the same cooling systems. Dam.
Go even farther back, to the big NYC/Northeast blackout of decades ago.
In at least one Manhattan hospital, all “essential” hospital circuitry was connected to the emergency generators.
Sump pumps in the subbasements (located below the river level) were not considered “essential”, so the generators located in—you guessed it—the subbasements, kicked in perfectly, then quickly flooded out.
Doctors had to finish in-progress surgeries using flashlights.
It isn’t as if Emergency response plans and staff have not been available.
If coal miners can be dug out of a mine nearly a mile deep on short order, why isn’t there more wherewithal to go into the nuclear plant and bring it under control?
The big lesson to learn here, is that consolidating all emergency response in the hands of a few is not a winning solution.
+1
I once called corporate about a building they were selling. It had been sitting there forever. I called Stamford or wherever they are in CT. The guy in the real estate dept was a VP and was an incredibly nasty idiot.
They polluted all the rivers in NY state and got away with it. GE is a scum company.
“I never met anyone from GE that was not an asshole.”
You got that right. Same here. I had to work years with people from GE, and I’ll tell you I met maybe only one I’d give the time of day to. Glad I don’t have to work with those bastards anymore. Attitude. Real attitude out of those people inspired I believe by the Corporation.
Worked with people from all over the World, and many major corporations, but that damned GE sucked.
............General Electric is such a corrupt, disgusting Obama company..............................
Before you revile GE for all the Japanese problems, you’d best check who provided the design and equipments for each one of the reactors on site!
Before you tell me anything check and see who asked Uncle Sam Obama to back their worthless debt with the US Treasury to keep their phony AAA rating. GE is a scum company with TV networks that love hussein plus TV shows that bash republicans. Tell your boss immelt to shove it.
A very shrewd point.
I have had mixed contacts with GE Aircraft Engine Group (Cincinnati, OH and Lynn, MA) over the years prior to retirement. However, to dump the blame entirely on GE's shoulders is neither fair or realistic.
I once had a “close” business relationship with some GE Capital business units, including RE. Most of the people I knew were miserable.
“General Electric is such a corrupt, disgusting Obama company and propagandists. I hope they are sued for tens of billions for their corruption, SHODDY engineering and dishonesty. GE is a scum company.”
Your ignorance is breathtaking. The GE that built that reactor is not the GE of Immelt, in fact it was even before the days of Jack Welch, and Obama was just a kid.
Not only that, the reactor was built to withstand an 8.3 quake, not a 9.0 AND a devastating tsunami. The fact that it’s still standing it’s a tribute to how well it was built.
You’d look less of a fool if you informed yourself first.
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