List of civilian nuclear incidents
This is a list of civilian nuclear incidents which are notable, but do not fit the criteria for inclusion in List of civilian nuclear accidents. Military accidents are listed at List of military nuclear accidents. Civil radiation accidents not involving fissile material are listed at List of civilian radiation accidents. For a general discussion of both civilian and military accidents, see Nuclear and radiation accidents.
Scope of this article
In listing civilian nuclear incidents, the following criteria have been followed:
- The event should involve fissile material or a reactor.
- The incident must be related directly to radioactive material, not merely (for example) at a nuclear power plant.
- To qualify as "civilian", the nuclear operation/material must be principally for non-military purposes.
- The event must not qualify for the List of civilian nuclear accidents
1960s
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- An operator error caused overheating and melting of some fuel in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-1 facility at the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho. There was no radiation release or exposure.[1]
1970s
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- The SNAP 27 radioisotope thermoelectric generator aboard the Lunar Module Aquarius reentered the Earth's atmosphere. The LM had been used as a "lifeboat" to help the Apollo 13 crew return to Earth after the Command Module lost electrical power. The vehicle was targeted for the Pacific Ocean to reduce the risk of contamination in the event the RTG broke up, but it is believed to have survived reentry and water impact intact. Periodic radiation checks of the area have found no signs of leakage.
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- A fire caused by careless technicians cut off many control circuits for two nuclear power reactors of the Tennessee Valley Authority at Browns Ferry Station in Alabama. The fire burned uncontrolled for 7.5 hours and the two operating GE nuclear reactors were at full power when the fire began. One of them went "dangerously out of control" for several hours and was not stabilized until a few hours after the fire was put out.[2] There was some concern about a meltdown, but this did not occur and there was no radioactive contamination.[3]
- March 1977 — Toledo, OH, United States
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- An electromagnetic relief valve stuck open following a reactor scram at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Toledo, OH. The valve was noticed by operators, and the reactor, manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox, was only slightly damaged.[3]
1990s
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2000s
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- UK Authorities blamed an incident at a Scottish nuclear plant on "procedural and hardware deficiencies". Fuel rods falling to the floor were deemed responsible for the incident.[4]
- September and October, 2005 — Dounreay, UK
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- In September, the site's cementation plant was closed when 266 litres of radioactive reprocessing residues were spilled inside containment.[5] In October, another of the site's reprocessing laboratories was closed down after nose-blow tests of eight workers tested positive for trace radioactivity.[6]
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- Mains power lost to reactor 1 after an electrical fault. Two of four diesel generators fail, problems related to computer systems[7] (e.g. readings of core water levels) due to earlier electrical fault SCRAMed.
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- Emergency response system ECURIE (European Community Urgent Radiological Information Exchange) received an alert message following a loss of coolant accident at the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant.[8]
2010s
- March 11–13, 2011 – INES Level needed, Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant, Japan – Turbine damage, possible radioactivity emergency
- After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami of March 11, a fire from the turbine section of the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant following the earthquake was reported by Kyodo News.[9][10][11] The blaze was in a building housing the turbine, which is sited separately from the plant's reactor,[12] and was soon extinguished.[13]
- On 13 March the lowest-level state of emergency was declared regarding the Onagawa plant by TEPCO, as radioactivity readings temporarily[14][15] exceeded allowed levels in the area of the plant.[16][17] TEPCO stated this was due to radiation from the Fukushima I nuclear accidents and not from the Onagawa plant itself.[18] Events are still developing.
- March 11–13, 2011 – INES Level needed, Tōkai Nuclear Power Plant, Japan – Reactor cooling pump damage
- Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami the number 2 reactor was one of eleven nuclear reactors to be shut down automatically.[19] It was reported on 14 March that a cooling system pump for the number 2 reactor had stopped working.[20] Japan Atomic Power Company stated that there was a second operational pump and cooling was working, but that two of three diesel generators used to power the cooling system were out of order.[21] Events are still developing.
See also
External links
References
- ^ "Three Mile Island (The Hour-By-Hour Account of What Really Happened)", by Mark Stephens, First Edition, page 75.
- ^ Vivian Weil, (1983). "The Browns Ferry Case" in Engineering Professionalism and Ethics, edited by James H. Schaub and Karl Pavlovic, and published by John Wiley & Sons.
- ^ a b "Three Mile Island (The Hour-By-Hour Account of What Really Happened)", by Mark Stephens, First Edition, page 76.
- ^ Safety flaws caused nuclear accident
- ^ Dounreay hit by radioactive spill
- ^ Fresh safety alert at Dounreay
- ^ Investigation into ”serious” fault at power station
- ^ [http://www.monicafrassoni.it/data/File/080605MycleBriefingKrsko.pdf Briefing on Incident at Krsko Nuclear Power Plant on 4 June 2008
- ^ "Japan initiates emergency protocol after earthquake". Nuclear Engineering International. 11 March 2011. http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=132&storyCode=2059127. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ "Fire starts at Japanese nuclear plant, IAEA scrambles for info". Kyodo News. March 11, 2011. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2011/03/76665.html.
- ^ Mogi, Chikako (11 March 2011). "Fire at Tohoku Elec Onagawa nuclear plant -Kyodo". reuters.com. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/quake-japan-nuclear-idUSLHE7E801E20110311. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ McCurry, Justin (11 March 2011). "Japan Declares 'Nuclear Emergency' after Quake". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/11/japan-declares-nuclear-emergency-quake. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
- ^ "Fire at nuclear power plant extinguished". The Australian. 12 March 2011. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/fire-at-nuclear-power-plant-others-shut-down/story-fn84naht-1226020092352. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "IAEA update on Japan Earthquake". iaea.org. 2011. http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ "Japan Earthquake Update". IAEA (Alert Log). 13 March 2011. http://www.iaea.org/press/?p=1173.
- ^ "IAEA update on Japan Earthquake". iaea.org. 13 March 2011<!- – 13:35 CET-->. http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html. Retrieved 13 March 2011. "Japanese authorities have also informed the IAEA that the first (i.e., lowest) state of emergency at the Onagawa nuclear power plant has been reported by Tohoku Electric Power Company. The authorities have informed the IAEA that the three reactor units at the Onagawa nuclear power plant are under control. As defined in Article 10 of Japan's Act on Special Measures Concerning Nuclear Emergency Preparedness, the alert was declared as a consequence of radioactivity readings exceeding allowed levels in the area surrounding the plant. Japanese authorities are investigating the source of radiation."
- ^ Chico Harlan, Steven Mufson: Japanese nuclear plants' operator scrambles to avert meltdowns. The Washington Post, 11 March 2011
- ^ "Sea water injected into troubled Fukushima power plant | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online". mb.com.ph. 2011 [last update]. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/309172/sea-water-injected-troubled-fukushima-power-plant. Retrieved 13 March 2011. "Meanwhile, radiation monitored at the Onagawa nuclear power plant in Miyagi Prefecture on the Pacific coast shot up on Sunday, Tohoku Electric Power Co. said, adding that it was likely caused by radioactive substances let out at the troubled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture."
- ^ "Japan earthquake: Evacuations ordered as fears grow of radiation leak at nuclear plant; News.com.au". news.com.au. 12 March 2011. http://www.news.com.au/world/japan-earthquake-evacuations-ordered-as-fears-grow-of-radiation-leak-at-nuclear-plant/story-e6frfkyi-1226020473244. Retrieved 13 March 2011. "According to the industry ministry, a total of 11 nuclear reactors automatically shut down at the Onagawa plant, the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants and the Tokai No. 2 plant after the strongest recorded earthquake in the country's history"
- ^ "Cooling system pump stops at Tokai No.2 plant-Kyodo; Energy & Oil; Reuters". af.reuters.com. 13 March 2011. http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFTKG00708120110313. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
- ^ Takenaka, Kiyoshi (13 March 2011). "Tokai No.2 nuke plant cooling process working – operator | Reuters". uk.reuters.com. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/03/13/uk-japan-quake-tokai-idUKTRE72C2RL20110313. Retrieved 13 March 2011. "Japan Atomic Power said Monday that the cooling process was working at its Tokai No.2 nuclear power plant's reactor although two of the three diesel power generators used for cooling were out of order."