The October issue of Nuclear Energy Insight is now available online. In it, you'll find an article on the continuing momentum toward the construction of new nuclear power plants in the United States. There also are reports on the response of utilities to Hurricane Katrina and a proposed radiation standard for the Yucca Mountain repository. Other articles discuss a U.N. study on the health effects of Chernobyl, the visit by Tennessee's governor to the Sequoyah nuclear plant, and universities researching new reactor designs.
Below is from our rapid response team . Yesterday, regional anti-nuclear organizations asked federal nuclear energy regulators to launch an investigation into what it claims are “newly identified flaws” in Westinghouse’s advanced reactor design, the AP1000. During a teleconference releasing a report on the subject, participants urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend license reviews of proposed AP1000 reactors. In its news release, even the groups making these allegations provide conflicting information on its findings. In one instance, the groups cite “dozens of corrosion holes” at reactor vessels and in another says that eight holes have been documented. In all cases, there is another containment mechanism that would provide a barrier to radiation release. Below, we examine why these claims are unwarranted and why the AP1000 design certification process should continue as designated by the NRC. Myth: In the AP1000 reactor design, the gap between the shield bu...
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