In Stricken Fuel-Cooling Pools, a Danger for the Longer Term

[Wilms]

Good article. Worth the read.

In Stricken Fuel-Cooling Pools, a Danger for the Longer Term

By WILLIAM J. BROAD and HIROKO TABUCHI

Published: March 14, 2011

snip

The good news is that the Japanese have a relatively long time to deal with the problem. Nuclear experts estimate the timeline for serious problems that could lead to a reactor meltdown as minutes to hours, and put the comparable time for cooling pools at days to weeks.

snip

Were the spent fuel rods in the pools to catch fire, nuclear experts say, the high heat would loft the radiation in clouds that would spread the radioactivity.

snip

A 1997 study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island described a worst-case disaster from uncovered spent fuel in a reactor cooling pool. It estimated 100 quick deaths would occur within a range of 500 miles and 138,000 eventual deaths.

The study also found that land over 2,170 miles would be contaminated and damages would hit $546 billion.

snip

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/asia/15fuel.html

[defendandprotect]

1. In Japan and in the US -- something we continue to ignore --

[jpak]

2. Brookhaven National Laboratory knows no science - they are twits

they cannot add

they cannot subtract

they cannot multiply

or divide

science illiterates

yup

:D