Swedish Politicians Question Safety of Its Nuclear Reactors

[jpak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/world/europe/04cnd-sweden.html?_r=1&ref=europe&oref=slogin

STOCKHOLM, Aug.4 — An incident last week that led to the shutdown of 4 of Sweden’s 10 nuclear reactors has thrust the issue of atomic power back onto the national agenda, with leading politicians calling for a broad investigation into the safety of the country’s nuclear industry.

Opinions vary on the seriousness of the incident at the Forsmark 1 reactor, about 200 kilometers north of Stockholm, where two backup generators malfunctioned during a power failure on July 25. Some experts have likened the incident to the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island nuclear accidents, while industry officials have scoffed at such comparisons.

But as nuclear authorities shut down reactors and held emergency talks this week, concern has risen among the population, reigniting debate over Sweden’s heavy dependence on nuclear power.

Some 25 years ago, debate on the issue was fierce, when tens of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets, singing antinuclear songs and carrying bright yellow banners with slogans like “Yes to the Future, No to Nuclear Power.”

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[Odin2005]

1. I bet Big Coal is just itching to start building coal plants to replace...

...the nulcear plants and are making Thank You cards to send to the nucleophobes.