Two damaged reactors may have holes in their containment vessels: TEPCO data

From the Mainichi Daily News:

At least two reactors at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant may have holes in their containment vessels, according to a report released by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) on May 24, a finding that could hamper efforts to meet a government-sanctioned timetable to end the crisis.

TEPCO, the operator of the troubled nuclear power plant, said in the report that meltdowns had occurred at the No. 1, 2 and 3 reactors. The report revealed for the first time the possibility of the No. 1 and 2 reactors having a hole about 7 centimeters in diameter and multiple holes about 10 centimeters in diameter in their respective containment vessels.

TEPCO said the damage caused by meltdowns to the pressure vessels of the No. 2 and 3 reactors was "limited." But experts had questioned the status of their pressure vessels as well as their containment vessels because highly contaminated radioactive water was leaked into their turbine buildings. Therefore, it has become increasingly unclear whether the utility and the government can deliver on the roadmap that seeks to bring the nuclear power plant under control within six to nine months.

Read more

Risk From Spent Nuclear Reactor Fuel Is Greater in U.S. Than in Japan, Study Says

From the New York Times:

The threat of a catastrophic release of radioactive materials from a spent fuel pool at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant is dwarfed by the risk posed by such pools in the United States, which are typically filled with far more radioactive material, according to a study released on Tuesday by a nonprofit institute. The report, from the Institute for Policy Studies, recommends that the United States transfer most of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel from pools filled with cooling water to dry sealed steel casks to limit the risk of an accident resulting from an earthquake, terrorism or other event. “The largest concentrations of radioactivity on the planet will remain in storage at U.S. reactor sites for the indefinite future,” the report’s author, Robert Alvarez, a senior scholar at the institute, wrote. “In protecting America from nuclear catastrophe, safely securing the spent fuel by eliminating highly radioactive, crowded pools should be a public safety priority of the highest degree.”

Read more

Swiss officials: Let's close all our nuclear plants

From MSNBC:

The Swiss Cabinet on Wednesday called for the decommissioning of the country's five nuclear power reactors and new energy sources to replace them. The recommendation by the seven-member Federal Council will be debated in parliament, which is expected to make a final decision next month. If approved, the reactors would go offline between 2019 and 2034 after they reach their average lifespan of 50 years, unless their use could be safely extended for a few more years. Switzerland has four nuclear power plants with a total of five reactors. The country will keep the reactors running as long as they are safe, but gradually hopes to turn to entirely non-nuclear sources of power, Energy Minister Doris Leuthard and other Swiss energy officials said.

Read more

Susquehanna: Rausch's request for additional information

SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 - REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RE: 2011 DECOMMISSIONING FUNDING STATUS REPORT (TAC NOS. ME5542 AND ME5543)

Download ML11138A034

Susquehanna: Kammeier's request for additional information

Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2 – Request for Additional Information Re: 2011 Decommissioning Funding Status Report (TAC Nos. ME5542 and ME5543) Download ML11138A036

TMI: Inspection Report

THREE MILE ISLAND STATION, UNIT 1 - NRC TEMPORARY INSTRUCTION 2515t 183 INSPECTION REPORT 05000289/201 1 009

Download Report

Peach Bottom: Relief Request I4R

Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3 - Request for Additional Information Regarding Relief Request I4R-52 Concerning Alternatives to Reactor Vessel Weld Examinations Adams Accession No. ML111390152