Back when the Japanese nuclear accident happened, we had a long thread discussing it. Unfortunately there were no authoritative reports providing details. Such a report was published this month by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). This is a nuclear utility organziation where they help each other operate nuclear plants safely. This is a link to a website where you can get a copy:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/72479699/1...ASTER-11-08-11
If that link doesn't work for you, I suggest you just Google "INPO report 11-005" and you will get others, some of which looked like possibly easier ways to get the 104 page report. It is a pdf file with some diagrams, possibly some pictures, and a lot of words.
Random facts from the executive summary include the fact that the highest of 7 tsnamis to hit the site was between 46 and 49 feet tall, well above the 18.7 feet design basis accident. The maximum personnel exposure was 67.8R, well below the 200-800R level where death from acute exposure is a possibility (5% chance at 200 without medical attention, near 100% at 800 even with medical attention). The accident released 17 million curies of radiation into the environment, Chernoybl released 378 million curies (so Chernobyl was more than 20 times higher).
The mortality information is not from the report, I looked that up separately. Cancer risk from relatively high radiation exposures is an issue, even when immediate health issues are not present.
My point is not that this was not a really bad or not a really bad accident (although I think it was plenty bad enough) it is just that there is a good source of detailed data available if anybody is interested. There is a detailed chronology for each of the 6 BWRs at this site and a good description of what was damaged, when, and why.
Also identified separately but all the sites are below the boiling point of water now. So they are continuing to get more and more safe. There is still a LOT of cleanup to do.
Jim
http://www.scribd.com/doc/72479699/1...ASTER-11-08-11
If that link doesn't work for you, I suggest you just Google "INPO report 11-005" and you will get others, some of which looked like possibly easier ways to get the 104 page report. It is a pdf file with some diagrams, possibly some pictures, and a lot of words.
Random facts from the executive summary include the fact that the highest of 7 tsnamis to hit the site was between 46 and 49 feet tall, well above the 18.7 feet design basis accident. The maximum personnel exposure was 67.8R, well below the 200-800R level where death from acute exposure is a possibility (5% chance at 200 without medical attention, near 100% at 800 even with medical attention). The accident released 17 million curies of radiation into the environment, Chernoybl released 378 million curies (so Chernobyl was more than 20 times higher).
The mortality information is not from the report, I looked that up separately. Cancer risk from relatively high radiation exposures is an issue, even when immediate health issues are not present.
My point is not that this was not a really bad or not a really bad accident (although I think it was plenty bad enough) it is just that there is a good source of detailed data available if anybody is interested. There is a detailed chronology for each of the 6 BWRs at this site and a good description of what was damaged, when, and why.
Also identified separately but all the sites are below the boiling point of water now. So they are continuing to get more and more safe. There is still a LOT of cleanup to do.
Jim
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