Nuclear not a solution!
Reactor affected in a nuclear power plant fire in Germany
Officials said that the fire only affected a transformer in the plant but not the reactor itself and that there was no risk of a radioactivity leak. However experts who are investigating the cause of the fire have now discovered that the reactor was in fact affected. The experts had found that one of the pumps which supply water to the reactor had shut down unexpectedly, and two safety and relief valves had opened accidentally. The result was that the water level and the pressure in the reactor fell quickly.
The reactor was shut down after Thursday's fire and it is not clear when the power plant, which came into operation in 1983 and is one of the oldest types of reactors still working in Germany, will be able to go on line again. A second nuclear power plant at nearby Brunsbüttel was also shut down last Thursday after a short-circuit.
In parallel to the information that the incident was worse than first presented, a new study released yesterday says that the worlwide nuclear "renaissance" planned by the industry to provide cheap and clean power is a myth. The report by the Oxford research Group highlights also the very high risks of nuclear proliferation.
More at www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk
See also the study "Residual Risks"
