Lessons Learned from Severe Accidents in Nuclear Reactors - With Slides
A voice over with slides from the colloquium speaker on August 27th, 2018 - Gary Johnson.
Tokaimura Criticality Accident
Tokaimura Criminality Accident Japan
Fukushima breaking news;Exhibit 1# International team, DATA GATHERED 6/2011, kevin D. blanch 1/15/14
POST IGNORANCE NOW kevin D. blanch 801-452-1908
JUNE 2011
respectively. At the sampling site about 40 km from the coast, where all three radionuclides were analyzed, the Fukushima impact on the levels of these three radionuclides represents an increase above the global fallout background by factors of about 1000, 50 and 3, respectively. The water column data indicate that the transport of Fukushima-derived radionuclides downward to the depth of 300 m has already occurred
Cesium, iodine and tritium in NW Pacific waters -- a comparison of the Fukushima impact with global fallout
P. P. Povinec1, M. Aoyama2, D. Biddulph3, R. Breier1, K. Buesseler4, C. C. Chang3,5, R. Golser6, X. L. Hou7, M. Ješkovský1, A. J. T. Jull3,5,8, J. Kaizer1, M. Nakano9, H. Nies10, L. Palcsu8, L. Papp8, M. K. Pham10, P. Steier6, and L. Y. Zhang7
1Centre for Nuclear and Accelerator Technologies (CENTA), Department of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia
2Department of Geochemistry, Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan
3NSF Arizona AMS Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
4Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA
5Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
6VERA Laboratory, Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
7Center for Nuclear Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Risø, Roskilde, Denmark
8Institute for Nuclear Research (ATOMKI), 4026 Debrecen, Hungary
9Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
10Environment Laboratories, International Atomic Energy Agency, Monte Carlo 9800, Monaco
Danger Zone Ageing US Nuclear Reactors
Following Japan's nuclear disaster last year there are fears the US may be heading for a nuclear catastrophe of its own.
People and Power Last Modified: 01 Mar 2012
In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
As tens of thousands of people were evacuated from nearby towns and villages, the world waited anxiously to see whether the radioactive fallout would spread across the country, or even be carried overseas.
Unsurprisingly, in the wake of this incident, the nuclear operations of other countries have come under considerable scrutiny.
One such country is the US where more than 100 similar reactors - some of them in earthquake zones or close to major cities - are now reaching the end of their working lives.
Their owners want to keep them running, but others - from environmentalists to mainstream politicians - are deeply concerned.
In this investigation for People & Power, Joe Rubin and Serene Fang of the Center for Investigative Reporting examine whether important safety considerations are being taken into account as the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) considers extending the licences of these plants.
The agency has recently come under fire for glossing over the potential dangers of ageing reactors, for becoming too cosy with the industry and for political infighting among the agency's senior executives, which critics in the US Senate and elsewhere say seriously hampers its ability to ensure safety.
The investigation focuses on the Pacific Gas & Electric nuclear facility at Diablo Canyon and two others, Vermont Yankee and Indian Point in New York.
These three sites represent the dangers posed to nuclear power plant safety by earthquakes, terrorism, mechanical breakdown and flooding.
Rubin and Fang discover that the NRC's oversight track record is far from perfect, and that unless urgent action is taken the US could be heading for a nuclear catastrophe of its own.
All material provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.
Nuclear power in Japan
As of November 2015, Japan has one nuclear power plant in operation.
Prior to the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, and the nuclear disasters that resulted from it, Japan had generated 30% of its electrical power from nuclear reactors and planned to increase that share to 40%. Nuclear energy was a national strategic priority in Japan, but there had been concern about the ability of Japan's nuclear plants to withstand seismic activity. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant was completely shut down for 21 months following an earthquake in 2007.
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Why Did Fukushima Explode?
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In which Hank explains nuclear power and the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan.
In short, fission products continually decaying in both active and spent fuel rods create enough heat to melt themselves. The coolant systems that would prevent this from happening were disabled by the tsunami. Cracks in the fuel rods created an environment allowing hydrogen to form, which concentrated and then exploded several times destroying both the primary and secondary containment structures at at least one reactor.
The result is that the reactor needs to remain cooled or else radiation from the meltdown will be released to the environment in significant quantities. The people working to keep the reactor from overheating are risking their lives to do so, and we all hope they will be able to stabilize the reactor without harm.
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Unit 3 - Probable nuclear criticality
When building 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi plant exploded last month, those who saw the video footage were left to wonder why it was more severe than the other explosions. Adding to the mystery were reports that the containment and reactor in building 3 were still intact. Gundersen discusses several known facts about Fukushima 3 and theorizes on a possible scenario leading to the explosion.
Radiation Leak at a Nuclear Lab in Japan
NUCLEAR REGULATOR: RADIATION LEAK AT INES LEVEL 1
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority has tentatively given a recent radiation leak at a research laboratory a Level 1 rating. The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale for accidents ranges from zero to 7.
The NRA announced the rating on Monday. It said the operator of the facility lacked a safety culture.
The leak occurred last Thursday at a laboratory of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency in Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo. At least 30 people were exposed to radiation.
The NRA said the accident caused a limited rise in radiation levels to areas outside of the facility. The authority said the released radiation would have no impact on the public.
But the NRA also said the staff operated ventilation fans that emitted radioactive substances to the outside environment. This was done after contamination was confirmed inside. The NRA concluded the operator does not have an adequate management system for radioactive substances.
The Level 1 rating on the INES scale was the same level as a sodium leak in 1995 at the prototype fast-breeder reactor Monju in Fukui Prefecture.
May 27, 2013 - Updated 09:56 UTC
INITIAL REACTION TO RADIOACTIVE LEAK IN QUESTION
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency says negligence in radiation checks caused a delay in reporting nuclear leakage at its laboratory in Tokai Village in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo.
The accident occurred around noon on Thursday, when a piece of equipment malfunctioned while researchers were bombarding gold with proton beams to generate elementary particles.
The accident created an unexpected amount of radioactive substances. At least 6 workers, aged between 22 and 45, were exposed.
The agency became aware that the facility had been contaminated with radioactive substances around 5 PM on that day, but it only carried out simple tests to measure nuclear substances on the researchers' clothes, and allowed them go home.
It was not until Friday morning that the agency offered internal radiation checks. It has found that the 6 received internal doses of up to 1.6 millisieverts.
More people are expected to be found to have been exposed. The agency is measuring the dosages of those who were at the facility at that time.
It is believed that the nuclear substances leaked out of the facility because exhaust fans were turned on twice after 3 PM on Thursday to lower the radiation dose that had increased in the experiment room.
However, the agency did not measure radiation levels around the facility, and it was not until after 5:30 PM on Friday that workers noticed that the level at the monitoring post next to the facility had risen.
As a result, the agency did not notify the Nuclear Regulation Authority or the prefectural government of the nuclear leakage until around 9:30 PM on Friday, or more than 30 hours after the accident.
The agency has apologized for the delay in reporting the accident to the central and local governments. It admitted that it failed to respond appropriately right after the accident, and says it will verify the problem in detail and study countermeasures.
May 25, 2013 - Updated 13:36 UTC
FAIR USE NOTICE: Any copyrighted (©) material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, which constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.
Nuclear News and Updates:
Japan's Nuclear Energy Company Tepco's History of Deadly Lies at Fukushima!
TEPCO'S HISTORY OF DEADLY LIES
Among the company's record of more than 200 proven falsifications of safety inspection reports are several relating to the stricken Fukushima Daiichi facility itself. In 2002, TEPCO admitted to falsifying reports about cracks that had been detected in core shrouds at reactors number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, as far back as 1993. See below for article
Nuclear Regulatory Commission daily reports (what's happening at nuclear plants near you):
Union of Concerned Scientists (watchdog over NRC):
NRC ADAMS Public Documents
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
24-Hour Center for Emergencies number 301-816-5100
Safety or security concern line 1-800-695-7403
General help or information line 1-800-397-4209
Switch Board: Toll free: 1-800-368-5642 | Local: 301-415-7000
EPA National Response Center 1-800-424-8802
How close is your home to a nuclear power plant?
The Place You Must Always Remember to Forget - Nuclear Waste the film.
People & Power - Danger Zone: Ageing Nuclear Reactors
Stop Nuclear Welfare
Jeremy Rifkin - a brighter perspective on nuclear industry (keep watching - it's in English)
Wyden at Senate Energy on rising sea level: This is a wake-up call for nuclear policy makers
Revisiting Gundersen: NRC's Nuclear Emergency Planning for the US Has NO Basis in Reality
American Nuclear Tragedy: A Little Known Nuclear Facility in Paducah, Kentucky
TEPCO'S HISTORY OF DEADLY LIES-original upload 11-2011
Among the company's record of more than 200 proven falsifications of safety inspection reports are several relating to the stricken Fukushima Daiichi facility itself. In 2002, TEPCO admitted to falsifying reports about cracks that had been detected in core shrouds at reactors number 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, as far back as 1993.
In 1999, one of Japan's worst nuclear accidents occurred at the Tokaimura uranium processing plant, 120 kilometres north of Tokyo. An uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction at the plant, operated by JCO, a subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining, killed two employees and leaked radioactivity over the countryside. Fifty-five workers were exposed to radiation and 300,000 people ordered to stay indoors, after the circumvention of safety standards caused a leak. Government officials later said safety equipment at the plant had been missing.
Three years later, TEPCO was exposed as falsifying safety data, including at the ageing Fukushima Daiichi facility. Initially, the company admitted 29 cases of falsification. Eventually, however, it admitted to 200 occasions, over more than two decades between 1977 and 2002, involving the submission of false technical data to authorities. According to the Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), TEPCO had attempted to hide cracks in reactor vessel shrouds in 13 units, including Fukushima Daiichi (6 reactors), Fukushima Daini (4 reactors), and Kashiwazaki-Kariwa (7 reactors).
TEPCO's wrongdoings were only revealed as a result of whistle-blowing by a former engineer at General Electric (GE), a company with close connections to TEPCO. GE built the plants and has been contracted by TEPCO to carry out inspection and operational matters for decades. Two years earlier, the engineer had reported the safety frauds to the relevant ministry, MITI, the forerunner of the current Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), only to have the government supply his name to TEPCO and conspire with the company to bury the information.
Hitachi, which conducted the air tightness checks for TEPCO, was also implicated in the manipulation of test results. On two occasions, the pressure readings in Fukushima's No 1 reactor were unstable, so workers were instructed to inject air into the container to make it appear that pressure was being maintained.
TEPCO's litany of deliberate violations of the most elementary safety standards, enabled by the collusion of one government after another, is a graphic demonstration of the intolerable danger posed to the world's population by the capitalist economic order itself, based as it is on the extraction of private profit at all costs.
Thank you, jrae50021 for your tireless work bringing to light facts and figures that are hidden from the public about nuclear operations & safety hazards and upkeep of the reactors themselves. The video above remixed from jrae50021 is without changes.
Criticality accident
A criticality accident is an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction. It is sometimes referred to as a critical excursion or a critical power excursion and represents the unintentional assembly of a critical mass of a given fissile material, such as enriched uranium or plutonium, in an unprotected environment. A critical or supercritical fission reaction generally only occurs inside reactor cores and occasionally within test environments; a criticality accident occurs when the same reaction is achieved unintentionally and in an unsafe environment. Though dangerous and frequently lethal to humans within the immediate area, the critical mass formed is still incapable of producing a nuclear detonation of the type seen in fission bombs, as the reaction lacks the many engineering elements that are necessary to induce explosive supercriticality. The heat released by the nuclear reaction will typically cause the fissile material to expand, so that the nuclear reaction becomes subcritical again within a few seconds.
In the history of atomic power development, 60 criticality accidents have occurred, including 22 in collections of fissile materials located in process environments outside of a nuclear reactor or critical experiments assembly. Although process accidents occurring outside of reactors are characterized by a large release of radiation, the release is localized and has caused fatal radiation exposure only to persons very near to the event, resulting in 14 fatalities. No criticality accidents have resulted in nuclear explosions.
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Article text available under CC-BY-SA
Creative Commons image source in video
JCO臨界事故 平成11年９月30 日 午前１０時３５分頃
東海村JCO臨界事故（とうかいむらジェー・シー・オーりんかいじこ）は、1999年9月30日に、茨城県那珂郡東海村に所在する住友金属鉱山の子会社の核燃料加工施設、株式会社ジェー・シー・オー（以下「JCO」）が起こした原子力事故（臨界事故）である。日本国内で初めて、事故被曝による死亡者を出した。
Tokai JCO criticality accident (Tokai-mura JCO coastal accident) is, on September 30, 1999, Ibaraki Prefecture Naka-gun, Tokai-mura whereabouts to Sumitomo Metal Mining subsidiary nuclear fuel processing facilities of the, Ltd. Jay-Sea-O (hereinafter referred to as JCO) is a undergoes a nuclear accident (criticality accident). For the first time in Japan, we were issued a death toll due to accidents exposure.
1999年9月30日、JCOの核燃料加工施設内で核燃料を加工中に、ウラン溶液が臨界状態に達し核分裂連鎖反応が発生、この状態が約20時間持続した。これにより、至近距離で中性子線を浴びた作業員3名中、2名が死亡、1名が重症となった他、667名の被曝者を出した。
国際原子力事象評価尺度（INES）でレベル4（事業所外への大きなリスクを伴わない）の事故。
September 30, 1999, during the processing of nuclear fuel in a nuclear fuel processing facility of JCO, uranium solution fission chain reaction occurs reached the critical state, this state lasted about 20 hours. Consequently, during the three workers that drew the neutron radiation at close range, two people were killed, in addition to one person became severe, I issued an exposure's 667 people. Accident of level International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) 4 (without a large risk to the business off-site).
T2K Horn 2 installation
T2K Horn 2 installation. Tokai-mura, July 10, 2009
Criticality accident
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Criticality Explained
Criticality, the problem in the fuel ponds, explain a little. Hopefully this gives some light on the subject.
FUKUSHIMA THE WORST NUCLEAR DISASTER THE WORLD HAS EVER SEEN 2013
Mysterious Nuclear Accident in Europe - Radiation Spike
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Nuclear labor issues | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:03:07 1 Uranium mining and milling
00:03:18 1.1 Canada
00:04:26 1.2 Namibia
00:06:03 1.3 Malawi
00:07:11 1.4 New Zealand and Australia
00:09:11 1.5 United States
00:11:21 2 Asian nuclear industry
00:11:31 2.1 India
00:12:54 2.2 South Korea
00:13:42 2.3 Japan
00:13:51 2.3.1 Fukushima
00:23:42 2.3.2 Tokaimura nuclear facility
00:25:15 3 European nuclear industry
00:25:26 3.1 France
00:27:25 3.2 Russia
00:27:34 3.2.1 Chernobyl (1986)
00:30:19 3.2.2 Mayak Production Association
00:32:07 3.3 United Kingdom
00:35:15 4 American nuclear industry
00:35:26 4.1 Nuclear weapons production workers
00:38:16 4.1.1 Military workers and contractors
00:40:54 4.2 Nuclear weapons production facilities
00:41:05 4.2.1 Fernald Feed Plant – Ohio, US
00:43:18 4.2.2 Hanford Nuclear Reservation – Washington, US
00:45:58 4.2.3 Idaho National Laboratory – Idaho, US
00:47:24 4.2.4 Los Alamos National Laboratories – New Mexico, US
00:48:44 4.2.5 Oak Ridge – Tennessee, US
00:49:38 4.2.6 Pantex Plant – Texas, US
00:52:03 4.2.7 Rocketdyne – California, US
00:54:38 4.2.8 Rocky Flats Plant – Colorado, US
00:56:07 4.2.9 Savannah River Plant
00:57:11 4.3 Commercial nuclear workers
00:58:01 4.3.1 Short-term workers
01:00:17 4.3.2 Divers
01:01:19 4.3.3 Radium workers
01:03:09 4.3.4 Shipyard workers
01:04:13 4.3.5 Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site
01:06:55 4.3.6 Three-mile Island (1979)
01:07:28 4.3.7 Sequoyah Fuels Corporation
01:08:22 4.3.8 West Valley Nuclear Site
01:09:45 5 Waste storage
01:09:55 5.1 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)
01:13:38 6 See also
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
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Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
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Speaking Rate: 0.7168075082464874
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-C
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Nuclear labor issues exist within the international nuclear power industry and the nuclear weapons production sector worldwide, impacting upon the lives and health of laborers, itinerant workers and their families.A subculture of frequently undocumented workers do the dirty, difficult, and potentially dangerous work shunned by regular employees. They are called in the vernacular Nuclear Nomads, Bio-Robots, Lumnizers, Glow Boys, Radium Girls, the Fukushima 50, Liquidators, Atomic Gypsies, Gamma Sponges, Nuclear Gypsies, Genpatsu Gypsies, Nuclear Samurai and Jumpers. When they exceed their allowable radiation exposure limit at a specific facility, they often migrate to a different nuclear facility. The industry implicitly accepts this conduct as it can not operate without these practices. The World Nuclear Association states that the transient workforce of nuclear gypsies - casual workers employed by subcontractors has been part of the nuclear scene for at least four decades.Existent labor laws protecting worker's health rights are not always properly enforced. Records are required to be kept, but frequently they are not. Some personnel were not properly trained resulting in their own exposure to toxic amounts of radiation. At several facilities there are ongoing failures to perform required radiological screenings or to implement corrective actions.
Many questions regarding these nuclear worker conditions go unanswered, and with the exception of a few whistleblowers, the vast majority of laborers - unseen, underpaid, overworked and exploited, have few incentives to share their stories. The median annual wage for hazardous radioactive materials removal workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is $37,590 in the U.S - $18 per hour. A 15-country collaborative cohort study of cancer risks due to exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation, involving 407,391 nuclear industry workers showed significant increase in cancer mortality. The study evaluated 31 types of cancers, primary and secondary.
2 Workers Found DEAD in Fukushima Unit 4 & Inadvertent Criticality in Reactor Unit 1
thank you to YouTube User cometodoyourwill for these most current links! Please subscribe if you have not already!
LINKS TO THE SOURCE I've just found out that the leak leaks about 2 litres per second of highly radioactive particles into the ocean. That would mean 7 tons per hour!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ THE FIRST LINK if nothing else!!!!
Summary of Latest Developments:
* Contaminated water in the duct is emitting more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour (100,000 millirems per hour)* of radiation into the surrounding environment.
* Seawater samples taken 330 m south of the plants on March 31 contained both radioactive iodine-131 at 4,385 times and cesium-137 at 527 times above the legal limits. Cesium-137 has a half life of 30 years and persists much longer than iodine (half-life = 8 days, see also list below).
* Workers made an unsuccessful attempt to plug the crack using concrete.
* A second attempt made earlier today to fix the crack using a mixture of a chemical polymer, sawdust and shredded newspaper also failed.
* TEPCO is preparing for a third attempt to plug the leak, using an absorbent gel which expands to contain water and is usually included in baby diapers and litter trays for pets.
* About 164,000 people are currently living in shelters
* At least 70,000 people have been evacuated from a 20 km exclusion zone of Fukushima NPP.
* Up to 140,000 people live inside the next 10 km zone, who have been urged to leave or stay indoors.
* The impact of the nuclear crisis is expected to go on for a long time, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said earlier today.
*Note: Single radiation dose of 2,000 millisieverts (200,000 millirems) and above causes serious illness. See also exposure list below.
Half-life of some radioactive elements
[NOTE: Half-life is the time taken for a radioactive substance to decay by half.]
* Cesium-134 ~ 2 years
* Cesium-137 ~ 30 years
* Iodine-131 ~ 8 days
* Plutonium-239 ~ 24,200 years
* Ruthenium-103 ~ 39 days [Ruthenium is a fission product of uranium-235.]
* Ruthenium-106 ~ 374 days
* Strontium-90 ~ 28.85 years [Strontium-90 is a product of nuclear fission and is found in large amounts in spent nuclear fuel and in radioactive waste from nuclear reactors.]
* Uranium-234 ~ 246,000 years
* Uranium-235 ~ 703.8 million years
* Uranium-238 ~ 4.468 billion years
gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles, neutrons, uranium, plutonium, mox fuel, spent fuel rods, cooling pools, nuclear meltdown, JapanFocus.org, kyodo news, chain reaction, chlorine-38, chlorine-37, seawater, fukushima daiichi, today, update, newest information, splitting atoms, water into pacific ocean, TEPCO, Tokyo Electric power company, GE, Earthquake, tsunami, aftershocks, fault line, fission, isotype Te-129, half life, halflife, reactor core, inadvertent criticality, chernobyl on steroids, dosimeters, roentgens, boron, daughter products, satellite image, crane camera view, update on crisis in Japan, The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, rescue, Arnie Gunderson, Fairewinds Associates, fairewinds.com, nutron bursts, neutron bursts, strange isotope, nuclear reactors, chain reaction, table of elements, decay, iodine 131, high levels, units 1 2 3 4 5 6, telerium, part of core undergoing periodic nuclear fission, extra heat, extra radiation, neutrons, difficult to measure, doses of radiation difficult to measure, portion of core periodically turning itself on, boiled seawater, aerial view of fukushima daiichi after explosion, water, crane cam
The Battle of Chernobyl is a 1.5 hour documentary that is a must see in my opinion... here is the link:
I've watched it 2 times in the last 2 days....
USA NUKE NEWS: ADULTS ONLY, NEAR-DISASTER AT FED NUKE WEAPONS LAB PART 2 OF 2
USED THEM AS HUMAN GUINEA PIGS, WATCH'N THEM DIE!! OMG
MAN PHONES & TELL EM TO SHUT IT ALL DOWN! GRAPHIC PICS!
ANYONE THAT BELIEVES NUCLEAR ISN'T DANGEROUS IS STUPID
ITS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY, ALWAYS HAS BEEN, WORKERS ARE EXPENDABLE!!
7-2-17 M2U04859
PART ONE
A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons laboratory takes a hidden toll on America’s arsenal
Repeated safety lapses hobble Los Alamos National Laboratory’s work on the cores of U.S. nuclear warheads
Officials privately say that the closure in turn undermined the nation’s ability to fabricate the cores of new nuclear weapons and obstructed key scientific examinations of existing weapons to ensure they still work. The exact cost to taxpayers of idling the facility is unclear, but an internal Los Alamos report estimated in 2013 that shutting down the lab where such work is conducted costs the government as much as $1.36 million a day in lost productivity. In fact, Los Alamos violated nuclear industry rules for guarding against a criticality accident three times more often last year than the Energy Department’s 23 other nuclear installations combined, that report said. Because of its shortcomings, federal permission has not been granted for renewed work with plutonium liquids, needed to purify plutonium taken from older warheads for reuse, normally a routine practice.
Moreover, a year-long investigation by the Center makes clear that pushing the rods too closely together in 2011 wasn’t the first time that Los Alamos workers had mishandled plutonium and risked deaths from an inadvertent burst of radiation. Between 2005 and 2016, the lab’s persistent and serious shortcomings in “criticality” safety have been criticized in more than 40 reports by government oversight agencies, teams of nuclear safety experts, and the lab’s own staff. Workplace safety, many of the reports say, has frequently taken a back seat to profit-seeking at the Los Alamos, New Mexico, lab — which is run by a group of three private firms and the University of California — as managers there chase lucrative government bonuses tied to accomplishing specific goals for producing and recycling the plutonium parts of nuclear weapons.
James McConnell, the top NNSA safety official, said in an interview that “safety is an inherent part of everything we do.” But at a public hearing in Santa Fe on June 7, McConnell was also candid about Los Alamos’s failure to meet federal standards. “They’re not where we need them yet,” he said of the lab and its managers. Gregory Wolf of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), which oversees and pays for the country’s nuclear weapons work. Los Alamos spokesman Kevin Roark said in an email the lab chose to defer to NNSA for its response. But the lab’s director over the past seven years, nuclear physicist Charles McMillan, said in a 2015 promotional video that while “we’ve got to do our mission” — which he said was vital to the nation’s security as well as the world’s stability — “the only way we can do that is by doing it safely.” Production of these cores is a key part of the country’s effort to modernize its nuclear arsenal at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars, which President Obama supported and President Trump has said he wants to “greatly strengthen and expand.” Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2017 and 2018 budgets would boost U.S. spending on such work by $1.4 billion, representing a slightly higher percentage increase (11%) than requested overall for the Defense Department.
But mostly because of the Los Alamos lab’s safety deficiencies, it hasn’t produced a usable new warhead core in at least six years. Congress mandated in the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act that Los Alamos must be capable of manufacturing up to 20 war-ready cores a year by 2025, 30 the next year and 80 by 2027. Wolf said the agency remains committed to meeting this goal, but other government officials say the dramatic slowdown at PF-4 has put fulfillment of that timetable in doubt.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Cherenkov radiation, BLUE GLOW, neutrons, PF-4, nuclear weapons, Los Alamos New Mexico, NNSA,
Hisashi Ouchi, Masato Shinohara,
Tokaimura Criticality Accident