IEER Reports: Nuclear Power Deception

IEER

Nuclear Reactor Accidents

(From the IEER report: "The Nuclear Power Deception")

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Table 7: Some Reactor Accidents

Reactor type Location Accident type Year Iodine-131 release, curies Comments

Graphite-moderated, gas-cooled Sellafield, Britain graphite fire 1957 20,000

Graphite-moderated, water cooled Chernobyl, Ukraine supercriticality, steam explosion and graphite fire 1986 7 million, perhaps far greater (see text) Safety experiment went awry; total release 50 to 80 million curies or more; potential for continuing large releases exists

Sodium-cooled fast breeder Lagoona Beach (near Detroit) U.S. cooling system block, partial meltdown 1966 release confined to the secondary containment reactor was being tested for full power, but did not reach it; four minutes from indication of negative reactivity to meltdown

Sodium-cooled fast breeder Monju, Japan major secondary sodium leak 1995 secondary sodium was not radioactive; reactor was in test phase; extensive sodium contamination in plant

Light water reactor, PWR type Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg, U.S. cooling system failure, partial meltdown 1979 13 to 17 secondary containment prevented release of millions of curies of I-131; accident developed over several hours

Light water reactor, BWR near Idaho Falls, U.S. accidental supercriticality followed by explosion and destruction of the reactor 1961 80 small U.S. Army experimental reactor using HEU fuel; 3 operators were killed

Heavy water cooled and moderated reactor Chalk River, Canada lack of coolant for a fuel element 1958 radioactivity apparently contained within building Highest worker dose 19 rem

Heavy water moderated, light water cooled, experimental reactor Chalk River, Canada inadvertent supercriticality and partial meltdown 1952 "There was some release of radioactivity" President Jimmy Carter helped in the clean-up

Heavy water moderated and cooled, CANDU type Narora, Rajasthan, India turbine fire; emergency core cooling system operated to prevent meltdown system 1993 apparently no release of radioactivity

Table 7: Some Reactor Accidents
Reactor type	Location	Accident type	Year	Iodine-131 release, curies	Comments
Graphite-moderated, gas-cooled	Sellafield, Britain	graphite fire	1957	20,000
Graphite-moderated, water cooled	Chernobyl, Ukraine	supercriticality, steam explosion and graphite fire	1986	7 million, perhaps far greater (see text)	Safety experiment went awry; total release 50 to 80 million curies or more; potential for continuing large releases exists
Sodium-cooled fast breeder	Lagoona Beach (near Detroit) U.S.	cooling system block, partial meltdown	1966	release confined to the secondary containment	reactor was being tested for full power, but did not reach it; four minutes from indication of negative reactivity to meltdown
Sodium-cooled fast breeder	Monju, Japan	major secondary sodium leak	1995		secondary sodium was not radioactive; reactor was in test phase; extensive sodium contamination in plant
Light water reactor, PWR type	Three Mile Island, near Harrisburg, U.S.	cooling system failure, partial meltdown	1979	13 to 17	secondary containment prevented release of millions of curies of I-131; accident developed over several hours
Light water reactor, BWR	near Idaho Falls, U.S.	accidental supercriticality followed by explosion and destruction of the reactor	1961	80	small U.S. Army experimental reactor using HEU fuel; 3 operators were killed
Heavy water cooled and moderated reactor	Chalk River, Canada	lack of coolant for a fuel element	1958	radioactivity apparently contained within building	Highest worker dose 19 rem
Heavy water moderated, light water cooled, experimental reactor	Chalk River, Canada	inadvertent supercriticality and partial meltdown	1952	"There was some release of radioactivity"	President Jimmy Carter helped in the clean-up
Heavy water moderated and cooled, CANDU type	Narora, Rajasthan, India	turbine fire; emergency core cooling system operated to prevent meltdown system	1993	apparently no release of radioactivity

Sources: Chernobyl: NRC 1987 and Medvedev 1990; Sellafield: Makhijani et al. eds. 1995, Chapter 8; Three Mile Island: TMI Commission 1979 ; Lagoona Beach (Fermi-I) Alexanderson, ed. 1979 and Fuller 1975; Idaho: Horan and Gammill 1963 and Brynes et al. 1961; Monju: press reports; Chalk River: John May 1989 and Weinberg 1994; Narora, press reports. Full references are available here.

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Nuclear Reactor Accidents

Table 7: Some Reactor Accidents

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Comments to Outreach Coordinator Takoma Park, Maryland, USA

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research
Comments to Outreach Coordinator
Takoma Park, Maryland, USA