Nuclear Physicist on Fukushima: I’m most concerned about a chain reaction happening – Rain leaking in from cracks after a new quake could act as a moderator, and a nuclear reactor will start again (VIDEO)

     

    Interview with Nils Bøhmer, Bellona.org
    Source: TRU News

    Nuclear Physicist Nils Bøhmer: Should there be a new earthquake in the region, you could have a dramatic situation once again. You could have new cracks, water entering into reactor core, you could maybe have a nuclear chain reaction starting in the fuel, which means you could have a lot of radioactivity released again

    [...]

    I’m most concerned that a nuclear chain reaction could start in the fuel if you have a lot of water in there because that will be very difficult to control and that will have a lot of heat there that you don’t have control over

    [...]

    If there is a new earthquake, there is leakages, the rain, a lot of rain, that water will get in contact with the fuel and act as a moderator and you will have a nuclear reactor starting again without any control mechanism, and that will be very, very [inaudible] [...]

    So that is the main thing now, to keep the water out, to keep the cooling running, and build the buildings around the reactors [...]

     

    Listen to the report here

     
    Published: September 1st, 2012 at 11:38 pm ET
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