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Protecting nuclear plants from nature’s worst
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/protecting-nuclear-plants-from-natures-worst/2012/10/31/5af389ac-2374-11e2-8448-81b1ce7d6978_story.html
Protecting nuclear plants from nature’s worst
By Phillip Lipscy, Kenji Kushida and Trevor Incerti, Published: October 31 | Updated: Thursday, November 1, 5:00 AM
Phillip Lipscy is an assistant professor of political science and a fellow at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. Kenji Kushida is a research associate in Japanese studies at the Shorenstein Center, where Trevor Incerti is a researcher.
As superstorm Sandy bore down on the East Coast, three nuclear power plants were shut down and an alert was issued for the Oyster Creek plant in New Jersey. This is an important reminder that the United States has several low-lying nuclear plants on the Eastern seaboard, with minimal protection against inundation. Particularly with climate change increasing the likelihood of extreme weather, this hidden threat to public safety should be remedied.
The disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant on March 11, 2011, revealed how much damage a tsunami can inflict on a nuclear power facility. To assess the vulnerability of such plants around the world, we collected information on plant height, sea wall height and the location of emergency power generators for 89 nuclear plants that lie next to water. We compared this to historical information on high waves triggered by various sources such as earthquakes, landslides and hurricanes.
Our findings were striking.
<snip>
This uncertainty means we should do much more to protect U.S. nuclear power plants against potential threats. The Fukushima task force recommendations, which said that operators should reevaluate their preparations, are a good starting point but do not go far enough. More sea walls should be constructed, and existing walls should be raised to minimize the danger of inundation. Back-up power generators should be located well above sea level and within watertight structures. Waterproofing should be inspected regularly and aggressively. Risk assessments should be conducted by independent observers. With so many nuclear plants perilously close to major population centers, reasonable precautions should not await the next disaster.
Protecting nuclear plants from nature’s worst
By Phillip Lipscy, Kenji Kushida and Trevor Incerti, Published: October 31 | Updated: Thursday, November 1, 5:00 AM
Phillip Lipscy is an assistant professor of political science and a fellow at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. Kenji Kushida is a research associate in Japanese studies at the Shorenstein Center, where Trevor Incerti is a researcher.
As superstorm Sandy bore down on the East Coast, three nuclear power plants were shut down and an alert was issued for the Oyster Creek plant in New Jersey. This is an important reminder that the United States has several low-lying nuclear plants on the Eastern seaboard, with minimal protection against inundation. Particularly with climate change increasing the likelihood of extreme weather, this hidden threat to public safety should be remedied.
The disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant on March 11, 2011, revealed how much damage a tsunami can inflict on a nuclear power facility. To assess the vulnerability of such plants around the world, we collected information on plant height, sea wall height and the location of emergency power generators for 89 nuclear plants that lie next to water. We compared this to historical information on high waves triggered by various sources such as earthquakes, landslides and hurricanes.
Our findings were striking.
<snip>
This uncertainty means we should do much more to protect U.S. nuclear power plants against potential threats. The Fukushima task force recommendations, which said that operators should reevaluate their preparations, are a good starting point but do not go far enough. More sea walls should be constructed, and existing walls should be raised to minimize the danger of inundation. Back-up power generators should be located well above sea level and within watertight structures. Waterproofing should be inspected regularly and aggressively. Risk assessments should be conducted by independent observers. With so many nuclear plants perilously close to major population centers, reasonable precautions should not await the next disaster.
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