World News Insights
1-3 Minute Gist
Search, personalize, or simply browse. Follow the world around you from gist and context to insights.
Who we are | Our Credo | Ways of using Lyrarc | FAQ | Send Feedback | First Letter From the Editor
Sign up. It's free and easy to use
Create an account
to personalize your feed of articles and topics.
All Topics Article
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Keywords:
The Nuclear Safety Commission of Japan, one of two safety regulators in Japan, met in October 2010. At that meeting a presentation by Takanori Tanaka, head of the government supported Nuclear Power Engineering Center, advocated new technologies that would reduce risk in the event of earthquakes and tsunamis. The presentation focussed on new plants and did not go into retrofitting old plants with new backup solutions for cooling in the event of electrical failure. A recent article by Hitachi researchers brought up the idea of isolation condensers which could provide temporary power supplies in the event of electrical failure. One such device was on No. 1 reactor at Fukushima (built in 1971), and worked after the quake but later failed. The views of nuclear engineers at Hitachi discussed here show that cost remains a constraint in the design of nuclear reactor cooling systems, and redundancy with several layers of diverse backup systems for cooling are not being pushed by companies building the reactors. See the group articles for G.E.'s Mark 1 system which show cost and easier to build were factors behind the smaller containment systems favored for that design. Fukushima plant uses the Mark 1 reactors. Without independent safety regulation that does not rely on the companies for analysis and solutions, regulation risks becoming too dependent on companies for coming up with the strong safety precautions that are absolutely essential. These safety precautions can succumb to cost pressures.
Safety record and maintenance practices at the Fukushima nuclear plant
06/11/2010
A Wall Street Journal analysis of the safety record of this plant with a 1970's design nuclear reactors. The safety record is worse than other plants in Japan, the analysis shows. Experts say the maintenance practices at the plant contributed to the meltdown of the nuclear reactors, as the spent fuel was removed from the nuclear vessel during maintenance. In the U.S. the spent fuel is kept inside the reactor vessel for maintenance, to give extra protection. See practices for storing spent fuel rods of China and Germany, which differ from Japan and US practice.
Grouped Articles
The Oil Disaster Is About Human, Not System, Failure
Wall Street Journal 06/11/2010
Japan Plant Had Troubled History
Wall Street Journal 03/21/2011
Officials Expect 'Ups and Downs' in Reactor Fight
Wall Street Journal 03/21/2011
Fukushima Plant Warnings Went Unheeded
New York Times 03/21/2011
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2011
Nuclear Plants Fail to Report Defects, Report Says
Wall Street Journal 03/24/2011
Failure of redundant safety systems at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan
03/14/2011
Questions this raises for future designs of nuclear plants and for the safety of nuclear plants in other countries.
Grouped Articles
Nuclear Industry Likely to Reassess Safety Systems
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2011
U.S. Calls Radiation âExtremely Highâ and Urges Deeper Caution in Japan
New York Times 03/16/2011
Design of G.E.'s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors Shows Weaknesses
New York Times 03/15/2011
Spent Fuel Rods at Plant Pose Big Risk
Wall Street Journal 03/17/2011
Deconstructing the Japanese Nuclear Plant Design
New York Times 03/19/2011
Lessons From Chernobyl for Japan
New York Times 03/19/2011
The nuclear power industry in Asia in the wake of the Japanese disaster
03/14/2011
Grouped Articles
India Starts Nuclear Reactor After Lengthy Delays
Wall Street Journal 10/23/2013
Japan’s move to restart a nuclear reactor is a good decision - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/20/2015
Nuclear Industry Likely to Reassess Safety Systems
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2011
Emerging Economies Move Ahead With Nuclear Plans
New York Times 03/14/2011
Design of G.E.'s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors Shows Weaknesses
New York Times 03/15/2011
Dozens of Reactors in Quake Zones
Wall Street Journal 03/19/2011
The nuclear power industry in India in the wake of the disaster in Japan
07/20/2010
Grouped Articles
Japan Seeks Deal to Sell Reactors to India
Wall Street Journal 05/29/2013
India Starts Nuclear Reactor After Lengthy Delays
Wall Street Journal 10/23/2013
India Nuclear Power Corp Implementing 36 Projects
Wall Street Journal 07/20/2010
Economist 12/17/2015
What They Said: Nuclear Lessons India Can Learn From Japan
Wall Street Journal 03/19/2011
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2011
The nuclear power industry in Europe in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami disaster in Japan
03/13/2011
Grouped Articles
Japan's Nuclear Crisis Stokes Fear in Europe
New York Times 03/13/2011
Nuclear Industry Likely to Reassess Safety Systems
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2011
French Firms Face New Fears Over Reactors
Wall Street Journal 03/15/2011
Atomic Plan Stirs German Elections
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2011
Design of G.E.'s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors Shows Weaknesses
New York Times 03/15/2011
Dozens of Reactors in Quake Zones
Wall Street Journal 03/19/2011
Cost-safety tradeoffs in the nuclear power industry and the need for independent oversight- the example of Japan
03/23/2011
Grouped Articles
Japan’s move to restart a nuclear reactor is a good decision - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/20/2015
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2011
Nuclear regulatory systems in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan
03/15/2011
Questions about the effectiveness of nuclear plant regulation in preventing accidents from different causes. Concern about nuclear safety systems and the design of nuclear plants.
Grouped Articles
Crisis Revives Doubts on Regulation
Wall Street Journal 03/15/2011
How Nuclear Reactors Work ... And the Dangers When They Don't
Wall Street Journal 03/15/2011
Design of G.E.'s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors Shows Weaknesses
New York Times 03/15/2011
Lessons From Chernobyl for Japan
New York Times 03/19/2011
Bid to 'Protect Assets' Slowed Reactor Fight
Wall Street Journal 03/19/2011
Russian Officials Enlist Mussels to Track Radiation
Wall Street Journal 03/18/2011
The U.S. Nuclear Power Industry in the wake of the Japanese disaster
03/13/2011
The partial meltdowns at some Japanese nuclear plants after the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011 has raised new questions about safety.
Grouped Articles
Nuclear Power Firms Feel Squeeze
Wall Street Journal 03/06/2015
Japan’s move to restart a nuclear reactor is a good decision - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/20/2015
TVA Cleared to Start First New U.S. Nuclear Power Plant in Nearly 20 Years
Wall Street Journal 10/23/2015
Japan Woes May Impede U.S. Nuclear Push
New York Times 03/13/2011
Second Explosion at Reactor as Technicians Try to Contain Damage
New York Times 03/14/2011
U.S. Nuclear Plants Have Same Risks as Japan Plants
New York Times 03/13/2011
The containment system for GE's Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors
03/15/2011
The containment system for GE's Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors is not as robust as other reactors. It is cheaper to build. But it creates unacceptable risks in the event of a failure in the reactor's cooling systems, as ocurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.
Grouped Articles
Design of G.E.'s Mark 1 Nuclear Reactors Shows Weaknesses
New York Times 03/15/2011
U.S. Calls Radiation âExtremely Highâ and Urges Deeper Caution in Japan
New York Times 03/16/2011
Spent Fuel Rods at Plant Pose Big Risk
Wall Street Journal 03/17/2011
Deconstructing the Japanese Nuclear Plant Design
New York Times 03/19/2011
Lessons From Chernobyl for Japan
New York Times 03/19/2011
Bid to 'Protect Assets' Slowed Reactor Fight
Wall Street Journal 03/19/2011
The nuclear power industry in Germany following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan
09/06/2010
Grouped Articles
Germany Agrees to Extend Life of Nuclear Plants
New York Times 09/06/2010
Atomic Plan Stirs German Elections
Wall Street Journal 03/14/2011
Berlin's Energy Strategy in Doubt
Wall Street Journal 03/17/2011
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2011
In Germany, Merkelâs Party Faces Historic Election Losses After Shift in Nuclear Stance
New York Times 03/27/2011
Japan Crisis Dims Nuclear Plans
Wall Street Journal 03/30/2011
The nuclear power industry in China after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan
04/29/2010
Grouped Articles
Economist 04/29/2010
China National Nuclear to Raise $2.6 Billion in IPO
Wall Street Journal 05/06/2014
China Wants ‘Made in China’ Nuclear Reactors
Wall Street Journal 12/16/2014
Japan’s move to restart a nuclear reactor is a good decision - The Washington Post
Washington Post 08/20/2015
China’s Nuclear Vision Collides With Villagers’ Fears
New York Times 11/21/2015
Japan Ignored Warning of Nuclear Vulnerability
Wall Street Journal 03/23/2011
We took a different way to help millions around the world build educated informed mindsets that affects and shapes their lives. For a future that is open, global and digital, with everyone having access to high quality information. We believe in the renewal of America, renewal of Europe, the renewal of India, the rest of Asia, Latin America and Africa. The renewal of our supply chains, health, education, infrastructure, as we rebuild our countries after the pandemic. Literacy and knowledge we believe cannot thrive and grow in a world of web bots, web crawlers, or AI. This requires human curiosity, human learning, and human imagination. We take as inspiration the saying- “One has to be free, and as broad as sky. One has to have a mind that is crystal clear, only then can truth shine in it.” Every contribution whether big or small is precious- in this crisis and ahead.
Support Lyrarc from as small as $1
Terms and Conditions | Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Contact Us