Did you know that embrittled nuclear reactors could shatter like glass? Watch Fairewinds Energy Education’s Nuclear Science Guy Arnie Gundersen demonstrate reactor embrittlement and imagine the shattering glass as a shattering nuclear reactor vessel.

When we think of earthquake damage we think of buildings shaking and crumbling, pipes bursting and breaking. Diablo Canyon would suffer not only these traditional earthquake disasters, but also severe, dangerous mechanical threats. Arnie explains something engineers call "relay chatter". In three short video segments, he shows us what relays are and how a seismic event would wreak havoc at Diablo Canyon causing "relay chatter".

The controversial plutonium fuel (MOX) plant under construction at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) now faces up to a 10-year delay in construction.

Beyond Nuclear has a great article on Detroit Edison's creative use of the English language in their application for a permit for the proposed Fermi 3 Atomic Reactor. Fairewinds' Arnie Gundersen points out issues with the geotechnical data presented, as well as with Edison's unusual spin on the topic:

Today [Wednesday, October 30, 2013], The Games Began in Monroe Michigan as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (NRC ASLB) started hearings on Detroit Edison’s "Fermi 3 Licensing Project". Outgunned? Fairewinds’ Arnie Gundersen and the seven expert witnesses retained by the NRC staff and Detroit Edison agree that there was no Quality Assurance (QA) program in place for two years as required by federal law, but the seven industry experts say build it anyway! Damn the safety regulations; full speed ahead to the pork-barrel federal loan guarantees to build a one of a kind Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor. Listen as Maggie, Arnie, and host Nathaniel White-Joyal discuss the stacked deck on this week’s Fairewinds Energy Education Podcast. 

Both Westinghouse and the NRC assume that ASME XI inspections and protective coatings applied to the outside of the AP1000 containment will reduce the risk of a pinhole leak to ZERO.