More Lessons From the Fukushima Daiichi Accident: Containment Failures and the Loss of the Ultimate Heat Sink

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More Lessons From the Fukushima Daiichi Accident: Containment Failures and the Loss of the Ultimate Heat Sink

In this Monday's video, Fairewinds investigates a recently released report from Tokyo Electric. Arnie Gundersen discusses TEPCO's latest analysis that, almost two years after the accident, fully substantiates Fairewinds long held position that the explosion at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 3 was the result of a detonation shock wave. Arnie also discusses troubling reports that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been avoiding the analysis of damage to many nuclear plants' emergency cooling systems (Ultimate Heat Sink) from storm surges, tsunamis or dam failures. The ramifications of both of these issues on old designs and also the AP1000 are also analyzed in depth.

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Deja vu all over again!

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Deja vu all over again!

In this Sunday's podcast, Fairewinds' Arnie Gundersen discusses two recent safety equipment failures at operating nuclear plants in the United States. Just this week, a containment failure in New York State and an emergency cooling water failure in Tennessee prove yet again that Fairewinds previous analyses of nuclear plant weaknesses are correct. Arnie also discusses how containments are leak tested and how the NRC allows those containment leak tests to be manipulated.

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The Ongoing Damage and Danger at Fukushima

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The Ongoing Damage and Danger at Fukushima

Arnie Gundersen joins Helen Caldicott on If You Love This Planet to discuss the ongoing release of radiation at Fukushima Daichi and what methods are being used to contain the damage. The water being used to cool the reactor is highly radioactive and is still being released into the Pacific. They deal with the dilemma of workers endangerment and ongoing radiation leakage. Information about health effects on children in the first 18 months since the accident is discussed

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It Could Have Been Worse

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It Could Have Been Worse

Fairewinds analysis of the triple meltdowns at Fukushima Daiichi determined that other Japanese reactor sites were also in jeopardy because their cooling water systems were destroyed by the same tsunami. In this film, Fairewinds provides evidence that cooling systems for 24 out of 37 diesel generators were shut down by the tsunami and that 14 additional nuclear reactors were impacted. Finally, Fairewinds also recommends that the criteria of the international nuclear accident scale have a Level 8 added. The addition of a Level 8 would reflect the nuclear accident scenario at a multi-reactor site that significantly changes the risk factors to the general public and emergency evacuation procedures.

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Can Spent Fuel Pools Catch Fire?

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Can Spent Fuel Pools Catch Fire?

In this Fairewinds’ feature, Fairewinds Associates Chief Engineer Arnie Gundersen analyzes a US government national laboratory simulation video that shows nuclear spent fuel rods do catch fire when exposed to air. This simulation video proves Fairewinds’ assertions that nuclear fuel rods can catch fire when exposed to air, and Arnie discusses the ramifications of this phenomena if the Fukushima Daiichi Unit 4 spent fuel pool were to lose cooling water. The Sandia National Laboratories video in its entirety can be seen here.

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Tokyo Peace Film Festival: You Are Not Alone

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Tokyo Peace Film Festival: You Are Not Alone

Fairewinds Energy Education was invited to showcase one of its feature videos for the Tokyo Peace Film Festival on June 30, 2012. The video selected for the Festival was "Fukushima Daiichi: The Truth and the Future." In the opening message, Arnie Gundersen makes the case for alternative sources of energy to power the future of Japan and ultimately the world. Fairewinds has an important message for the Japanese people: You Are Not Alone.

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San Onofre: Bad Vibrations

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San Onofre: Bad Vibrations

Arnie Gundersen, Chief Engineer of Fairewinds, demonstrates what has happened inside the replacement steam generators at the site of the San Onofre nuclear generating station in San Diego, California. Arnie shows that steam generator tube vibrations have caused extensive damage due to design changes between the original and replacement generator tubes.

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