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Taiwan says no radioactive leakage in nuclear plant mishap
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Taiwan says no radioactive leakage in nuclear plant mishap
TAIPEI, March 19 (Kyodo) - By: Susanne Ganz Taiwan government
officials reiterated Monday that no radioactive materials leaked from
the island's third nuclear power plant when generators crucial to the
plant's cooling system failed over the weekend due to salty deposits
on high-voltage transmission lines.
The Atomic Energy Council's automatic monitor for waste water from
the plant, which is located in the southern Pingtung County, and air
quality monitors in the vicinity have not measured any increase in
radiation levels, said Vice Economics Minister Yin Chi-ming, under
questioning by lawmakers.
He said the ministry has already instructed state utility Taiwan
Power Co. (Taipower), which operates the Pingtung plant, to
investigate whether maintenance of the power transmission lines had
been done properly and regularly.
Yin also tried to alleviate legislators' concern that a similar
incident could occur at the island's fourth nuclear power plant,
currently under construction 40 kilometers east of Taipei, arguing
that climate conditions in northern Taiwan are different.
Early Sunday, a fire incapacitated two diesel-powered backup
generators, which had been activated after the two main power
generators automatically shut down Saturday due to transmission
problems caused by salty deposits on the wires from fog.
The fire occurred when operators tried to use the diesel-powered
generators to get one of the main generators back online.
With both the main generators and their backup out of service, the
plant's cooling system was dependent on batteries, which last eight
hours. It took workers at the Pingtung plant more than two hours to
get another emergency diesel-powered generator online, ending the
crisis.
Had the crisis continued for more than eight hours, the plant would
have been at risk of a reactor core meltdown, local reports said.
On the International Atomic Energy Agency's 7-level accident scale,
the mishap, the most serious at a Taiwan nuclear power plant to date,
qualifies as a level-3 ''serious incident.''
Meanwhile, Taipower officials said that it would take at least three
weeks to repair damage to electricity generator No. 1, while the
transmission problems apparently left generator No. 2 unsapacity, the
southern part of the country will not face power shortages as there
is sufficient reserve electricity available from other power plants,
they said.
The Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, which has been vocally
opposing the fourth nuclear power plant, seized on the opportunity to
warn of the potential for more serious accidents.
''There is no guarantee there will not be an even more serious
accident. Therefore, in addition to strengthening safety and
maintenance at existing nuclear power plants, Taiwan should not
continue construction of the fourth nuclear power plant,'' the union
said in a statement.
- ----------
Sloppy maintenance blamed for Taiwan nuclear mishap
TAIPEI, March 19 (Kyodo)
Taiwan's nuclear watchdog said Monday sloppy maintenance of high-
voltage transmission lines is believed to have caused the failure of
two electricity generators crucial to the cooling system of the
island's third nuclear power plant in southern Pingtung.
Hu Ching-piao, head of the Atomic Energy Council, said the council
will invite foreign experts to join a task force that will
investigate the mishap and produce a report within a couple of weeks.
Speaking at a news conference, Hu said the troubled generators will
not be allowed to go online before the probe has been concluded.
Hu did not exclude that professional negligence on the part of
personnel at the Pingtung plant, which is operated by state utility
Taiwan Power Company (Taipower), played a role, but said the
investigations will look at all possibilities.
Hu revealed that Taipower failed to notify the council within the
mandated one hour after the generators failed at 0:46 a.m. Sunday and
also understated the seriousness of the incident.
Early Sunday the two generators driving the cooling system of the
Pingtung plant's No. 1 reactor automatically shut down due to
transmission problems caused by salty deposits on the wires from fog.
Two diesel-powered backup generators, which were activated after the
main generators went down, were subsequently incapacitated by a fire.
With both the main generators and their backup out of service, the
plant's cooling system was dependent on batteries, which last eight
hours. It took workers at the Pingtung plant more than two hours,
until 2:58 a.m., to get another emergency diesel-powered generator
online, ending the crisis.
No radioactive materials leaked from the plant and no one was
injured. But local media reported that the plant would have been at
risk of a reactor core meltdown had the crisis continued for more
than eight hours.
Still, council officials said the temperature in the reactor did not
rise during the power outage, but fell from 291 C to 203 C,
indicating that the situation was under control.
On the International Atomic Energy Agency's 7-level accident scale,
the mishap, the most serious at a Taiwan nuclear power plant to date,
qualifies as a level-3 ''serious incident.''
Hu, however, said Taipower reported only a level-2 incident and
warned that if it turns out that there has been a cover-up those
involved will have to face the consequences.
''We will do what has to be done,'' he said. The mishap at the
Pingtun plant comes at a sensitive time as Taiwan's government, under
pressure from opposition parties, has just resumed construction of
the island's fourth nuclear power plant, some 40 kilometers east of
Taipei.
Earlier in the day, Vice Economics Minister Yin Chi-ming tried to
alleviate legislators' concern that a similar incident could occur at
the fourth nuclear power plant, arguing that climate conditions in
northern Taiwan are different.
The Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, which has been vocally
opposing the fourth nuclear power plant, seized on the opportunity to
accuse Taipower of ''bad maintenance'' and to warn of the potential
for more serious accidents.
''There is no guarantee there will not be an even more serious
accident. Therefore...Taiwan should not continue construction of the
fourth nuclear power plant,'' the union said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Taipower officials said it would take at least three weeks
to repair damage to electricity generator No. 1, while the
transmission problems apparently left generator No. 2 unscathed.
However, the intact generator No. 2 will only be able to go back
online after permission is granted by the Atomic Energy Council.
Although the plant continues to function at reduced capacity, the
southern part of the country will not face power shortages as there
is sufficient reserve electricity available from other power plants,
they said.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100
Director, Technical Extension 2306
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Service Fax:(714) 668-3149
ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Personal Website: http://sandyfl.nukeworker.net
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com
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