Japan reactor leaks coolant

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

The following article was received via Reuters. It makes some 
interesting points:

1. Japan is currently providing 33% power from nuclear generation.
2. Japan's goal is 42% nuclear generation by 2010
3. Anti-nuclear forces are active, especially since the fast breeder 
    reactor incident last year
4. They use earthquakes as a reason for shutting the plants down 
     (sounds like Diablo Canyon all over again) 
5. This quote is evident of the industry's unwillingness to be open 
     with the public and customers, in general .. " subsequent 
     efforts by the PNC to play  down its significance fuelled doubts 
     about the safety of nuclear reactors and galvanised opposition 
      to their construction. 
---------------------------------
  TOKYO, Dec 24  - A nuclear reactor on the coast of  
central Japan was shut down on Tuesday after a leak of water 
used as a coolant, its operators said. 
  The Japan Atomic Power Co said it decided to halt the 1.16  
million kilowatt (kw) nuclear reactor on the Japan Sea coast in 
order to make emergency checks after the leak was detected, but 
insisted there was no danger of a radiation leak. 
  The incident is the latest in a series of problems at  
Japanese nuclear facilities, including a coolant leak at a 
prototype fast-breeder reactor, which have stoked controversy 
about Japan's reliance on nuclear power to meet its appetite 
for energy. 
  Japan Atomic Power, an independent power-generating  
company, said a "small amount" of water used as a coolant had 
leaked at the plant located in Tsuruga, in central Japan's 
Fukui prefecture. 
  The company began the shutdown of the reactor around noon  
on Tuesday and the process was expected to take several hours. 
  "We will investigate the cause of the leak after the plant  
has been totally shut down," a company spokesman said. 
  Another nuclear reactor in the same complex -- a 357,000 kw  
boiling-water reactor -- has been halted twice this year due to 
malfunctions of pumps used to circulate coolant. 
  Japan is poor in energy resources but, as an industrialised  
economy, has huge energy needs. It relies on nuclear reactors 
for 33 percent of its power. 
  The government aims to raise this to 42 percent by 2010,  
but faces stiff resistance following an accident last year at a 
prototype fast-breeder reactor. 
  Last December an estimated two to three tonnes of liquid  
sodium leaked from a cooling system in the reactor, known as 
Monju, forcing a manual shutdown of the reactor. 
  Monju's operators, the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel  
Development Corp (PNC), said there was no damage to the 
environment from the accident. 
  But the incident and subsequent efforts by the PNC to play  
down its significance fuelled doubts about the safety of 
nuclear reactors and galvanised opposition to their 
construction. 
  Anti-nuclear campaigners also cite Japan's frequent  
earthquakes as an argument against having an abundance of 
nuclear reactors. 

Sandy Perle
Director, Technical Operations
ICN Dosimetry Division
Office: (800) 548-5100 Ext. 2306 
Fax: (714) 668-3149

E-Mail: sandyfl@ix.netcom.com    

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