Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant
The history of nuclear power is chequered with accidents, emergencies and disasters. Here are a few of the major lowlights of this failing industry:
2001: Chapelcross, Scotland: Workers failed to properly attach 24 uranium fuel rods to a crane, during their routine removal from a nuclear reactor, and they fell to the floor. Quick reactions from staff prevented a major nuclear fire. Despite playing down the incident, the operators were concerned enough to suspend similar activities at a sister plant at Calder Hall, Sellafield.
1999: Tokaimura, Japan: An employee accidentally poured 16kg of uranium (rather than the usual 2.3kg) into a purification tank of nitric acid, causing high levels of radioactive gas discharges. Three workers were critically injured and 650 more were exposed to high radiation doses. 310,000 people within a six-mile radius were told to stay indoors.
1995: Monju, Japan: This experimental fast-breeder reactor was shut down after a leak of sodium, which is used as a coolant around the reactor. The operating company initially described the incident as minor but later admitted that two to three tonnes of sodium had leaked from the reactor and ignited. Lethal fumes filled the surrounding area and temperatures soared to 1,000 degrees Celsius, melting the floor and steel structures.
1986: Chernobyl, Ukraine: An experiment, ironically designed to improve safety systems, went wrong - causing the most serious accident at a nuclear power plant to date. Emergency cooling systems had been disconnected, and plant operators were unable to insert control rods before the reactor reached 120 times full power. Explosions blew off the reactor lid, spewing deadly radioactive isotopes high into the atmosphere.
Radiation levels in the plant
