“Big safety factor in nuclear plants”

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33581, 9 July 1974, Page 11

“Big safety factor in nuclear plants”

The man tn the street received far more radiation from natural radioactivity in the concrete of buildings than he would ever receive from a nuclear power programme, said Dr G. E. Coote, physicist at the Institute of Nuclear Sciences of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lower Hutt. Dr Coote, commenting on two letters to “The Press,” said that for the same reason, a coal-fired plant released radioactivity of more biological significance than most nuclear reactors of equivalent electrical output. The letter-writers, J. A. Douglas Flack and J. R. Ottway, criticised the comments of an American expert, Mr S. Levine, published in “The Press” on June 17, and both raised doubts about the safety of atomic waste disposal, and as to the effects of a severe earthquake on an atomic power plant. “Until there is a Government decision that nuclear power will come to New Zealand, and that a particular type of reactor will be bought, it is possible to make general statements only,” said Dr Coote. . "In all types of power reictor, radioactive products are contained within the ceramic fuel elements, which are further sealed in metal tubes. These materials are released from the used fuel only at a specially built reprocessing plant in a remote area, never at a reactor. “If, for example, an American reaqtor were bought, used fuel would be shipped in large shielded casks to the United States for reprocessing, as it would be completely uneconomic to build such a plant in this country for one or even 10 reactors. As a result, there

would be no high-level wastes to be stored in New Zealand. .“Power reactors are now working in areas of high earthquake risk such as California and Japan, where there are six reactors. Great care is exercised in design and construction, and there are large safety factors even for the severest earthquakes known. “A committee of New Zealand scientists has for some years been developing seismic design requirements for reactors sited in this country “The first commercial power reactor began operation in 1956, and there are now 111 stations in 17 countries; their total electrical capacity is 245,000 MW or nearly 60 times the total installed capacity in New Zealand. In 1000 reactor-years of operation, there has not been one incident resulting in harm to the public, a record of which any industry could be proud.”