Chernobyl nuclear reactor closed after radioactive leak

Source: AFP | Published: Friday December 3 3:39:41 AM

KIEV, Dec 2 - The newly re-opened third reactor at Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster in 1986, has been shut down because of a malfunction in its emergency cooling system, a plant spokesman said today.

"A leak was detected Wednesday night in the pipes transporting radioactive water and used to cool down the third reactor," the Chernobyl spokesman said, adding however that no increase in radioactivity was recorded.

Reactor number three, which is the only one in operation at the plant, was reopened on November 26 after five months of work to ensure the plant's safety.

The repair work included checking and reinforcing the reactor's pipe system, which was discovered in recent years to be riddled with hundreds of cracks.

An environment ministry official said the leak proved the dilapidated plant was a ticking time-bomb that threatened the whole of Europe.

"We're shocked. The plant has got to be shut down for safety reasons. We cannot put the lives of the population in danger," Vadim Grichenko said.

Grichenko said Kiev was still waiting to find out if it would receive the $US3.1 billion ($A4.75 billion) dollar compensation handouts promised by the G7 group of industrialised nations, in return for closing the plant by the year 2000.

"It is vitally important for us to know whether we are going to get this money. However, for now the safety issue has to over-ride all financial considerations," Grichenko said.

The plant spokesman said the reactor was scheduled to start functioning again on December 8.

An independent expert said the lack of funds meant the repair work carried out on the reactor had been shoddy.

"Everything has been done in a hurry," Georgy Kochinsky said.

Reactor number four melted down on April 26, 1986, spreading a radioactive cloud over much of Europe and claiming between 3000 and 12,000 lives, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Reactor number two was shut down in 1991 after a fire, and reactor number one was taken out of service in 1996 as part of an international agreement to decommission the plant.

url: http://www.theage.com.au/breaking/9912/03/A13929-1999Dec3.shtml

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 04, 1999

Answers

But hey, they're 100% Y2K ready.

Let's see, where's my damned fallout shelter...

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), December 04, 1999.

Those idiots.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 04, 1999.

Already posted. See:

Chernobyl reactor shutdown following malfunction

Chernobyl reactor shutdown following malfunction

Prior stories:

Ukraine To Restart Chernobyl Reactor Nov. 25th, 1999

Serious trouble with Chernobyl todaySept. 3, 1999

Chernobyl April 24, 1999

Chernobyl Restart affects all March 13, 1999

Note - in the above article it states: The plant spokesman said the reactor was scheduled to start functioning again on December 8.

Got KI?

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 04, 1999.

Its extortion, pure and simple - Either they get their aid OR they're going to run Chernobyl. Its amazing that Belarus directly to the north doesn't complaint but Belarus has a dictator in power. Chernobyl is on the northern border of Ukraine and most of the fallout went north across Belarus. The minds and will of the Ukrainian and Belarussian people have been crippled forever due to communism. There is no such thing as a riot over there.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), December 04, 1999.

"There is no such thing as a riot over there. "

Maybe more accurate to say, the probability of any individual rioting twice is very low.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), December 04, 1999.

Oh, sorry Linda. Thanks for link to other answers.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 04, 1999.

Got lead underwear?

-- Liz Pavek (lizpavek@hotmail.com), December 04, 1999.