Radiation leak reported at Chinese nuclear plant
June 15, 2010 - 2:01PM
               
A nuclear plant in China's southern Guangdong province has recorded a small leak, the Hong Kong government admitted, after the incident was exposed by a US-based radio station.
A small rise in radioactivity was observed on May 23 in a reactor cooling unit of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station in Shenzhen, which is run by CLP Power, Hong Kong's largest electricity supplier, the Hong Kong government said.
"Preliminary assessment indicates that there was a very small leakage at a fuel rod," it said in a statement.

"These radio nuclides had been completely quarantined and therefore had no impact on the public."
Daya Bay, located about 50 kilometres north of Hong Kong, is also home to the Ling Ao Nuclear Power Plant.
The incident was revealed after Washington-based Radio Free Asia quoted a "Hong Kong expert source" as saying that the plant's unit experienced an abnormal situation on May 23.
The report also said a large amount of radioactive iodine was released into the air.
It said the plant's management had kept the incident secret and only later reported it to authorities in Beijing.
CLP disputed the report and said the leak was so minor it did not fall within an international nuclear rating or warrant immediate notification.
It added that it had reported the incident to state nuclear safety authorities.
The Hong Kong Observatory said its radiation monitoring stations had detected no abnormality since May 23.
Albert Lai, vice-chairman of the Civic Party, a Hong Kong pro-democracy group, urged the government and CLP to explain why the public was not informed until the incident was exposed by the media.
"We wonder if the officials and relevant bodies had been notified. We will meet with the government today to demand an explanation for the public," Lai said.
AFP

link here:
http://www.smh.com.au/environmen ... -20100615-yc19.html

I could imagine a Chinese Nuclear Plant covering this up but it was China Light and Power, a HK based company, blue chip constituent stock on the HK Stock Exchange. A more serious leakage could be devastating up 20 million people live withiin in the vicinity of Daya Bay.

[ Last edited by  geoduck at 15-6-2010 16:03 ]

Its nothing French reactors in 2008 overheated such that they had to use high pressure hoses on the outsides of them to cool them off.

Japanese reactors have cracks in them too, so does sellafield and Sidgewick in Cornwall.

The honest situation is that most of the exisiting nuclear power facilities are getting old.  It is only a matter of time before something significant happens again.  I read a report recetly that Chernobyl is starting to leak out of its containment, and that they are going to have to cap it again.   Crazy, scary stuff.

If there is a meltdown at Daya Bay during the summer months when southerly breeze heads Northwest from the coast, HK, Shenzhen, Macau, Zhongshan and Dongguan would be hit and 50 million people would suffer from some form of radiation sickness, not to mention farm animals and vegetable crops. World stock markets would collapse as Hong Kong is a major financial center and factories in Dongguan would cease all manufacturing activities. WGs would all head north for home. Chernobyl is in a more remote area while Guangdong is heavily populated and the most productive province in China. Very scary scenario.

Is it an old plant so that it sore likely to leak. Does china regulate these nuclear plants closely.  It's sounds like a disaster that could catch the world by surprise.

China sent the Security Bureau to check on Daya Bay earlier this week but the plant is managed by China Light and Power, an old established company in HK. There is always a danger with nuclear power plants and the question is if they can contain it? Everyone thought that oil rig platforms were safe and if there was an accident all you need to do was plug up the hole. Looked what happened to BP in the Gulf. Looks like they never had any contingency plan.

You guys are getting your knickers in a twist over nothing. Nuclear Power is probably the safest industry in the world
and getting safer all the time. We need a lot more nuclear power stations and a lot less using fossil fuels.

Makes sense to have nuclear power.  What happens if there is a leak.  Or what about a natural disaster that totals the plant.  There have been know to be a few earthquakes etc in china.  What if?

What if the sky falls on us ? What if a solar flare disrupts all our computers on planes and cars and cause crashes ? What if all of the member's spouses found out about them and this forum ? There's a reason to worry and a reason not to, unfortunately as human beings we can't go back to starting little fires and squating in caves, we can only move forward.