Could Hurricane Sandy Turn US Nuclear Power Plant into Second Fukushima?

Oyster Creek, the oldest U.S. nuclear power plant, is in danger of being hit by Hurricane Sandy. The plant is located in New Jersey, directly in the path of the natural disaster. The situation is worsened by the fact that the power plant uses a boiling water reactor similar to that used in the infamous Fukushima-1 power plant in Japan.

American officials are calming the population by explaining that the fuel has already been unloaded from the nuclear plant and that it would seem that all is in order.

But, all the same, is there a significant chance that Hurricane Sandy could turn the U.S. nuclear power plant into a second Fukushima?

Firstly, it’s not worth getting hung up on the type of reactor. As we know, the Japanese power plant suffered the terrible blows of earthquakes and tsunami and perished only because of the erroneous actions of the Japanese nuclear industry which, in essence, brought an end to its own plant.

Secondly, fuel has already been unloaded from the U.S. power plant which, means that in theory it should be safe.

On the other hand, the fuel from this power plant is located in an on-site pool, and the ensuring of its safe operation (that is, its constant cooling) will be the main challenge for the U.S. energy workers during the hurricane. As we know, in Fukushima not only the fuel in the reactors was melted, but also that in the on-site pools.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is attempting to convince the international community everything is in order with the diesel generators at the Oyster Creek power plant, and also in eight other power plants in the path of the hurricane, which was not the case at the “Fukushima-1” power plant.

We must keep in mind that America has learned a lot about nuclear power plant safety since the first severe accident at a nuclear power plant, which happened. at the Three Mile Island plant in the U.S in 1979.

It is unlikely that the drama of Fukushima will repeat itself in the U.S., according to Russian experts. However, it is impossible to give a guarantee. Everything will depend on how well America has calculated the development and impact force of Sandy.

If any U.S. nuclear power plant has problems due to the hurricane, these problems will spread throughout the entire global nuclear industry, which has only just bounced back from the (to put it lightly) unsuccessful actions of Japanese experts in Fukushima.