"Explosion at French nuclear site kills one, no leak"

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/0...ears-after-nuclear-plant-explosion-in-france/

Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France
Published September 12, 2011

PARIS ? DEVELOPING: An explosion was reported at the Marcoule nuclear plant in southern France on Monday, with a risk of a radioactive leak, emergency officials said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/09/12/france-nuclear-plant-explosion.html

Explosion rocks French nuclear plant
1 believed dead after Marcoule plant blast
CBC News
Posted: Sep 12, 2011 7:58 AM ET

An explosion at the Marcoule plant in southern France on Monday morning has killed at least one person, according to reports.

The BBC says there is a risk of a radioactive leak after the blast at the plant in the Gard region.

One person was killed and three were injured in the explosion, which followed a fire in a storage site for radioactive waste, said Le Figaro...

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

A nuclear waste processing site - A leakage could be possible, but no reactor on the site, no meltdown possible.

UPDATE 1-Explosion at French nuclear site kills one, no leak

MARSEILLE, France, Sept 12 (Reuters) - A furnace exploded at the Marcoule nuclear waste treatment site in southern France on Monday, killing one person, but there was no leak of radioactive material outside the furnace, France's ASN nuclear safety watchdog said.

Four other people were injured, one seriously, in the blast at the Centraco site, owned by French power utility EDF and adjacent to the Marcoule nuclear research centre. The site does not house any nuclear reactors.

read more - Reuters

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

Re: Radioactive Leak Fears After Nuclear Plant Explosion in France

- snip - machinetranslated

Not the first time in Marcoule

Last March, a level 2 incident had already occurred in the same plant (on a scale that has 7). This incident was initially reported "level 1" by Areva, but after reviewing the case, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) decided to classify "level 2". ASN argument: "the failure of several safety requirements of the installation."

This plant produces MOX , fuel from a mixture of uranium and plutonium, which recycles a portion of the plutonium from spent fuel from nuclear power plants.

March 3, recalls the Express , on the occasion of an exceptional operation, a mass of fissile material was introduced into the plant, and this matter has caused an overflow of "criticality safety limits" - a criticality accident is the start of an uncontrolled nuclear reaction - because, it seems, the fissile material had not been properly weighed:

Of course, the limit was exceeded only "1%" said ASN - the risk of criticality was therefore void. Of course, this "event" had no impact on personnel or the environment, said the ASN. Of course finally it was repaired the next day.

Read more (French) - Rue89

BBC