A new National Academy of Sciences (NAS) assessment examining the causes of and lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident is notable for the extent to which it affirms the culture of safety adhered to by the U.S. nuclear industry. Core findings from the NAS study - Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident for Improving the Safety of U.S. Nuclear Plants - validate the actions that the U.S. industry has initiated in recent years and that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is requiring to be ready to manage plants if extreme natural events occur that may exceed a plant design.
The U.S. nuclear energy industry began taking steps within days of the Fukushima Daiichi accident to ensure that U.S. reactors could respond to events that may challenge safe operation of the facilities as indicated by Anthony Pietrangelo, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at the Nuclear Energy Institute. Safety enhancements the industry has completed over the past three years include- Implementing a diverse and flexible coping capability, or FLEX, an effective, efficient and reliable way to make U.S. nuclear energy facilities even safer. FLEX addresses the critical problems encountered at Fukushima Daiichi - loss of power with reactor and spent fuel pool cooling capability.
It provides an additional layer of backup power and water after an extreme event by stationing vital emergency equipment generators, battery packs, pumps, air compressors and battery chargers in multiple locations. Opening two National Response Centers, in Phoenix and Memphis, Tenn., capable of delivering complete sets of emergency equipment to help facilities respond safely to extreme events no matter what causes them. Equipment at the response centers supplements permanent safety systems built into nuclear energy facilities and multiple sets of portable, backup safety equipment already positioned at the facilities.
Original URL: http://www.nei.org/News-Media/Media-Room/News-Releases/National-Academy-of-Sciences-Report-Affirms-US-Nuc
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