/sci/ - Science & Math

Nuclear is safe as long as the procedures are respected. Which can basically be said about every source of energy existing. btw
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/27/belgium-nuclear-idUSL5E8JRCYE20120827
Because of badly manufactured reactor tanks, cracks have appeared.
It isn't a problem under normal conditions, but if the reactor had a melt-down, the emergency cooling would increase those crack.
Actual dangerous leaks are not unlikely to happens in such condition.
Of course it can only happens in case of a meltdown that require an emergency cooling, a situation who is very unlikely to happens in the first place and it's just one Power plant in Belgium
Except the factory who produced (and went out of business a few years ago, so don't count on them to repair the cracks) also furnished other power plant in Belgium AND in the rest of Europe, as well as, you bet it, even the USA.
Since the info has been communicated, cracks in other reactors have been noticed too. It was a systematic manufacturing problem
The best part is, the guy who was in charge of overlooking Nuclear plant in Belgium, and informed of the other client of this business of the cracks problem was asked to take an early retirement (it was planed that he does anyway, but they accelerated the process) and even scolded him a bit about "being alarmist", when all he did was make is job and informing the requiring authorities of the risk, as he is required by his job.
Of course, that any problem come out of this is very unlikely. As unlikely as a Tsunami hitting a nuclear plant.
I mean, out of all the nuclear plants existingin the world, only three of them have been through a meltdown.
So, very unlikely, objectively.