Fukushima '70s: You Are Not Alone

TSURUGA NPP, FUKUI

Fukui is located to the north of  Kyoto

* Tsuruga 1 JP Maintenance ? 357 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1 1970 N/A N/A

BWR NPP RX# Nation Status MWth MWe Gen NSSS Ver. Cont. Ver. Year Licensed Year Lic Expires License Renewals Notes
:: JAPAN ::
* Fukushima I-1 JP Damaged 1380[2] 460 GEN2 BWR/3[3] MK-1/GE 1971 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 26 Mar 2011[4];
* Fukushima I-2 JP Damaged[5] 2381 784 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1/GE/TOSHIBA 1974 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 18 Jul 2014[4];
* Fukushima I-3 JP Damaged[6] 2381 784 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1/TOSHIBA 1976 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 26 Mar 2016[4]; "MOX" Fuel
* Fukushima I-4 JP Maintenance 2381 784 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1/HITACHI 1978 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 12 Oct 2018[4]
* Fukushima I-5 JP Maintenance 2381 784 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1/TOSHIBA 1978 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 18 Apr 2018[4]
* Fukushima I-6 JP Maintenance 3293 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2/GE/TOSHIBA 1979 N/A N/A Scheduled Shutdown 24 Oct 2019[4] 
* Hamaoka 1 JP Maintenance 540 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1 1974 N/A N/A
* Shimane 1 JP Operating ? 460 GEN2 BWR/4 MK-1 1974 N/A N/A
* Tokai 2 JP Operating ? 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1978 N/A N/A
* Hamaoka 2 JP Maintenance 840 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1978 N/A N/A
* Hamaoka 3 JP Maintenance 1100 GEN2 BWR/6 MK-3 1987 N/A N/A
* Hamaoka 4 JP Maintenance 1137 GEN2 BWR/6 MK-3 1993 N/A N/A
* Fukushima II-1 JP Operating 3293 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1982 N/A N/A
* Fukushima II-2 JP Operating 3293 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1984 N/A N/A
* Fukushima II-3 JP Operating 3293 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1985 N/A N/A
* Fukushima II-4 JP Operating 3293 1100 GEN2 BWR/5 MK-2 1987 N/A N/A
* Shimane 2 JP Operating ? 820 GEN2 BWR/6 MK-3 1989 N/A N/A
* Onagawa 1 JP Operating ? 524 GEN2 TOSHIBA TOSHIBA 1984 N/A N/A Toshiba BWR variant.
* Onagawa 2 JP Operating ? 825 GEN2+ TOSHIBA TOSHIBA 1995 N/A N/A Toshiba BWR variant.
* Onagawa 3 JP Operating ? 825 GEN3 TOSHIBA TOSHIBA 2002 N/A N/A Toshiba BWR variant.
* Higashidori 1 JP Operating ? 1100 GEN3 TOSHIBA TOSHIBA 2005 N/A N/A Toshiba BWR variant.

see more "World Commercial NPPs: Japan Nuclear Power Plants"
see more "World Commercial NPPs: US Nuclear Power Plants"
 

GE engineer reflects on Fukushima concerns

More than 35 years ago a GE engineer resigned over concern about the safety of the nuclear reactor used in the Fukushima plant in Japan.

Long before the Fukushima nuclear plant was crippled by an earthquake and tsunami, there were warnings.
More than 35 years ago -- General Electric engineer Dale Bridenbaugh resigned over concern about the safety of the nuclear reactor design used in the Fukushima plant.

Former General Electric engineer Dale Bridenbaugh, saying (English):
"As I said, it's a long story, but I decided that I wasn't comfortable working where I was and I decide to resign from GE. But at the time there such a hullabaloo going on in California, I, and two other guys who worked at GE, decided we'd do it publicly and make a statement to try and make sure improvements would in fact be made in the way the program was being managed."
The California, resident sys he was immediately worried when he heard of the quake and subsequent tsunami.

Former General Electric engineer Dale Bridenbaugh, saying (English):
"Well, I knew that Fukushima was there. In fact, I had visited the Fukushima plant some time in the '70s ... '74 or '75. At that time, there was only one reactor there, Fukushima 1, and that had been built by General Electric for Tepco.

When I saw what was happening in northern Honshu with the earthquake and the tsunami that followed, I thought, man, that's a real problem area. And then when I learned that the tsunami had apparently all on-site power including emergency generators, I thought this is really going to be a problem."
Bridenbaugh takes little pleasure in his " I told you so" moment.

Former General Electric engineer Dale Bridenbaugh, saying (English):
"The solution that I have is like shutting the barn door after the horse has been stolen. I wish that we had taken more seriously some 30 or 40 years ago some of the concerns that I had at that time and had worked hard on the development of alternative energy forms. That wasn't done."
Now more than 10 days after the the quake, parents who live near the nuclear plant take their children to a medical center to be tested for radiation levels.
The UN's nuclear watchdog says the plant is still emitting radiation but the exact source is unclear.