By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press - 1 hr 28 mins ago - June 7th 2011TOKYO - Japan admitted Tuesday it was unprepared for a severe nuclear accident like the tsunami-caused Fukushima disaster and said damage to the reactors and radiation leakage were worse than it previously thought.
In a report being submitted to the U.N. nuclear agency, the government also acknowledged reactor design flaws and a need for greater independence for the country's nuclear regulators.
The report said the nuclear fuel in three reactors likely melted through the inner containment vessels, not just the core, after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami knocked out the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant's power and cooling systems. Fuel in the Unit 1 reactor started melting hours earlier than previously estimated.
The 750-page report, compiled by Japan's nuclear emergency task force, factors in a preliminary evaluation by a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency and was to be submitted to the IAEA as requested.
"In light of the lessons learned from the accident, Japan has recognized that a fundamental revision of its nuclear safety preparedness and response is inevitable," the report said. It also recommended a national debate on nuclear power.
The report said the flaws in basic reactor design - the Mark-1 model developed by General Electric - included the venting system for the containment vessels and the location of spent fuel cooling pools high in the buildings, which resulted in leaks of radioactive water that hampered repair work.
GE's website says 32 Mark-1 reactors, designed 40 years ago and upgraded since, still operate around the world.
Now that is a reassuring thought - isn't it !It is high time to solve the problem - let us phase out Nuclear Power - the World can easily be powered with sustainable energy forms.
Let us follow the lead of the Government of Germany !
Ak Malten, Pro Peaceful Energy Use
Japan admits being unprepared for nuclear disaster
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