Explosion at one of Frances oldest nuclear sites

[Oberon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14883521

I hear some gloating coming over the eastern border...

[Growler]

Originally Posted by Oberon

I hear some gloating coming over the eastern border...

That's just infantry and armor massing. No worries.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Growler

That's just infantry and armor massing. No worries.

What, you're at it AGAIN 1870, 1914 and 1940 wasn't enough


Back to topic, I feel sorry for the causalties. I bet it's one of those accidents that wouldn't happened if the pencil pusher wouldn't want to save money on some outdated equipement

[Growler]

It's a shame, really, that despite every authority's protestations that their enterprises are as safe as possible, that chaos creeps in and proves that nothing, really, is ever truly 100% safe. Unfortunately, it usually ends up costing lives for us to get that lesson.

[Krauter]

Any news on the type of explosion? I read the article and see that the French authorities are denying any radioactive material got out, but so did the Soviets during Chernobyl and the Japanese during the initial stages of the Fukushima incident.

[Betonov]

Originally Posted by Growler

It's a shame, really, that despite every authority's protestations that their enterprises are as safe as possible, that chaos creeps in and proves that nothing, really, is ever truly 100% safe. Unfortunately, it usually ends up costing lives for us to get that lesson.

One reaches that moment when he gets frightened by drawing a parallel between that incident and his work.

[August]

Originally Posted by Krauter

Any news on the type of explosion? I read the article and see that the French authorities are denying any radioactive material got out, but so did the Soviets during Chernobyl and the Japanese during the initial stages of the Fukushima incident.

Not to defend the Russians or the Japanese but the talking head at the news conference podium rarely knows more than the reporters in the initial stages of an event like that.

The reporter asks something like "Is there any radiation leaking?"
The response is "So far we have not had any confirmed reports of radiation leakage"

That translates into "OMG they lied!" later on when the facts of the incident become clear.

[Osmium Steele]

Originally Posted by Krauter

Any news on the type of explosion?

It was an explosion in a furnace used to melt down scrap containing low levels of radiation.

While it is a nuclear site, there are no longer any reactors on site.

SOURCE

[Respenus]

Besides the fact that the newest political scandal is more important to the French media than this accident, I do wish to point out that it was a processing plant and not a nuclear reactor. Disconcerting, yes, panic worthy, no. According to the TF1 report, an expert said during an interview that the only way an explosion like this could happen, is if cooling water was introduced into the heated oven.

[Krauter]

Originally Posted by August

Not to defend the Russians or the Japanese but the talking head at the news conference podium rarely knows more than the reporters in the initial stages of an event like that.

The reporter asks something like "Is there any radiation leaking?"
The response is "So far we have not had any confirmed reports of radiation leakage"

That translates into "OMG they lied!" later on when the facts of the incident become clear.

Oh I know that most often the news can only deal in what it's got, but I've come to mistrust news agencies with 'sources' in the government when it comes to nuclear mishaps or anything embarrassing.

Originally Posted by Osmium Steele

It was an explosion in a furnace used to melt down scrap containing low levels of radiation.

While it is a nuclear site, there are no longer any reactors on site.

SOURCE

Fair enough, thanks for the info

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Oberon

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14883521
I hear some gloating coming over the eastern border...

Not really, mostly western winds here

B.t.w. How can "Radioacvtivity leak out" ?
Particles are either radioactive, or not. Any metal around being exposed to RA will begin to radiate as well.

If you burn radioactive stuff, particles in the ashes and smoke will still be there, you cannot "burn" radioactive particles and remove it that way.

That said, you burn radioactive material in a furnace, the furnace explodes, but "no radiactivity leaked out" ?