Fission Stories #181
The drop of a heavy load at the Arkansas Nuclear One nuclear plant on March 31, 2013, was described in Fission Stories #139 based largely on the report on the accident by the NRC’s augmented inspection team. The NRC recently released hundreds of photographs taken of the heavy load, the damage it inflicted when dropped, and the extensive repairs undertaken at the plant.
I reviewed the photographs and selected approximately three dozen to illustrate this accident and its recovery. These photographs along with explanatory captions are in the ANO stator drop event report available for viewing and downloading.
Our Takeaway
Our takeaway now is the same as expressed in Fission Stories #139:
Gravity never takes a minute off. Neither can safety vigilance or tragedy can occur.
“Fission Stories” is a weekly feature by Dave Lochbaum. For more information on nuclear power safety, see the nuclear safety section of UCS’s website and our interactive map, the Nuclear Power Information Tracker.