Resources & Stats

August 2012

Key Facts

• America’s nuclear energy industry has no higher priority than safety. The companies that produce electricity at nuclear power plants continuously learn lessons from best practices at all facilities as well as events such as Three Mile Island and the recent nuclear accident in Japan.
• The Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011 reinforces the importance of technologies and systems that protect the public and the environment from the impact of unforeseen and powerful natural events.
• The nuclear energy industry expects the unexpected and plans for it. As part of this philosophy, the industry continues to examine additional safety measures that could be taken in the most extreme situations when uranium fuel in the reactor may be damaged, potentially releasing radioactive particles, as happened in Japan.
• The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as an independent watchdog, has an important role to play in this process. The industry is working with the agency to implement measures that are best for the American people. We will pursue the most reliable solutions that are proven to work, based on science and the facts.
• The industry has upgraded safety in many areas and is working to meet and exceed new NRC requirements. Lessons learned from Japan are being implemented at U.S. facilities. In addition, American companies and researchers also are evaluating filtering systems that could further protect the public and environment from the potential release of radioactive materials.

Safety Is Industry’s First Priority
Operating America’s nuclear energy facilities safely and reliably is the electric industry’s first priority. The companies that produce electricity at nuclear power plants continuously learn lessons from best practices at all facilities as well as events such as Three Mile Island and the recent nuclear accident in Japan. Safety enhancements made over more than 40 years, including new processes and procedures based on lessons learned from Japan, result in higher levels of safety over time.

The Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011 reinforces the importance of technologies and systems that protect the public and the environment from the impact of unforeseen and powerful natural events. The industry’s approach to respond to any extreme natural event—regardless of its cause—includes layer upon layer of strategically located backup safety equipment, such as large generators and pumps that will deliver cooling water to the reactor and used fuel storage pool.

Even before the accident in Japan, American nuclear power plants had several layers of safety equipment that could be used in case of an emergency. Based on lessons learned during the past year, additional backup safety equipment is being added to further ensure that operators will be able to manage any emergency to protect the public and the environment. This equipment provides a comprehensive approach that can be used, if needed, even if all electric power to the facility is cut off.

Adding Safety Measures to Reduce Risk of Radiation Release
The industry’s overriding responsibility, if challenged by an extreme natural event such as a hurricane, earthquake or flooding, is to protect public safety and the environment. Preventing radiation releases is best achieved by preventing a severe accident. As part of this commitment, the industry is examining additional safety measures, including filtering strategies, that could be taken in the most extreme situations when uranium fuel in the reactor may be damaged.

Each nuclear facility takes great care to safely control nuclear fuel in the reactor. The greatest risk for release of potentially harmful materials occurs in the unlikely event of an accident that would cause damage to nuclear fuel and the steel vessel that houses the reactor. That is why nuclear energy facilities are designed and built with layer upon layer of safety protection. If uranium fuel is damaged, there are several strong barriers in place to prevent release of radioactive gases or particles.

• First, uranium fuel that generates electricity is solid material that is contained within alloy fuel rods.
• Second, a thick steel vessel houses the reactor and fuel.
• Third, a large reactor containment structure—made of four-foot-thick, rebar-packed concrete with a thick steel liner—encloses the reactor vessel.
• Fourth, a series of systems inside the containment building that will help maintain the proper pressure and temperature within that structure.

Reactor operators follow a multi-layered approach to safety, including exacting knowledge of plant design and operation, continuous training on accident scenarios in full-scale control room simulators, and training on specific guidelines to manage severe accidents.

Preventing reactor fuel damage is the best means of protection. The objective is to use a combination of permanent and portable systems to move a greater volume of cooling water into and around the reactor, which would reduce heat and the buildup of pressure, and filter any radioactive releases to protect public safety and the environment. These alternatives include:

• providing a water flow that would quickly cover any damaged fuel
• installing additional cooling water spray systems inside the reactor containment building
• venting systems in the reactor containment building should operators need to release built-up pressure and gases
• additional water systems for injecting water into the containment structure to cool both the uranium fuel and the reactor vessel.

This research is part of an extensive review of safety at U.S. nuclear energy facilities and concrete steps that the industry is taking to ensure that our facilities can withstand earthquakes, flood and other extreme natural events.

U.S. companies also are studying ways of filtering radioactive particles should there be damage to the reactor fuel. Analyses will be needed to determine the best approach for each plant design. Effectively managing damaged reactor fuel will keep radioactive particles from the fuel inside the plant’s containment structure.