17 May (NucNet): France’s nuclear protection watchdog said yesterday the earthquake in western China caused minor damage to nuclear facilities being dismantled but no apparent radioactivity leaks.
Chinese nuclear authorities “reacted well” to the quake and immediately shut down nuclear sites for inspection, said an information note from the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN).
China has a research reactor, two nuclear fuel production sites and two nuclear weapons sites in Sichuan province, where the magnitude-7.9 quake struck on Monday, according to the French agency. All were between 70 and 150 kilometres from the epicentre.
The IRSN said its counterparts at China’s nuclear safety agency, NNSA, have reported no radioactivity leaks since the quake.
The Chinese agency reported “light damage” to older nuclear facilities that are being dismantled, noting that seismic construction codes were less strict when those facilities were built. They did not specify which facilities suffered the damage.
French authorities do not yet have a full picture of possible damage at the nuclear weapons sites, where information is more closely guarded, the IRSN said.
Thierry Charles, director of plant safety at IRSN said: “At this stage, I don’t think there were any leaks, because they would have reported them by now.” He said the worst thing to worry about now is degradation of buildings.
One of the fuel enrichment facilities, at Yibin, has been restarted, Mr Charles said, which he called an encouraging sign. He said a final conclusion on nuclear damage would depend on further inspections by Chinese authorities.
The French watchdog first raised the possibility Tuesday of damage to nuclear sites in Sichuan from the devastating quake. On Friday, the watchdog issued an updated report on the quake.
The new report says there was probably no notable damage to China's four nuclear powered-plants generating electricity. All four – Lingao, Guangdong (Daya Bay), Qinshan and Tianwan – are in eastern China, more than 1, 000 kilometres the quake’s epicentre.
* Yesterday’s updated information note is available in French only on the IRSN website (www.irsn.org).
>>Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Areva To Build Two EPRs In China – Talks Start Over Possible Reprocessing Plant (News No. 249, 26 November 2007)
China To Integrate National Energy Management Under New Commission (News in Brief No. 28, 11 March 2008)
China Is Looking Overseas For Nuclear Investment, Says Report (News in Brief No. 34, 25 March 2008)
The NucNet database currently contains around 12,000 reports published since 1991. To subscribe or ask for any further information email info@worldnuclear.org
