Been thinking what if our UK nuclear plants were to ever leak?

[scrummyyummy]

I've been following the awful news about Japan and was just wondering how we would cope with a leakage from our nuclear plants. I live only about 40 miles from the Sizewell B and I have to admit, it does give me slight jitters to think about any potential accidents. I think I'm getting more neurotic as I get older.............

[NazNomad]

Imagine how we cope with 1'' of snow ... now, expand that thought.

We'd be truly f***ed, no doubt.

[scrummyyummy]

Exactly, Naz! I'm off to pack my emergency bag in case I need to do a runner......! lol!

[Zeuhl]

Not that neurotic.

Your local plant did 'leak' in 1959.

The radioactive cloud travelled right across the north west of england. The govt decided not to tell anyone at the time in case people panicked!
.

[sandyRoe]

That poisonous cloud also travelled across the Irish Sea. In 1958 there was an unaccounted for increase in the number of Downs Syndrome babies born along the east coast of Ireland.

[scrummyyummy]

REALLY?! I didn't know that! Won't surprise me if the government keeps it quiet then (well, to start with anyway).

[moonraker558]

We dont know the half of what goes on.

[scrummyyummy]

pixi: that sounds like a COD game my son plays with? I don't really take interest in his games but I hear him talking of 'zombies' to his friends when they're playing!

[piggynose]

just think what will happen if or when there is a terrorist attack against france´s nuclear plants. these arent 2 far away.

[ChuckFickens]

Wasn't it windscale that leaked in the 50's (or was there 2 leaks?)

Also didn't Sellafield have an accident a few years back?

[piggynose]

moonraker, only 1/2, yr lucky!!

[albaqwerty]

Didn't Windscale change its name to Sellafield after the "accident"

My godson was born with deformed toes shortly after Chrnobyl. His mum was only about 4 - 6 weeks pregnant when it blew.

[piggynose]

isnt it called keeping the populus in the dark, and using the means they have to make light of it!!

[yogi-bear]

Hiya Chuckers

Sellafield was originally Windscale, as renamed i think.:0)

Absolutely terrible what the lovely Japanese people are going through at the moment and been frantically calling friends i know who are over there since Friday to see if they are all ok. All i've spoken, and families too, accounted for thank goodness. :0)

[DTCwordfan]

Yes, it was the plant before Windscale, Calder Hall, and the wind coincidentally was blowing from the SE, unusually so, taking the radiation away from the UK and just skirting Ireland and Ayr.

I hate to say, scrummy, and dampen your logic but an accident as per Japan is unlikely as the UK is not on active plates or major faults such as Japan has. So an incident as per what has happened to them is virtually unlikely. However, that does not mean other accidents could not happen - there is one other factor too and that is the strength of the "flasks/spheres/tanks" that house the reactor are very, very strong and one should remember that with this Japanese disaster there has been no rupture of the tank. The radiation levels that are being admitted are not too dangerous and are mainly iodine based and radioactive iodine has a very short "half life" meaning that within ten days, the presence is greatly reduced and within a month only barely present. The evacuations are therefore precautionary ones.

So to see Sizewell, Dungeness, North Berwick, Windscale go up, or wherever, (and also French units) a la Cherbonyl is highly unlikely. In fact, most of us have forgotten the impact of Cherbonyl, but it is still there in radiation pockets and especially lambs being born with deformities - as that radiation has been ingested - again a difference with Japan where they are trying to ensure there is no ingestion.

Hope that this alleviates the need for you to make a pack (and where are you going to head) and also rush out and buy iodine tablets to load your thyroid (the way they stop ingestion of iodine).....

[Old_Geezer]

Been thinking, what if I get hit by a bus later today?

Maybe we shouldn't worry ourselves to death over "what ifs". There are drills in place for most major events. If the billions to one chance that the UK gets a major earthquake and tsunami occurs, then that's the time to worry about it. Meanwhile we do what we have to do.

[McMouse]

The Chernobyl disaster occurred on 26 April 1986 and there are still restrictions in UK on over 350 farms covering 750 km² and 200,000 sheep. Don't worry about leaks here, we're already getting plenty from Ukraine. Looking on the bright side, some Welsh Lamb comes pre-microwaved.

[albaqwerty]

^^^ yogi dear, see my reply :)

It's a worrying time when friends and family are the other side of the world. We were all worried for 48hrs after the latest Christchurch earthquake, but like you, fortunaely, everyone is fine.

[DTCwordfan]

One of the comedy shows did a spoof on a Readybrek ad that used to show kids out in the winter rain and wind, wrapped up, and a red glow around them from their cereal. The caption (strap line) was "Keep your family warm, eat Readbrek" or something like that. The comedians ran the same ad and just modified the caption "Keep your family warm, move to Sellafield."

[ChuckFickens]

Hi Yogi,

Oh, right, I'm not old enough to recall it being called Windscale :) but I'm still not sure if there was ever a leak at Sizewell in the 50's.

Glad to hear all the people you know are OK over there, it took a couple of days for my family to hear from my cousin and his wife who live over there, they are fortunately fine too.