US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power facility

(CNN)The US government has spent the past week assessing a report of a leak at a Chinese nuclear power plant, after a French company that part owns and helps operate it warned of an "imminent radiological threat," according to US officials and documents reviewed by CNN.

US assessing reported leak at Chinese nuclear power facility

This is regarding this particular Chinese nuclear power plant ...

Taishan Nuclear Power Plant

This plant is located in Southern China, along the coast South of Hong Kong and Macau.

For those that might remember, I mentioned years ago in one of the threads contemporaneous to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, I mentioned that I had travelled some in China some time before, and had noted how quickly the Chinese were trying to get the nuclear power plants rolled out. The concern being that they may be taking some short-cuts in construction that might cause future problems, and that they are also building them in areas along to the coastline and up rivers from the coast, which might make them vulnerable to some of the same flooding issues as experienced in Japan.

Based on several news articles I have scanned tonight, it seems like the allegation is that the reactor(s) are leaking a radioactive gas, possibly on an ongoing basis. There is speculation this might be due to some fault in the containment structure(s).

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The French team that helped build this reactor, built another reactor on the same design in France iirc.

That reactor has had several nono's cited by the regulatory authority that inspects it.

Mostly bad welds in the reactor steel.

originally posted by: EnhancedInterrogator

So bio wasn't as effective as planned?

So now going to dirty bomb hong kong?

Sounds about right for CCP.

And surely Americans will give up on covid investigation if we leak a bunch of radiation all over the place?

originally posted by: Nunyabizisit

originally posted by: EnhancedInterrogator

So bio wasn't as effective as planned?

So now going to dirty bomb hong kong?

Sounds about right for CCP.

And surely Americans will give up on covid investigation if we leak a bunch of radiation all over the place?

Agghhh!
You beat me too it. This will be their next effort in attacking the planet. However, Foo Chi will probably exclaim that this leak will cause a mutant strain of SARS-CoVid19. But this time, full face masks will be required.
As for the CCP, they will blame the radiation on Japan.

Another article with more details ...

Bloomberg: China Says Nuke Plant Operates Safely After Radiation Report.

Basically, a French company involved asked formerly for US help in dealing with whatever the issues are.

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Waiting for tonights news on NHK. If they are soft on reporting this, then its bad news for the Sea of Japan fishing industry.

a reply to: musicismagic

It's adjacent to South China Sea actually.

But, if they have to start leaking radioactive water used for cooling (Fukushima-style), that would be bad.

Right now, they are only talking about leaking radioactive gases into the air. Kind of reminds me of Three Mile Island, when they had to do releases if hydrogen gas that was building up inside the reactor, to prevent a possible explosion. In that case, they were deliberate controlled releases, as a corrective action - not a leak of some sort (as maybe appears to be the case with this plant in China).

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originally posted by: EnhancedInterrogator
a reply to: musicismagic

It's adjacent to South China Sea actually. But, if they have to start leaking radioactive water used for cooling (Fukushima-style), that would be bad. Right now, they are only talking about leaking radioactive gases into the air. Kind of reminds me of Three Mile Island, when they had to do releases if hydrogen gas that was building up inside the reactor, to prevent a possible explosion. In that case, they were deliberate controlled releases, as a corrective action - not a leak of some sort (as maybe appears to be the case with this plant in China).


Good news then. Thanks.
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a reply to: musicismagic

Not good news for:
* China
* Hong Kong
* Macau
* Taiwan
* Vietnam
* Philippines

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a reply to: Violater1


"You beat me too it. "


You've done it to me MANY times over the years without knowing!

a reply to: EnhancedInterrogator


If you detonated a huge bomb underwater next to those countries if their waters had radioactive contamination, would that bring about a radioactive tsunami like with those fancy torpedoes Russia has but in an Asian-redneck kind of execution style?


Would the radioactive water deter US naval activity and would those countries then become dependent on China's goodwill?

China has shown before it is not afraid to inflict some self damage in order to have some sort of alibi. How badly would they suffer in this situation?

a reply to: EnhancedInterrogator

Doesn't a fault in the containment structure suggest some kind
of an event? IDK Seams like a reasonable question.

I was initially tempted to ding China on the potentially shoddy reactor construction, but sounds like the French are at least partially culpable on this as well, particularly considering Archivalist's post (i.e. this reactor is of French design that has had other regulatory concerns elsewhere).

Isn't globalism neat?? European company travels to the Far East to "help construct, operate and co-own" a nuclear power plant there. Now, when the SHTF....who is responsible for the environmental damages? The Chinese government? The French government? The French transnational company building nuclear reactors all over God's creation?

What about the Chinese citizens living near and around the reactor? Who will help monitor the radiation levels, look after their safety, and assist in relocating them, if need be? I'm sure the CCP will lend a hand, no? And now the French co-owners/co-operators of the facility, presumably they slink back to France and wash their hands of the debacle?

This seems to be a recurring theme with the "global community" operating in China: foreign business helps set up some environmentally/socially questionable business operation (SEE:, Wuhan institute on virology) inside China. When things go pear-shaped, the global community and foreign businesses have a built-in alibi in blaming China for the mess. Meanwhile the CCP, who ultimately have the final say in ALL matters of commerce inside China, continue to circle the wagons and blame quote-unquote The West. The worst part is it *sounds* like, behind the scenes, the CCP and foreign business interests come to these agreements *knowing* that there is a probability for something to go awry, and also fully cognizant that in such a scenario, they can just point fingers at the other party to avoid blame and curry support from their respective domestic interests.

Before anyone gets the impression that I'm anti-Europe or anti-French, I am fully aware that US companies play the exact same shenanigans in China, hence my mention of Wuhan lab, which seems to have the same exact modus operandi as this French nuclear power company.

I have sympathy for the Chinese people subjected to being bought and sold, and their health and safety traded away by their government to the highest bidder from foreign corporations.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened

"I have sympathy for the Chinese people subjected to being bought and sold, and their health and safety traded away by their government to the highest bidder from foreign corporations"

I agree 100%.

However, in many recent china disasters like this it seems more like western companies have been bowing to ccp pressure to help them deploy more advanced technologies there.

Technologies that they are CLEARLY not ready for.

And current culture there is very different from west as far as regulatory and press investigations, while 'face' motivates ccp folks to cover up every small problem until they become potential disasters and can no longer hide the problem.

(Like a U.S. satellite or CCP whistleblower)

Not that the above makes it any better, it doesn't, just a little different than similar mistakes made in the previous century IMO.

a reply to: Nunyabizisit

Yes, I agree, there is blame on both sides of these "partnerships", more than enough blame to go around.

The Chinese people are in a vise grip of a tyrannical dictatorship masquerading as a communist state. Sure it's easy to wonder why they can't take accountability and strive to enact a better governance model, but to do so invites huge danger and bloodshed (easier said than done). I don't see the Chinese people ridding themselves of the CCP anytime soon.

That leaves the "global community" and transnational corporations to play the adult in this model. If it were up to me, US corporations, at least, would not be setting up shop in China solely to dodge regulatory concerns and have a built-in escape hatch ("See it's China's fault!") if things go sideways. We (The West and US in particular) have enriched and empowered the CCP by sending so much trade and commerce and technical know-how to a brutal regime, simply so that these companies can get paid. In the process we've detracted from our own manufacturing and production base, selling out our own people to the highest bidder (CCP), who we KNOW are lousy leaders that don't care about their own people and will skirt any notion of fair labor practice, ecological safety or any responsible social policy, just to keep their economy growing.

a reply to: SleeperHasAwakened


This is where we differ a bit.

I think CCP is 100% responsible for their actions.

Period.

No exceptions.


I also think that while many (probably most) western companies and institutions are investing in china with good intentions, like you, I know that some of those companies were only interested in cutting corners to save a buck.

I just think those on the unethical & greedy side are a very small minority.

Most often it's western companies discovering the issues, and ccp covering them up. To the point of many western companies just abandoning their ownership share in the project.

Because ccp was demanding coverup of potentially catastrophic problems.

(See 3g dam)

ETA:

(Or baby food poisoning)

I'm sure that if they discover elevated levels of radiation, we'll be told it has a natural source and none of it comes from China because to imply that would be racist. We'll also initially be told there is no reason to panic, and then later on, every government at every level will use the elevated radiation levels to grab unprecedented levels of control of our lives based on "emergency powers" granted for health reasons.

Then we'll be told that masks will protect us, and we'll all be forced to dig those out again. And when people try to explain that wearing masks doesn't protect you from radiation, people who want to believe will say you don't wear masks for your protection but to protect others from the contamination you might be spreading.

a reply to: ketsuko

And there might suddenly be a vaxxine for radiation poisoning?

originally posted by: Nunyabizisit
a reply to: ketsuko

And there might suddenly be a vaxxine for radiation poisoning?

Gotta line up for our iodine jabs!

If we have learned anything recently it's that the US government trusts the Chinese and that they would never be anything but straightforward with the rest of the world.

What could possibly go wrong?