Cracks may force shutdown of UK reactors

"Reactors in many UK nuclear power stations are in danger of developing cracks in their graphite cores. This could force some plants to close down earlier than expected, dealing a blow to the idea that nuclear power can become a "green" option in the fight against global warming.

Documents obtained by New Scientist under the UK's Freedom of Information Act have revealed unsuspected problems with the country's ageing advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGRs). Government nuclear inspectors say they have uncovered weaknesses in the safety analyses carried out by British Energy, the company that runs the reactors."

www.newscientist.com...

If true this is a serious blow to global warming prevention and an immediate danger to the citizens of the UK.

Worrying indeed. I read sometime ago that reactors lifetimes range from somewhere between 30-40 years, I may check this out.

The concerning part of this is that they have yet to figure out an environmentally and economically viable way to dismantle the reactors. You would have thought that more planning would have been made.