Nuclear Energy

Nuclear Quintessential for Sustainability?

• Its fuel will be readily available for multiple centuries• Its presence confers energy autonomy• Its safety record is superior among major energy sources• Its consumption causes virtually no pollution or greenhouse gases• Its use preserves fossil resources for future generations• Its capacities are scalable, from small reactors to large• Its costs are competitive and declining• Its waste can be secured over the long-term• Its operations are manageable in developed & developing nations.

1986 CHERNOBYL MELTDOWN

Presented By:Karthik KrishnamurthyOwen KajfaszDivya Kothari

Sequence of Events – Test Prep• 1:06am April 25th – scheduled shutdown of the reactor started• 2:00pm – shutdown pause by reactor operator due to electric grid

controller request until 11:10pm• 12:00am April 26th – shift change (to shift not initially in charge of test)• 12:05am – Power level dropped below the 700 MW operation limit• 12:28am – Power level dropped unexpectedly from 500 MW to 30 MW• 1:00am – Power level stabilized at 200 MW – decision made to carry out

test regardless of level• 1:03am-1:23am – To stabilize other factors during operation at this level,

they had to operate outside 3 technical parameters, and decided to disable 2 automatic control features – carried on with test regardless

Sequence of Events – The Test Gone Wrong

• 1:23:04am – turbine rundown test began• 1:23:40am – The operator initiates emergency insertion of control

rods, causing temperature increases and boiling of water coolant- Control rods did not make it to full insertion

• 1:23:44am – Explosion in the reactor• 1:23:45am – The 1000 ton lid above fuel elements lifted; Release of

radiation into environment begins; Air introduced to the system starts graphite fire; Second explosion taking first victim; Power out except battery-powered emergency lights

• 1:26:03am – fire alarm activated

Sequence of Events – Incidence Response• 1:35am - Firefighters arrive and begin to fight fire w/o radiation protection• 2:15am - Pripyat government ordered road block to prevent cars from

entering or leaving town• 2:30am - Plant manager arrives to bunker, receives report of serious

radiation accident but that the reactor is still intact• 4:00am - Word makes it to Moscow that the reactors is still intact, they

send orders to continue feeding water• 4:30am - Chief engineer Fomin arrives, ordered more water feeding, water

leaked causing electrical damage and carrying radioactive debris, people being disabled by radiation

• 5:00am - Militia commander Berdov arrives from Kiev• 6:35am - 186 firefighters have contained all except the fire in Reactor 4

Sequence of Events – Incidence Response• 1:13am April 27 – Units 1 and 2 are powered down, 24hrs after the

start of the accident• 7:00am – Radiation levels and graphite fire discovered• 10:00am – Helicopters begin 5 days of dropping sand, lead, clay and

boron – none makes it to the target• 2:00pm – Pripyat’s 43,000 residents evacuated in 3.5 hours• 9:02pm April 28 – Moscow TV news announces accident to the public• May 10 – the fire is extinguished • May 27 – Concrete sarcophagus containment is proposed• December 14 – Concrete sarcophagus completed over fourth reactor• 2017 – Estimated completion of New Safe Confinement Shelter

IMPACT: Radioactive Contamination of the Ecosystem

● Geographic Impact● Environment - Affecting flora,

fauna, water bodies, soil & the atmosphere

● Health - Radiation poisoning, thyroid cancer, leukemia and many others (‘Chernobyl AIDS’)

● Other consequences - high suicide/abortion rates, breakdown of USSR(?), effect on film

The effects of radiation exposure fall into 2 main classes:- Deterministic effects – Where the effect is certain to occur under given conditions.

Eg. Individuals exposed to several grays over a short period of time will definitely suffer Acute Radiation Syndrome

- Stochastic effects – Where the effect may or may not occurEg. An increase in radiation exposure may or may not induce a cancer in a particular individual but if a sufficiently large population receives a radiation exposure above a certain level, an increase in the incidence of cancer may become detectable in that population.

UNSCEAR ( United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation), 2011

Protocols Broken/Overlooked• Using Reactor number 4 despite orders to be shut down • Running the reactor below the stipulated range of 700 -1000 mW• Continuing with the experiment despite the thermal output being lower

than the minimum designated : 700 mW• Control rods removed violating the minimum operating reactivity margin• Ignored repeated warnings by KGB• Faulty design and construction errors• Need for urgent repairs disregarded• Safety measures neglected

“Russians knew that Chernobyl was fatally flawed, even at the design stage” (2003, Prague)

“Ukraine has released about 100 secret files sent by its branch of the KGB to the Soviet intelligence organization's headquarters in Moscow saying the plant was fatally flawed from the start. The documents released by the SBU show Chernobyl suffered serious flaws from the design stage and that mistakes continued during building in the 1970s and throughout its operation.

They show that the authorities ignored KGB warnings that building materials were sub-standard and that nuclear technicians often ignored safety regulations. There were 29 accidents between 1977 and 1981.In September 1982 an accident released what the documents describe as significant quantities of radiation.

One document deals with an inspection only weeks before the disaster, when engineers said the plant was too dangerous and should be shut.”

Risks Identified• Running a faulty reactor• Inadequately trained personnel• Not having proper policies and procedures in place

• Safety measures• Setting the ‘tone at the top’• Maintenance of the reactor• Construction

• Mismanagement • Employee Shifts• Communication channels

• Failure to resist wrong commands• Dealing with volatile material• Political factors

“Operational risk management must be married to the strategic planning process if it is to be truly effective”

-Annie Searle

A Turning Point

• Chernobyl - Turning point in our world's history• No longer a national concern• Radical shift globally regarding nuclear disasters• International community acted with determination and speed• Change in people’s perception towards laws governing the use of

nuclear power

Implications

• Catalyst for agreements• Assessment to readiness• Question of liability• Safety and security of nuclear installations

List of Conventions

26th September 1986

Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident

Convention on Assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency

21st September 1988 Joint protocol relating the Application of the Vienna and Paris Convention

17th June 1994 Convention on Nuclear Safety

5th September 1997 Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management

Early Notification and Assistance

• The Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident

• Obligations of the affected states to notify and inform other states

• Set of definitions for a nuclear accident

• Defines the owner/operator of a plant

• Type of information to be communicated with stakeholders

Assessment to Readiness

• The Convention on Assistance in the case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency

• Increased co-operation to minimize the consequences of a nuclear accident or radiological emergencies

• The assisting state provides assistance without claiming the cost• Immunity and special status for assistance personnel • Immune from legal process and freedom of movement in and out of

the requesting state

Conventions on Nuclear Safety

• Formulation of the “Safety Fundamentals” document • Establish a legislative and regulatory framework

• Defines the responsibilities of the government and the regulatory body• Training and education of the workforce• Safety of the nuclear workforce • Requirement for continued surveillance of the facilities• Safe disposal of radioactive waste

• Obligation for parties to submit reports for peer review meetings.

Liabilities and Concerns

Before Chernobyl After ChernobylJurisdiction lies with the state where the accident occurred Extended geographic scope

Limited in time and amount• Claims must be filed within 10 years• Victim must file the claim within 2 years of

discovering the damage• State courts are free to apply their national

law free of any discrimination

Improved in time and amount• Claims must be filed within 30 years• Victim must file the claim within 10 years

of discovering the damage• Intervention of international organizations

like United NationsLiability - Paris Convention

• Minimum - 5 Million SDRs• Maximum - 15 million SDRs

Liability - Paris Convention• Minimum - 5 Million SDRs (extensions

subject to availability)• Maximum - 300 million SDRs

Nuclear Power Plant Ecosystem

Risk Management Framework

Step 1: Identify Related Risks

Step 2: Identify Strategies to Manage Risk

Step 3: Implement Integrated Solutions

Step 4: Monitor Effectiveness of Solutions

Closing Comments

• Made the world realize the magnitude and the seriousness of a nuclear accident

• Most nuclear power generating countries are not part of any of the conventions

• Potential Recommendations:-Better quality assurance process-Increase transparency & accountability-Effective communication and disclosure to the public

QUESTIONS?

References· http://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/international-law/nuclear-law-after-chernobyl-a-step-in-the-right-direction-international-law-essay.php· http://www.mdc.edu/kendall/chmphy/nuclear/fusion.htm· http://www.world-nuclear.org/Archive/The-Necessity-of-Nuclear-Power/· http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Appendices/Chernobyl-Accident---Appendix-1--Sequence-of-Events/· http://www.globalsecurity.org/jhtml/jframe.html#http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/russia/images/rbmk-design.gif|||· http://chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/timeline/· http://www.neimagazine.com/features/featurechernobyl-26-april-1986/· http://chernobylgallery.com/chernobyl-disaster/cause/· http://www.nei.org/master-document-folder/backgrounders/fact-sheets/chernobyl-accident-and-its-consequences· http://atomicinsights.com/accident-at-chernobyl-caused-explosion/· http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/152617/· http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident.aspx· http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/08/1052280380105.html· http://snippits-and-slappits.blogspot.com/2011/04/chernobyl-animals-and-lush-forests.html· http://rceezwhatsup.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html· http://www.wired.com/2014/04/gerd-ludwig-chernobyl/· IAEA. (2001). Risk management: A tool for improving nuclear power plant performance. International Atomic Energy Agency