IAEA sees 'some positive developments' at Fukushima

EU nuclear operators must be liable for accidents: AustriaVienna (AFP) March 20, 2011 - The EU needs to harmonise liability rules in the event of a nuclear accident so that operators and not taxpayers are made to pay for any damage, Austria's environment minister urged Sunday. "As long as the last reactor in Europe has not been shut down, we need EU-wide harmonised rules of accountability for nuclear power plant accidents," Nikolaus Berlakovich said in a statement. "All those who profit (from nuclear energy) -- operators, providers, engineers, etc. -- must be held liable for all resulting damage in the event of an accident, and that across national borders." Currently, the bloc has no strict liability rules in case of a nuclear disaster, the minister complained, as eyes remained on Japan's Fukushima plant, where crews were scrambling to prevent a catastrophic meltdown following last week's earthquake and tsunami. "It's mad that the EU regulates how curvy a banana should be but there are no uniform Europe-wide security standards for nuclear power plants," Berlakovich said. Austrian companies were held responsible for environmental damage and "the same should go for European nuclear plant operators," he insisted. The European Union agreed Tuesday to nuclear "stress tests," strongly pushed by Austria, in the wake of Japan's nuclear emergency. Surrounded by neighbours keen on atomic energy, anti-nuclear Austria has nevertheless been campaigning for a complete withdrawal from nuclear power in Europe, with activists repeatedly urging the closure of plants in Slovenia and Slovakia.

by Staff Writers Vienna (AFP) March 20, 2011 The UN atomic watchdog Sunday noted "some positive developments" at Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant over the past 24 hours, but warned that the crisis there remained serious. "There have been some positive developments in last 24 hours, but the overall situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant remains very serious," Graham Andrew, a scientific and technical advisor to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told a regular daily press briefing here.
Efforts to restore electrical power to the reactor cooling systems on the site were continuing in "difficult conditions," Andrew said.
Following an initial rise in pressure in the pressure vessel of unit 3, plans were made to vent it to avoid a possible explosion.
"However, from information recently received from NISA (the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency), they have decided not to vent as the vessel pressure has started to reduce, which is good news," the expert said.
The situation in the reactor's spent fuel ponds was "relatively stable but is still of concern," Andrew said.
The IAEA still lacks data on water levels and temperatures at the spent fuel ponds at units 1, 2, 3 and 4.
One "positive" development was that cooling has been restored to the reactor pressure vessels in units 5 and 6.
Temperatures in the spent fuel ponds at these two units, "which had been rising in the last few days, have now fallen significantly," he said.
Two diesel generators, one for each unit, were providing electricity to those units.
Radiation levels in major Japanese cities "have not changed significantly since yesterday and remain below those which are dangerous to human health," Andrew added.
In a statement posted on the IAEA's website, the agency said that workers had successfully placed the number 5 and 6 reactors "into cold shutdown".
The reactors are thus "in a safe mode, with cooling systems stable and under control, and with low temperature and pressure within the reactor."