ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
   computing
   personal technology
   space
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
Tech

Tomorrow Today

Nuclear plants strive for Y2K compliance

Three Mile Island
Not a single new nuclear power plant has been ordered in the United States since the Three Mile Island incident

RELATED VIDEO
CNN's Natalie Pawelski reports on Y2K preparedness at nuclear power plants
Real 28K 80K
Windows Media 28K 80K

Jerry Wermiel of the NRC addresses Y2k safety issues
Real 28K 80K
Windows Media 28K 80K

  

April 1, 1999
Web posted at: 9:17 a.m. EST (1417 GMT)

THREE MILE ISLAND, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- In the big unknown of the Y2K computer crisis, many fear meltdowns at every kind. Inevitably, the question arises: Will nuclear power plants be safe?

Memories of what happened 20 years ago at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island only heighten concerns about nuclear power plants and their preparedness for the year 2000 bug.

The 1979 accident was the worst in U.S. nuclear power plant history.

"We have a very strong plan," says Mark Whelan of PECO Energy. "We have been working it for two years. We are sort of getting into the eighth inning now."

Because most emergency systems were designed and built before computers were prevalent, nuclear power plants may actually face fewer problems than other industries, plant officials say.

But watchdog groups have warned Congress that there are no guarantees for compliance when the clocks roll over to the year 2000.

David Lochbaum, a representative of the Union of Concerned Scientists, questions whether all scenarios have been considered.

"Nuclear power plants have support systems that may be affected by the millennium bug," Lochbaum says. "The failure of these support systems can prevent emergency systems from performing their necessary functions."

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has set a July 1 deadline for every nuclear power plant in the United States to find and fix all Y2K glitches.

Jerry Wermiel of the NRC said that if the problems are not fixed, the commission may take over operations or even shut down facilities on January 1. (Audio 196 K/ 9 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)

power plant
A nuclear power plant requires electricity to keep fuel rods cool and prevent meltdown   

Even when a plant is not in operation, the facility is vulnerable to possible meltdowns. To prevent an accident, fuel rods must be kept cool, which requires at least some electricity.

Don Croneberger, Y2K manager at Three Mile Island, says the plant has backup systems in place.

"This plant is designed so that if it were shut down, it has its own dedicated power supply in the form of diesel generators which can operate even if there's a disconnection with the electrical grid outside," Croneberger says.

While both regulators and power providers say they will be ready for Y2K, the Three Mile Island incident reminds everyone that problems at nuclear power plants can be unforgiving. Since the 1979 accident, not a single new nuclear power plant has been ordered in the United States.


SPECIAL SECTION:
Looking at the Y2K Bug

RELATED STORIES:
Protesters mark Three Mile Island 20th anniversary
March 29, 1999
Essay: Memories of a nuclear disaster
March 30, 1999
The Three Mile Island legacy
March 29, 1999

RELATED SITES:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
U.S. Department of Energy - At a Glance
Questions and Answers about Nuclear Energy
PRIS - Number of Reactors Operation Worldwide
The Discovery Of Radioactivity:The Dawn of the Nuclear Age
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

 LATEST HEADLINES:
SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

Back to the top   © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.