3 chapters across the catalog
Arjun Makhijani, head of a non-profit nuclear safety foundation, is interviewed by "Atomic Rod" regarding the risks of spent fuel pools. Makhijani argues that pools like those at Vermont Yankee contain more fuel than the Fukushima reactors and are vulnerable to fires if water is drained during an accident or attack. The hosts suggest Makhijani's foundation is funded to promote natural gas interests by stoking fear of nuclear energy.
Fukushima Unit 4 Spent Fuel Pool, Robert Alvarez
Reports circulating online warn of a global radiation catastrophe if the spent fuel pool at Fukushima's Unit 4 collapses. The hosts debunk these claims by citing an American Nuclear Society report on structural reinforcements and identifying the primary source of the alarm, Robert Alvarez, as an anti-nuclear activist with questionable credentials.
An atomic physicist explains the dangers of spent fuel pools at the Fukushima nuclear plant going dry, which could lead to zirconium-fed fires and the release of radioactive cesium-137 gas. The hosts deconstruct the technical explanation of how the fuel rods could rupture.
