FAQ's - Nuclear Reactor Crisis in Japan

submitted by Janine Rees

from Union of Concerned Scientists

(Full story with ALL questions and answers in link below)

http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_risk/safety/nuclear-reactor-crisis-faq.html#risks%20of%20spent%20fuel%20pools 

Reactor Containment Issues

• What are the different types of containment that prevent radiation from getting into the environment?
• What is the difference between a meltdown and a loss of containment?
• What is a “partial reactor meltdown” and what is a “complete meltdown”?
• How is radioactivity released from the reactor vessel into primary containment?

Cooling Issues Associated with Reactors and Spent Fuel Pools

• If the reactors are shut down, why is cooling a problem?
• What are the risks, including fire risks, associated with spent fuel storage pools?
• What happens to the seawater that is being pumped into the reactors?
• Are the spent fuel pools better protected at U.S. nuclear power plants?