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Plutonium container in radiation accident kept sealed for decades

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So it is the fault of the agency itself for not conducting periodic and mandatory checks.

Negligence, and now people are going to more than likely die because of it, criminal negligence!

Not much for the families of these victims, but at least now they know who is responsible!

6 ( +7 / -1 )

"The bag may have ruptured after long-term storage caused helium gas to accumulate and raise pressure within the container,"

Of course because it is a 26-year old radiated plastic bag! What genius thought a plastic would be a good idea to store powdered nuclear waste?

"Storing (containers) for over 20 years is too long, and occasional checkups and bag replacements were likely necessary."

Common sense should tell you to not use plastic bags! It is true that plastic lasts a long time in the environment but that isn't true for plastic bags.

What will happen to the replaced radioactive plastic bags? That becomes another disposal issue. Are they going to repurpose that plastic and spread it throughout the rest of the country, so everyone can share the weight of the problem?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

A Japan Atomic Energy Agency official said the agency has set no rules regarding how often such containers should be checked. The absence of such rules raises questions about the agency's management of radioactive materials at its facilities.

Yes it does. How many accidents out there, waiting to happen?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Plutonium is serious stuff. The fact it wasn't checked nor stored in a designated location is indeed troubling.

This incident smacks of the deadly Tokaimura accident. I guess the Japanese nuke industry never learns.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Indicative of how flippantly the govt & nuke inc approach the deadly seriousness of safety in the nuclear industry.

Their view - Inc 1, Plebs 0.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I always imagine people in white lab coats, standing before a containment booth with their arms in long rubber gloves when handling hazardous materials. Of course these folks could have done what I always do and that is taking a whiff when opening a can with unknown contents. But I don’t store any nuclear materials.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Trust your nose, eh, Forzaducati? :8)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Oh, yes! The stupid mistakes, accidents and corruption in the Japanese nuclear power agency could be considered a comedy of errors, if they weren't gambling with the future inhabitability of the whole planet!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Right. The box on the outside, says don't open, and they open it.

And clearly not within a hazardous material environment. Should the latter have been the case, no material would have been inhaled, instead it would have been sucked away to a safe containment location.

I used to think that the Japanese Police were simply the only ones who could earn the title of Keystone cops, however this one, really takes the prize. I sincerely hope that poor chap, sues the proverbial pants off his management, and has his Family set straight for their lifetimes.... what a big time mistake. He's probably got a very limited time left now. Poor chap.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

now people are going to more than likely die because of it

Studies over the last 70 years of people accidentally exposed to plutonium and animals intentionally exposed would indicate that at the levels in this incident little if any problems will result.

This incident smacks of the deadly Tokaimura accident.

Except for both having plutonium, the two incidents aren't very similar at all.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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