I have a lot of respect for the workers at the plant who risk their health and work hard to prevent a disaster. But I also think it's an irresponsible policy to require this kind of heroism from people. I have only contempt for the people who ignored the IAEA warning about Japanese reactors a couple of years ago, and for the people who are still deciding to build new reactors near fault lines without sufficient safety precautions to withstand the worst earthquakes.
The reactor should have been safe. Better able to withstand earthquake and tsunami, and more, better, and more reliable backup systems.
The actual earthquake, Where the ground moved around, did no significant damage to the plant. It was the tsunami that destroyed the tanks for the diesel fuel for the emergency diesel generators (all 13 EDGs). This along with the loss of outside transmission losses meant no power to run the pumps for feedwater into the reactor vessel.
Many newer plant have completely passive systems, fed by gravity and other things that will work without electricity. One thing you have in an abundance after a nuclear accident is heat. some of the older plants and many reactors (especially in the navy) have pumps that run off of steam.
the plant I speak of is a little different from theirs. It's a PWR, theirs was a BWR. Our Aux feed system (with three separate trains) runs off of aux feed. in the event of an accident the natural circulation of the primary would move that heat to the steam generators with or without pumps running. The aux feed system which can be run with or without electricity will provide feedwater to remove decay heat from the Reactor.
There are Seismic considerations to everything we do as well. A similar earthquake and tsunami would not destroy our EDGs. Thus I doubt any resulting accident would be nearly as severe, our plant is 5 years newer
with regard to them being required to stay, I doubt that anyone was required to stay. I know if there was an accident where I work, (even if it was as severe) there would be no question that I would stay. Along with many others. I was in the coast guard before this. I was a sea marshal for a short time. I was a firefighter, repair team member, damage control team member. Many others as well would see it as their duty to stay, even if the company didn't ask. I personally know people from here who have volunteered to go help the Japanese plants.
