Reports: Iran’s Nuclear Reactor Cracked In Earthquakes

[DonViejo]

Source: AP @ TPM

GEORGE JAHN JUNE 4, 2013, 1:19 PM

Several countries monitoring Iran’s nuclear program have picked up information that the country’s only power-producing nuclear reactor was damaged by one or more of several recent earthquakes, with long cracks appearing in at least one section of the structure, two diplomats said Tuesday.

Iran is under U.N. sanctions for refusing to stop nuclear programs that could be used to make weapons, even as it insists it has no such plans.

Its Bushehr nuclear plant is not considered a proliferation threat. But some nations are concerned about how safe it is. Iran has refused to join an international nuclear safety convention and persistent technical problems have shut the plant for lengthy periods since it started up in September 2011 after years of construction delays.

Reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency in February and May said the agency had been informed by the Iranians that the facility was shut down, without specifying why.

-snip-

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/reports-irans-nuclear-reactor-cracked-in-earthquakes.php?ref=fpb

[Mnemosyne]

1. Just lovely. nt

[santamargarita]

2. What excuse will the right-wing assholes use now

for stealing their oil.

[karynnj]

3. Not sure, but you may have it backward

This is the only POWER producing plant. Iran has said that they are refining uranium for nuclear power - not nuclear weapons. If they are still processing uranium, the right (and almost everyone else) will ask why. If they really were doing it just for nuclear power, they will stop processing uranium.

The concern here is more like that in Japan. We do not know - as no international experts checked out the safety whether or not the reactor is stable and no going to lead to leaking radioactive material.

[santamargarita]

4. Good point!

[truthisfreedom]

5. Conventional nuclear reactors = guaranteed eventual disaster.

Just keeps happening.

[Pterodactyl]

6. The fracking worked!