SPERT was incomplete when the feds killed it

From: newslibrary@newsbank.com
To: bobleyse@aol.com
Sent: 7/13/2016 12:59:28 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time
Subj: Post Register Document

Post Register (Idaho Falls, ID)

Post Register (Idaho Falls, ID) Post Register (Idaho Falls, ID) February 6, 2004 Power pioneers Section: Opinion Page: a6 Index Terms: Hot Topics Estimated printed pages: 1 Article Text: Kathleen O'Neil's write-up on Jan. 9 about the SPERT pioneers was refreshing. Workers in many areas of nuclear power reactor research were impacted as the AEC wrecked many investigations including SPERT. The SPERT investigations were invaluable. But the AEC stifled the investigators before the work was complete. Clyde Toole is quoted, "We had an open ended charter to see if we could improve safety." F. L. "Skeets" Bentzen agreed, "We could do things that we couldn't even think about doing today." Toole added, "I feel we lost safety. To me you lose all incentive when you can't make any decisions." Unfortunately, SPERT was liquidated by the AEC while its mission was far from complete. Today our nation has about 100 nuclear power reactors in operation. SPERT was fueled with clean stainless steel clad elements. Today's reactors are fueled with zirconium alloy clad fuel elements. Many of today's power reactors operate for extended durations with highly fouled (dirty) fuel elements. Unfortunately SPERT never included fouled zirconium alloy fuel in its menu of tests. And the research workers in today's DOE and NRC programs have no authorization to even think of the ramifications. The SL-1 reactor accident of early January 1961 illustrated what happens when a dirty core blows up. The heavily oxidized and fouled aluminum cladding has never been recognized by the AEC and its successors as a significant factor in the severity of that accident. And today, the rulers of the DOE and NRC persist in ignoring the implications of dirty reactor cores among our nation's 100 nuclear power reactors. BOB LEYSE Sun Valley Copyright © 2004 Post Company Record Number: 616768-02062004