http://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/fire-at-belgian-nuclear-reactor-cracks-in-pressure-vessels-oil-leak/

Fire at Belgian Nuclear Reactor; Cracks in Pressure Vessels & Oil Leak
Monday Dec 1, 2014

There was a fire at the French owned Belgian Tihange 3 nuclear reactor. The real news, however, is that three others are offline – two due to serious safety concerns.

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Tests indicated that material similar to that found in the Doel 3 and Tihange 2 reactor pressure vessels “was more strongly affected by radiation than predicted by theoretical models“! Thus, apparently because the regulator is doing their job, they are offline. http://www.fanc.fgov.be/fr/news/doel-3/tihange-2-fanc-and-bel-v-decide-on-review-process/715.aspx

Huh? Whose “theoretical model”? These are old reactors which were completed in 1982 and 1983 and neutron bombardment degrades the materials which make up nuclear reactors at a faster rate than would normally occur. This is the reason that nuclear reactors were licensed for a fixed period of time.

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Here is the frightening kicker! Electrabel (i.e. GDF-Suez) was unhappy with the findings and apparently wants to keep testing and manipulating how the data is evaluated to prove what they want to prove – i.e. that the reactor pressure vessels are ok, when they clearly are not:

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An expert evaluation team is being brought in. http://www.fanc.fgov.be/fr/news/doel-3/tihange-2-fanc-and-bel-v-decide-on-review-process/715.aspx It appears that the experts were brought in by the regulator to act as an arbiter to keep GDF-Suez from (seemingly) trying to manipulate the data until it gets what it wants, though it could be the opposite.

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