Nuclear Event in Netherlands on Saturday, 01 December, 2012 at 19:13 (07:13 PM) UTC

Nuclear Event in Netherlands on Saturday, 01 December, 2012 at 19:13 (07:13 PM) UTC.

Description
A nuclear reactor in the Dutch town of Petten has been shut down after a fault in the cooling system was found. The plant's operating company NRG has said there is no danger to human beings or the environment. The Petten reactor had been offline since 11 November for planned maintenance work. In the course of this the fault was discovered. NRG immediately began an investigation into the cause, nature and size of the defect. The reactor saw periods of enforced stoppage in 2008 and 2010, also for problems in the cooling system. The shutdowns led to a worldwide shorttage of medical isotopes, which are made at Petten. These radioactive substances are used in hospitals to trace and treat tumors. A third of the world's medical isotopes are generated by the Dutch reactor, allowing 24,000 patients to be treated. An NRG spokeswoman said this time around it is a different kind of fault. She added that it is impossible to estimate for how long the reactor will remain offline, but NRG is hoping to have a clearer picture in the course of this month.
[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]