Commentary
James M. Acton
{
"authors": [
"James M. Acton"
],
"type": "legacyinthemedia",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "ctw",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "NPP",
"programs": [
"Nuclear Policy"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"East Asia",
"Japan"
],
"topics": [
"Nuclear Policy",
"Nuclear Energy"
]
}
Source: Getty
In The Media
Nuclear Situation in Japan Seems to be Stabilizing
While the Fukushima reactor crisis, resulting from Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami, remains unresolved, some positive developments have been made. The possibility of spent fuel pools overheating is now the main source of concern.
Published on Mar 22, 2011
Source: NBC
ANN CURRY, NBC: James Acton is a nuclear expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Acton, good morning.
JAMES ACTON, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Good morning, Ann.
CURRY: First, I want to ask you about this AP report that's just in that is quoting a Japanese official--safety official by name saying that a pool of--for storing spent fuel is heating up and is now around the boiling point and may have been the source for the steam that raised so much concern on Monday. If true, how significant?
ACTON: We've seen over the last few days increasing concern about the state of these spent fuel pools. And if the water is boiling, then that does create concern because it might evaporate. And then at that point there's the risk of the fuel rods overheating. But the piece of good news here is that if the pool is boiling and there's still a lot of water in it, then there's likely to be substantial time to solve this problem. So this is a matter of concern but not of grave concern yet.
CURRY: So much has been happening regarding this nuclear power plant and its reactors, I think that it's very difficult for all of us, the laymen especially, to really understand this. Bottom line, given all the conditions of the--of the past week plus, are we any closer to being safe than we were about a week ago regarding this possibility of a catastrophic release of radiation?
ACTON: Yes we are, but we're certainly not out of the woods yet. You know, I woke up every morning during the first six or seven days of this crisis--maybe five or six days--and every single morning there was some major new piece of bad news. This crisis for the first week was in a position where it was deteriorating and deteriorating relatively quickly. Now we still had bad news over the past few days but it hasn't been nearly as bad and nearly as serious as the new--as the news items in the first week of this crisis. And there's starting to be just the tiniest parts of good news coming through.
CURRY: At the same time, Bob Bazell reported just now that cement trucks are rolling towards this nuclear power plant, the idea being that they would use basically a special mixture to kind of entomb these rods. Has this actually ever been used, this procedure on a--on a nuclear--on nuclear reactors in the state that the Fukushima plant reactors are in?
ACTON: Ann, I haven't had enough information to know yet what they--whether what they're trying to do here is similar to the entombment that they--that the Chernobyl reactor was encased in after 1986. But, you know, the fact that they're considering this kind of option clearly demonstrates the gravity of the situation.
CURRY: All right, James Acton this morning. Thanks a lot, James, for giving us some perspective on this.
ACTON: Thank you.
About the Author
James M. Acton
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the Past
- Unpacking Trump’s National Security StrategyOther
- +18
James M. Acton, Saskia Brechenmacher, Cecily Brewer, …
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
- Taking the Pulse: Is European Diplomacy on Iran Outdated?Commentary
When the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding was announced, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy declared their readiness to help demine the Strait of Hormuz and lift nuclear sanctions on Tehran. But does Europe need new tools to recover a diplomatic role?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- Europe Should Not Let Nuclear Nonproliferation DieCommentary
Amid uncertainty caused by the Iran war, the global drive for nonproliferation has stalled. With Europe diplomatically marginalized and countries reassessing their nuclear options, efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons risk becoming irrelevant.
Jane Darby Menton
- Taking the Pulse: Is France’s New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?Commentary
French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
Rym Momtaz, ed.
- Resetting Cyber Relations with the United StatesArticle
For years, the United States anchored global cyber diplomacy. As Washington rethinks its leadership role, the launch of the UN’s Cyber Global Mechanism may test how allies adjust their engagement.
Patryk Pawlak, Chris Painter
- Europe on Iran: Gone with the WindCommentary
Europe’s reaction to the war in Iran has been disunited and meek, a far cry from its previously leading role in diplomacy with Tehran. To avoid being condemned to the sidelines while escalation continues, Brussels needs to stand up for international law.
Pierre Vimont
