- Germany has shut down its last nuclear reactors
- Risks still exist in France
- Official bodies have published advice in the event of an accident
It’s done: Germany has finally disconnected its last three nuclear reactors still active, yesterday, Sunday April 16, 2023. A historic stop that follows years of talks between local authorities and associations, despite a first decision firm dating, for its part, from 1990. The Chernobyl accident in 1986 precipitated questions on a European scale, the subject still continuing to fuel debate in France. Nothing has yet been voted within our borders, however the population is mostly hostile to atomic energy.
It must be said that incidents are not uncommon, far from it. During the 2000s alone, the number of serious cases rose to five (without taking into account the contamination of the Garonne at Golfech last February), including a radioactive leak in the United Kingdom and two other critical events in the Hungarian Paks plant. This would provide no less than 40% of the electricity consumed by the whole country, which could explain why its leaders do not seem ready to part with it for the moment.
Risks still very present in France
In France, fifty-eight reactors are currently in operation and one is under construction. More than two thirds of the inhabitants would however be for the exit from nuclear power, with another argument that of waste. Each year, the power stations have to manage considerable quantities of fuel and contaminated water, which in particular motivated the creation of the Bure landfill site in the Meuse.
This should eventually provide a sanctuary for 85,000 cubic meters of radioactive waste. Beyond piracy, another problem then arises: how to tell future generations, whose language, history and technology could be light years away from ours, that a danger still lives five hundred meters below their feet ? For some, the solution involves sapphire discs, a kind of alternative to the memories integrated into our computers today but capable of surviving several hundred thousand years.
What to do in the event of an accident?
In the event that a nuclear accident occurs near you, EDF and the ASN (Nuclear Safety Agency) offer several key recommendations. The first is to take shelter in a building and pack your bags, in order to prepare for a possible evacuation ordered by the authorities. The second is, of course, to keep informed via the web or the radio, and to ingest iodine as soon as the instruction is given.
According to official advice, it is also a question of not saturating the telephone network, to avoid slowing down the emergency services.
