• Germany edition
A Greenpeace protest at the power station in 2009. Photo: DPA

Officials approve fog grenades to protect nuclear power plant

Published: 19 Jul 10 19:03 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100719-28609.html

Officials in the German state of Baden-Württemberg said Monday that they have given the green light to a novel scheme to protect a nuclear power station from attack: fog grenades.

Under plans approved by the southwestern state's Environment Ministry, the Philippsburg power station could be shrouded in thick mist in 40 seconds if an aircraft was hijacked in the area.

A spokeswoman for the ministry said that a new scheme, which sees the fog grenades fired from special launchers set up around the reactor, was running "decently" at another nuclear power station.

A recent ruling by Germany's top court that hijacked aircraft could not be shot down also gave some impetus to the scheme, the spokeswoman added.

The plans have been criticised, however, as being insufficient since a plane's navigation system could easily direct a pilot to the power station without the need to see it with the naked eye.

Germany decided in 2000 to mothball its 17 nuclear power stations by 2020, but Chancellor Angela Merkel's new coalition government wants to extend the life of some reactors, which produce around 30 percent of the country's power.

However, nuclear power is unpopular among Germans worried about safety risks and the lack of a permanent storage site for radioactive waste.

AFP (news@thelocal.de)

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20:53 July 19, 2010 by derExDeutsche
What is the point of doing this RIGHT NOW? Aren't we in a recession/depression? Is this the time to be tinkering? Is sending more money to the Middle East really our only 'Sicher ist Nur' option?

How is the 'Green' Economy working out for other countries? Is there a consensus if 'Climate-Change' exists, and to what extent is it man-made? Is it getting warmer, or is it getting cooler? Can we dispose of Batteries for Solar Power, and Electric Cars safely yet? Is Wind Power and Solar cost efficient at all?

So let me get this straight, no Oil, No Nuke, No coal. Just 'Luft und Liebe'?
21:38 July 19, 2010 by ReaderX
Well that's the dumbest idea I have hear today. I mean how hard would it be to fly this so called hijacked plane into the big freaking cloud of "mist" ? Its amazing that so many government leaders are such idiots. I mean what are they gonna do if it's a windy day at one of these facilities? What about rain. Those things will affect a "cloud of smoke".

Smoke and mirrors!
00:01 July 20, 2010 by beeker
Darn, I thought that containment buildings were hardened to the point that an airplane would only do minor damage. Not that they are built to be plane proof, but to do their primary job, contain any stray radiation inside if there is an operational error.
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