New York Times: Experts Had Long Criticized Potential Weakness in Design of Stricken Reactor
The Mark 1 reactors in the United States have undergone a variety of modifications since the initial concerns were raised. In the late 1980s, all Mark 1 reactors in the United States were also retrofitted with venting systems to help reduce pressure in an overheating situation.
Reuters: Japan reactor design caused GE engineer to quit
Dale Bridenbaugh said the “Mark 1” design had “not yet been designed to withstand the loads” that could be experienced in a large-scale accident.
“At the time, I didn’t think the utilities were taking things seriously enough,” Bridenbaugh, now retired, said in a phone interview. “I felt some of the plants should have been shut down while the analysis was completed, and GE and the utilities didn’t want to do that, so I left.”
Bridenbaugh said that to the best of his knowledge, the design flaws he had identified were addressed at the Daiichi plant, requiring “a fairly significant expense.”
