ve to be enriched by the isotope U- 235 to a level of at least 90%. In Shorehams reactor, the fuel was enriched to only 3% of U-235. The isotope would be to diluted to cause any kind of explosion. Shoreham had a series of five barriers designed to contain radioactive materials. The first was the nuclear fuel itself. The radioactive fission products are bound within the ceramic fuel pellets. (Shoreham safety report) These pellets would only melt at extremely hot temperatures. So if they got out of control the operator only had to lower the core in the water below to stop the reaction. The second barrier was the fuel rods in which the fuel pellets were sealed. These contained the relatively small amount of fission products that escaped from the pellets during normal operation. The third barrier was a steel pressure vessel. Sixty-nine feet high and 18feet in diameter, with walls nine inches thick, it contains the water to cool the core. The fourth barrier was the primary containment unit. It was steel lined with reinforced concrete four to seven feet thick. The last was the outside, which was very plain and cold looking. This is where the operators would measure for any radiation leaks. LILCO was the first utility company in America to draft its own emergency plan. They even were going to rely on their employees to perform all the emergency functions. Such as directing traffic, blocking roads, activating sirens, and broadcasting messages over the radio waves.(Arron pg 73) The New York Supreme Court found to this plan to go against state law. A private corporation could not perform functions that were in the states police power. It is the states job to protect it citizens, not a private company. But nether New York State, or Suffolk County wanted to be part of the contingence plan of evacuating Long Island in a nuclear melt down. After discovering all of the benefits and how i...
