Watch CBS News

France%20Admits%20Nuke%20%27Incident%27

Two%20French%20nuclear%20reactors%20were%20flooded%20by%20storm%20waters%20in%20late%20December%2C%20causing%20a%20serious%2C%20but%20not%20threatening%2C%20%3Cb%3E%22incident%2C%22%3C/b%3E%20nuclear%20safety%20experts%20said%20Wednesday.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20%3Cb%3E%22At%20no%20time%20was%20the%20situation%20threatening%2C%22%3C/b%3E%20the%20French%20Nuclear%20Safety%20Authority%20said%20in%20a%20statement.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20Late%20on%20Dec.%2027%2C%20after%20severe%20storms%20had%20pounded%20southern%20France%2C%20circuits%20and%20pumps%20on%20two%20nuclear%20reactors%20near%20Bordeaux%20were%20inundated%20by%20flood%20waters%2C%20damaging%20%3Cb%3E%22important%20equipment%2C%22%3C/b%3E%20the%20statement%20said.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20The%20reactors%20were%20shut%20down%20and%20remain%20out%20of%20operation.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20The%20accident%20was%20rated%20a%20Level%202%20on%20an%20international%20scale%20ranging%20from%201%20to%207.%20The%20highest%20classification%2C%20Level%207%2C%20corresponds%20to%20an%20accident%20on%20the%20scale%20of%20Chernobyl.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20The%20situation%20is%20now%20stable%20and%20new%20measures%20are%20being%20put%20into%20place%20to%20prevent%20a%20reoccurrence%2C%20the%20Nuclear%20Safety%20Authority%20said.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20It%20added%2C%20however%2C%20that%20the%20reactors%20would%20not%20be%20restarted%20until%20measures%20are%20taken%20to%20protect%20them%20from%20exceptional%20weather%20conditions.%20That%20will%20keep%20them%20out%20of%20operation%20for%20at%20least%20several%20weeks%2C%20officials%20said.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20%3Cb%3E%22We%20had%20a%20serious%20nuclear%20incident%2C%22%3C/b%3E%20Jean-Louis%20Charriere%2C%20director%20of%20the%20Blayais%20plant%2C%20told%20French%20radio.%20He%20said%20that%20%3Cb%3E%22several%20meters%22%3C/b%3E%20of%20water%20flooded%20the%20two%20reactors.%0D%0A%0D%0A%09%20%20%20France%20is%20one%20of%20the%20world%27s%20most%20nuclear-dependant%20countries%2C%20getting%2077%20percent%20of%20its%20power%20from%20nuclear%20energy.%0D%0A

%A92000%2C%20Reuters%20Limited.%20All%20Rights%20Reserved

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.