Expert Witness Blog
Nuclear energy analyst Robert Alvarez of the Institute for Policy Studies says there are many things we do not know about the Fukushima Prefecture nuclear plant failure, including whether the containment structure is fully intact.
The information that has been made public, particularly by the Japanese nuclear safety authorities, certainly indicate that radioactive elements from the fuel itself have escaped and entered the environment. And even if the reactor maintains its integrity, there’s a possibility that things like open relief valves on the top of the reactor and things like that may still release large amounts of radioactivity.
Robert Alvarez, an Institute for Policy Studies senior scholar, served as senior policy adviser to the Energy Department’s secretary and deputy assistant secretary for national security and the environment from 1993 to 1999.
Read more: voanews.com.