A nuclear scientist was so alarmed by a nuclear reactor he was working on in Japan, he quit in protest. That was three decades ago. Now that same Mark 1 Nuclear Reactor could be the reason behind the current nuclear crisis in Japan.
Thirty-five years ago Dale Bridenbaugh resigned from the GE Atomic Power Equipment Department in San Jose. He quit because he was concerned about the design of the Mark 1 nuclear reactor, which is the same design as the one at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan.
Bridenbaugh and two others quit the GE plant because they were concerned the reactor might be unstable in the event of an earthquake. Their resignation made national headlines, and they became known as the GE 3.
Bridenbaugh was worried the reactor wasn't structurally solid enough to hold the containment without rupturing.
Watch the above video to see what he is saying today about the reactor and the current nuclear crisis in Japan.
Mike Tetuan of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy responded, stating Bridenbaugh's concerns "were thoroughly investigated and resolved in the 1970s. Further, since that time the NRC has repeatedly concluded these issues had been satisfactorily addressed."
