Hoping for the best, says Helen Caldicott, founding president of Physicians For Social Responsibility. The picture is potentially grim. The Y2K computer bug has the potential to create a disaster at any of these sites. If action is not taken, systems with proven Y2K-sensitive chips will remain operational through the New Year. It is critical that the government is held responsible for the public safety and that our elected officials act promptly to prevent all possible reactor disasters.
Nuclear reactors have the potential to malfunction in a variety of ways.
The average reactor in the U.S. has thousands of embedded chips in numerous computer systems. An NRC audit of the Seabrook reactor in New Hampshire found twelve safety related systems and 800 other significant systems which were affected by theY2K problem. Meltdown could occur if computers report incorrect data and reactor personnel act upon this misinformation. Mile Island reactor disasters occurred because of operators acting upon incorrect data. External power failures could also cause reactor meltdown.