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Jul 8, 2011

Campus Nuclear Reactor Leak

NORTH CAROLINA - nuclear reactors used for research activities in the North Carolina State University was closed because there is a small leak. University officials said the leak in one of these reactors will not pose a health risk.

"The reactor with the license should notify if there is leakage of more than 350 gallons per hour. Our facility is leaking about 10 gallons per hour. Although this leakage does not contain a health risk, we want to make sure everything is safe and the people know the situation, "said physicist reactor, Gerry Wicks.

According to Wicks, this research reactor holds more than 15 thousand gallons of water and at full power about one megawatt. This is much smaller than the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant that has three thousand megawatts of power.

Nuclear reactor on campus is much smaller than in commercial power generation. Reactor on campus is designed with minimal risk, even in an emergency, will not be hot enough to cause destruction. It is quoted from NCSU, Friday (7/8/2011).

University reactor located in North Carolina, United States is in operation since 1972. This reactor is one of two dozen nuclear reactors operating in American universities.