Fukushima Nuclear Disaster - Term Paper Example

The facility is ranked among the top twenty largest nuclear power stations in the world; it can produce a total electrical output of 4,696 megawatts (MW). The nuclear plant is managed by Tokyo Electric and Power Company (TEPCO). The facility was shut down in the period between 2002 and 2005 due to a data falsification outrage by TEPCO, a report submitted to the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency indicated that the company was responsible for falsified inspection and repair reports (Lead News, 2002).

The facility has received several warnings from several acclaimed international nuclear safety agencies. Fukushima’s reactors were all designed by General Electric, units one through five were built utilizing a Mark I type containment structure whereas unit six was built with a Mark II type containment structure. The Fukushima reactors were designed in a unique way which enabled them to share common structures and facilities such as the turbines and control room. The facility also has a used fuel pool and dry cask storage facility.

The reactors are backed up by emergency diesel generators and direct current (DC) batteries which come in handy in the event of a blackout thus facilitating the cooling down of the reactors. These back-ups are located in the basements hosting the reactor's turbines thus making them vulnerable to flooding. The plant was originally built on a bluff that was 35 meters above sea level, but the height of the bluff was lowered to a height of 10 meters above sea level to allow the reactor bases a stable platform thus mitigating the adverse effects which accompany earthquakes.

TEPCO also aimed at eliminating the high costs of pumping seawater to facilitate the cooling of the reactors thus the lowering of the bluff helped the company cut down on the expenses incurred in pumping seawater. The analysis performed on the safety of the reactors in the event of a tsunami indicated that the low positioning of the reactors was safe since the sea wall was enough to protect the site from any potential harm, the site was built to withstand a tsunami height of 5.7 meters.