Last June 26, I, as an ST reporter, visited the in-depth internal spot of a nuclear power plant, which is usually not open to the public. Taking photographs, however, wasn’t allowed. The whole plant was under tight security because the nuclear-power-plant technology is a national security matter.
Pumps and pipes lined the plant’s interior. We walked through the aisle and reached the main control room. The complicated-looking control machinery fully occupied one side of the wall. The control panel of the assistive device, nuclear reactor, reactor coolant, and safety equipment were standing in a row from left to right. The equipment directly related to the operation of the power plant had a red light, which had an important meaning. As this place had to be the safest place in the plant, it was equipped with an air purifier and even emergency foodstuff.
We moved further into the plant, passing by the turbine house. A total of 77 tone turbines were hanging from the ceiling. The main turbine, which took up much of the space in the turbine house, looked like a huge drum half buried in the floor. The engineer working inside communicates through the speaker attached to the wall. The turbine, completed by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction, represented the last stage of the plant’s maintenance.
Next, we entered the radiation-controlled area. All the visitors were ordered to wear anti-contamination clothing, which consisted of a long violet-brown coat. Then we had to put on
white gloves and socks. When my hair was finally already hidden under the hat, I was armed to the teeth. The guide from the plant checked if all the visitors were already fully equipped and then handed out a radioscope to each of us. We were then reminded of a few security policies: Don’t touch any of the facilities; don’t eat inside the premises; don’t lean on the walls. The guide assured us that the existence of such rules doesn’t really mean that the facility is dangerous, and
that they are just for regulation purposes. This reporter believes, however, that there were certain reasons for the establishment of such policies.
Finally, I was able to see the spent-fuel storage pool. It was 8 meters deep, enormous, and filled with shockingly beautiful blue water. The water, mixed with boric acid to avoid nuclear fission, was not really blue but appeared blue because radiation particles run faster than light in the water. It didn’t look dangerous, but some kind of excitement (maybe fear) welled up inside me. The spent fuels were still releasing high-temperature heat into the air. Such fuels sleeping under the water are
radioactive substances and thus emit heat and radiation.
At that time, we didn’t know much about the power plant and the storage pool. Not receiving any detailed instructions, we went inside the plant and near the pool. I still recall the sapphire-blue water of the pool, filled with humid steam, and I ask myself, “If I knew then exactly what that pool contained, would I have gotten near it without any hesitation?”
