French Companies Admit Problems at Nuclear Plant in China

Unusual activity at a nuclear power reactor in China has drawn international attention, as two French companies involved in the plant acknowledged problems on Monday but said they could be handled safely. From a report: The companies were responding to a report by CNN on Monday that Framatome, one of the companies, had sought help from the United States, citing an 'imminent radiological threat' at the Taishan Nuclear Power Plant in Guangdong Province. EDF, France's main power utility and part owner of the power plant, said in a statement that certain gases had accumulated in the water and steam surrounding the uranium fuel rods at the heart of the reactor. But it said that the reactor had procedures for dealing with such a buildup of gases, which it described as a 'known phenomenon.' Framatome, an EDF affiliate and the builder of the reactors, said that there had been a 'performance issue' but that the plant was operating within its safety parameters. In China, the power plant said in a statement on Sunday night that no leak into the environment had been detected.

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