Japan - Exploded Reactor Used MOX Fuel

Uh oh.

"MOX fuel emits higher gamma radiation and much higher neutron radiation than uranium fuel."

"The No. 3 reactor at Tepco's Fukushima No. 1 plant will be the nation's third pluthermal facility, but only the first to be refurbished since the plant was built 34 years ago.

Tokyo Electric plans to activate the reactor on Sept. 18 and let it start generating electricity on Sept. 23. (2010)"

http://sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com/2011/03/japan-exploded-nuclear-plant-uses-mox.html

"Mixed oxide, or MOX fuel, is nuclear fuel containing more than one oxide of fissile or fertile materials. Specifically, it usually refers to a blend of oxides of plutonium and natural uranium, reprocessed uranium, or depleted uranium (eg 7% Pu, 93% U) which behaves similarly (though not identically) to the low-enriched uranium oxide fuel for which most nuclear reactors were designed. MOX fuel is an alternative to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel used in the light water reactors that predominate nuclear power generation.

One attraction of MOX fuel is that it is a way of disposing of surplus weapons-grade plutonium, which otherwise would have to be disposed as nuclear waste, and would remain a nuclear proliferation risk.[1] However, there have been fears that normalising the global commercial use of MOX fuel and the associated expansion of reprocessing will itself lead to greater proliferation risk.[2][3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOX_fuel