How to keep nuclear power plants operating safely during the coronavirus pandemic

How Nuclear enterprises around the world are acting to maintain safety while providing power to vital operations during the COVID-19 crisis

By  Nickolas Roth Co-author

This article was originally published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

As the COVID-19 pandemic devastates the world, nuclear power plants must remain safe and secure to provide electricity for food supply chains, emergency response teams, hospitals, and telecommunications in countries home to more than half of all people. Meanwhile, the Islamic State terror group has already announced its intent to exploit the pandemic, and other violent extremist organizations are also taking pains to use the crisis for their own purposes.

In fact, prosecutors in Germany said that federal police detained five suspected members of the Islamic State this week for allegedly planning to stage an attack on US military facilities. Prosecutors did not disclose which facilities the five men, all from Tajikistan, planned to attack. The US military installations in Germany include a nuclear weapons depot.

Without extraordinary measures to maintain safety and security, nuclear installations could risk compounding the crisis with a large-scale radiation release.

Read full article.

Recent & Related

Resource
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham
Resource
Christina McAllister • Annie Trentham

Subscription Options

* indicates required

Research Areas

Pivotal Places

Publications & Project Lists

38 North: News and Analysis on North Korea