A new horror is in prospect for January 1, 2000 – a Chernobyl on our doorsteps. The Health and Safety Executive in the UK has found Y2K problems at four alarm and monitoring systems at British nuclear plants, reports the New Scientist. This could cause simultaneous failures in nine different safety systems, including atmospheric monitoring, fire alarms and security systems. The safety organization’s concerns were raised in a paper presented to a private meeting of European nuclear regulators in a bid to raise concern over the issue. And while it may push the western European countries into action, the big worry is that in view of the state of the Russian economy, will any action at all will be taken at nuclear plants in the country that gave us the original Chernobyl?
