News Summary: SKorea idles nuke plants
SKorea halts 2 nuclear plants for using control cables with fabricated test results
UNDER FIRE: South Korea idled two nuclear power plants after finding that test results for crucial control cables were falsified, delivering another blow to an industry mired in a graft scandal and safety lapses.
BAD SITUATION, WORSE: The cables control valves that are responsible for cooling nuclear fuel or preventing the release of radioactive materials during an emergency. Another four nuclear reactors that were either shut down for scheduled maintenance or under construction were also using cables that had failed the tests.
HOT TOWN: South Korea's trade and energy ministry said a contractor fabricated the results for cables that failed to meet international standards for capacity to withstand changes in voltage and pressure. It warned that the plant shutdowns would result in summer power shortages.
