| No new nuclear power plants have been licensed and | | | | meltdown at Three Mile Island was caused by residual |
| built in the United States sense 1979 in large part due | | | | heat and this is a large part of the reason it was not |
| to the scare caused by the partial meltdown that | | | | more of a major incident from a safety or |
| year of a reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. | | | | environmental standpoint. Sense that time we have |
| However, things have changed quite a bit since 1979, | | | | completely overhauled our safety controls for nuclear |
| particularly from a safety and environmental | | | | plants to make them even stronger. In the event |
| standpoint. It is time that United States politicians and | | | | that something should go wrong today these safety |
| citizens alike re-examine their thoughts on Nuclear | | | | controls would be able to prevent meltdown and |
| energy. | | | | contain any radioactive waste within the power plant. |
| First off let’s address several American hang ups | | | | Thereby keeping the public and the environment |
| regarding Nuclear Energy. First off there is the very | | | | completely safe. |
| important issue of public safety, this is and should be | | | | Another major safety concern that has held up the |
| a huge concern for the United States however it | | | | development of nuclear power in this country |
| chooses to move forward in meeting growing energy | | | | revolves around what to do with the fuel rods after |
| demand. In the 52 year history of Nuclear power | | | | they are used. Many people feel that this nuclear |
| plants in the United States, Three Mile Island is the | | | | waste will cause untold harm to the environment and, |
| only accident on record. From an industrial standpoint | | | | were we to expand our use of nuclear production, |
| this is a very good safety record, one not met by | | | | overwhelm any kind of storage facility. Currently a |
| many of today’s leading industries. However, | | | | majority of the spent fuel rods in America get stored |
| there is concern that even one nuclear accident could | | | | in sealed cylindrical containers made from steel |
| have such damaging effects on the population and | | | | reinforced concrete. Inside these larger containers |
| environment that it is not worth the risk. Particularly | | | | each fuel rod is individually housed within its own |
| in the wake of the accident at Chernobyl in Russia | | | | metal container. The amount of waste created is not |
| there is legitimate concern about the damage that | | | | that large, one square mile could house the entire |
| could be caused by even one nuclear disaster. | | | | amount of nuclear waste that will be produced by |
| However, Chernobyl is a unique example of what can | | | | the United States for the next 482 years at current |
| go wrong at a nuclear power plant that is not | | | | levels of production. Stored in this manner fuel rods |
| properly built or maintained. All nuclear plants in the | | | | have never been known to decay or cause any kind |
| United States are built inside huge concrete and steel | | | | of harm, they simply sit as inanimate objects. |
| buildings designed to keep any nuclear waste created | | | | In addition to this, technology is currently available |
| in a potential meltdown in and natural forces and | | | | that allows what are currently considered spent fuel |
| terrorists out. This alone would have helped prevent | | | | rods to be reprocessed and re-used to create more |
| much of the damage caused by the Chernobyl | | | | power. After rods are recycled the then truly spent |
| disaster by limiting the amount of toxic material that | | | | fuel rods are much less radioactive and far less |
| actually made it off the grounds of the power plant | | | | harmful, returning to the same level of radioactivity |
| and into the environment. Further the reactor and | | | | as uranium in the ground within 400 years. Thus the |
| safety controls at Chernobyl were different in design | | | | case for nuclear waste causing harm to the |
| and function from those used in the United States. | | | | environment or being a nuisance really isn’t very |
| The United States has never used the type of | | | | strong, in truth most of the current nuclear waste is |
| reactor used at Chernobyl because it is well know | | | | simply fuel waiting to be reprocessed. |
| that they are inherently volatile. The safety systems | | | | We wound up where we are today in our thinking |
| that were in place at Chernobyl did not even meet | | | | about nuclear power because we haven’t really |
| western safety standards at the time; much less | | | | reconsidered it as a viable option sense the |
| today’s safety standards. Finally, in addition to all | | | | 1980’s. At that time there was much less good |
| of these differences, on the night of the disaster, | | | | data and evidence available to support global warming |
| the safety controls at the plant had been completely | | | | and coal was an abundant resource here in the |
| shut off and the plant was being run in an | | | | United States. The potential harm and lack of |
| experimental mode that increased the danger of | | | | understanding about nuclear energy made it seem |
| meltdown for the already volatile reactor. Thus, while | | | | much more threatening than simply relying on our |
| Chernobyl serves as a grim reminder of what can go | | | | own natural resource of coal to provide our power. |
| wrong, there are many factors that set the US | | | | However, with global temperature on the rise and |
| nuclear power plants apart from the one at | | | | rapidly increasing effects of global warming, as well as |
| Chernobyl and will prevent anything like Chernobyl | | | | an increased understanding of nuclear technologies, it |
| ever happening here. | | | | is time that we transition to nuclear. In the long run |
| Turning back to the US nuclear power industry it is | | | | nuclear generation will not be the end all solution for |
| important to note that even in 1979 at Three Mile | | | | our power generation needs but it will be a low |
| Island the safety mechanisms in place were smart | | | | emissions way of bridging the gap between now and |
| enough to shut down the reactor well before it went | | | | when truly renewable energy sources are found. It is |
| into meltdown, thereby stopping nuclear chain | | | | time that America reconsiders its opinion of nuclear |
| reactions and limiting the damage. The partial | | | | power. |