Nuclear Power : Another lefty sacred cow is about to bite the dust

[dude1394]

Another lefty cause celebre is about to bite the dust. Even Madonna has to keep the lights in her dressing room on. So goody, we are about to embark on another nuclear power plant growth spurt. I love the "bluntly" sentenct, that could be applied across the board with democrats these days.

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denverpost

Nuclear reactors generate "baseload" electricity, the power that's always on to keep refrigerators running and traffic lights working. Today, America's baseload comes mostly from burning coal or natural gas, both of which emit carbon dioxide, the chief suspect in global warming. "Solar and wind power cannot even begin to fill the need" for additional electrical power, Fortune magazine opined in May. Bluntly, environmentalists who don't like nuclear power need to offer realistic alternatives.

By contrast, nuclear reactors do provide baseload power and don't emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. The Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade group, is citing concern about global warming in its push to increase U.S. nuclear capacity by 10,000 megawatts by 2012. That sounds like a lot, but it pales compared to what's already on the drawing board, not only for coal-fired generation but also for wind turbines.

[Mavdog]

As soon as the issue of nuclear waste is resolved nuclear power makes sense.

As it is, tell me, what do you propose to do with all the nuclear waste generated by these plants?

[jthig32]

Originally posted by: Mavdog
As it is, tell me, what do you propose to do with all the nuclear waste generated by these plants?

Dump it in the blue states?

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[dude1394]

Well this seems fine. Obviously even enviromentally wacky europe has figured out what to do with it. Sounds like a red-herring to me. Although jthig32 has an idea worth exploring.

waste

What can be done with nuclear waste?

The final disposal of low- and intermediate-level nuclear waste has reached the level of implementation. The USA has started to emplace very long-lived nuclear waste deep into bedrock. The final disposal of high-level nuclear waste has not been started anywhere.

Low- and intermediate-level waste into rock caverns

In Finland, low- and intermediate-level reactor waste is disposed of in excavated repositories. These repositories have been constructed at both the Olkiluoto and Loviisa site. At Olkiluoto this kind of disposal facility has been in use since 1992. At Loviisa the repository was commissioned in 1998.

Since 1997, the central interim storage of the wastes under the Radiation Act has been located on the premises of the Olkiluoto final disposal facility for reactor waste. At the end of 2000 the amount of these small users' wastes was 40 m3. Their total activity was 30 terabecquerels (TBq).

Management of high-level waste

There are two main options for the management of spent nuclear fuel. The first option is to use the fuel in reactor only once. After its removal from the reactor the spent fuel is declared high-level waste as such. Another option is to recycle spent nuclear fuel by reprocessing. Spent fuel contains uranium and plutonium. They can be reused in the manufacture of nuclear fuel. In order to separate uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel, it is reprocessed at reprocessing plants. Reprocessing does not solve the waste problem because the remaining high-level liquid waste generated by reprocessing must be disposed of someplace. The liquid is solidified in glass for final disposal. France, Great Britain and Russia have huge reprocessing plants.

[Drbio]

Originally posted by: jthig32

Dump it in the blue states?

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Genius.

[Mavdog]

Originally posted by: jthig32

Dump it in the blue states?

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too late. ....
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Ohio nuclear waste headed to Texas site
DALLAS, April 29 (UPI) -- Low-level radioactive waste from a closed nuclear bomb materials plant in Ohio will be shipped to a special waste storage site in West Texas.

Waste Control Specialists will treat and store the material under a $7.5 million contract announced Thursday, The Dallas Morning News reported Friday.

The Dallas company will be able to dispose of the waste at the West Texas site when it receives a license from the Texas Department of Health, which should come in October.

The location in remote Andrews County near the New Mexico state line could become the destination for more waste. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to soon approve the transfer of waste from a closed nuclear power plant in Massachusetts.

The NRC recently threatened to put the Texas state radiation control program on probation. A review found inspections were overdue, staff experts had quit, and vacancies had gone unfilled for months.

State officials say the problems cited by the NRC resulted from budget cuts, noncompetitive salaries, and a 2003 reoganization. They assured that inspections of facilities like the one in Andrews County have not been delayed.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International. All Rights Res

[dude1394]

Well is what finland/britain/france doing good enough for ya' or not? Or you wanna move the goalposts some more.