The Hazards and Risks of Nuclear Power Plants

1
The Hazards and Risks of Nuclear Power Plants

?
2
Nuclear Power Plants in the U.S.
(One hundred and four nuclear power plants in
thirty-one states.)
3
The Negatives Associated with Nuclear Power Plants

• Inefficient in terms of cost
• Potential harms to the general public (the BIG
  IF)
• Harmful byproducts
• The future (?)

4
Inefficiency

• Once too cheap to meter, now too costly to
  matter. (The Economist)
• High and unpredictable construction and
  maintenance costs
• Very large ecological footprint
• Average useful lifespan of most plants 11 years
• Only 50 year supply of cheap uranium reserves
  left
• No new reactors built since 1979 (Same year as
  Three Mile Island accident)
• 111 Reactors in total decommissioned worldwide as
  of 2005

5
Potential Harms

• Terrorism/National Security
• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Three Mile Island
• Health Effects

6
Nuclear Plant Byproducts

• US policy forbids recycling of used fuel. All is
  considered waste
• Spent fuel is 95 U-238. Has half life of 4.46
  billion years
• Yucca Mountain still not officially approved as
  suitable disposal site
• Exposure to freshly spent fuel can lead to death
  in under 1 minute

lt- This
Does NOT This-gt
7
The Future?

• Current U.S. regulations associated with decayed
  products cover a period of 1,000 years. This
  means that future generations (far beyond those
  promised by these regulations) will likely face
  huge risks from mining, milling, and processing
  activities.

8
In Conclusion

• Without massive government support, the nuclear
  energy industry would be bankrupt. The enriched
  uranium used to generate power in nuclear plants
  is one of the most toxic substances on earth and
  remains a deadly poison for tens of thousands of
  years. With new developments in hydrogen, solar,
  and wind power technologies, the environmental
  and economic costs incurred by nuclear power
  plants cannot be justified.
• Amory B. L. Hunter Lovins. Rocky Mountain
  Institute