Nuclear Plant

Discussion in 'Energy & Fuel' started by Corie Henson, Dec 2, 2015.

  1. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    From what I had read, the nuclear plant produces the cleanest energy since there is no pollution emitted. But on the downside is the risk of contaminating radiation that can damage our health. The Philippines had built a nuclear plant in the province of Bataan sometime in the 1970s (or 1980s maybe) with the cooperation of Westinghouse. It was supposed to supply the electric power of the entire Luzon grid, that's about 1/2 of the country. Unfortunately, something happened in the political scene which caused the nuclear plant to be mothballed, so to speak. Some engineers say that the nuclear plant can still be productive with just minor maintenance and cleaning. But the militant groups are against it.

    What is your view on nuclear energy? Or do you prefer coal-fired generators or diesel engines?
     
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  2. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Like cancer, nuclear power scares the hell out of me. Yes, I understand that it produces clean energy, and I further understand that most nuclear power plants have never experienced a serious problem. However, it wouldn't require a lot of failures in order for our planet to be rendered uninhabitable. We will probably never be told the extent of the damage that is still being done from the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster in Japan, and what damage continues to be done because of the meltdown.

    In addition to the dangers from accidents occurring at a nuclear power plant, there is also the threat of terrorism. Although it has not yet occurred, I would think that a nuclear power plant would be a prime target.
     
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  3. Sifu Phil Bonifonte

    Sifu Phil Bonifonte Veteran Member
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    It isn't true that a nuke plant is totally clean - they discharge heated water from their cooling systems into the local waterways, killing native fish and flora.

    Having lived a few miles from one plant that went through periodic "emergency shutdowns" I can tell you that it's a very scary experience. It's just too easy for a catastrophic incident to take place.
     
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  4. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    Are you talking about Three Mile Island, Phil? Scary, I remember that. Although I had left PA. By then my parents and sisters still lived there.
     
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  5. Sifu Phil Bonifonte

    Sifu Phil Bonifonte Veteran Member
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    Actually it was when I lived in NY and I was near Indian Point Nuclear Plant in Buchanan, NY, on the banks on the Hudson River. It is only 25 miles from NYC, and in a "perfect storm" millions of people would die.

    Now I live in PA in-between several plants - about 120 miles from Three Mile Island, about the same distance from the Day and Zimmerman and Peach Bottom plants. A little further out near Pittsburgh there are 10 or so more plants. If any of these decide to go critical it's goodbye Phil.
     
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  6. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    I didn't realize there were so many near Pittsburgh, Phil! YIKES!

    Just looked and there are 61 n the US...

    There are currently 61 commercially operating nuclear power plants with 99 nuclear reactors in 30 states in the United States. Thirty-five of these plants have two or more reactors. The Palo Verde plant in Arizona has 3 reactors and had the largest combined net summer generating capacity of 3,937 megawatts (MW) in 2012. Fort Calhoun in Nebraska with a single reactor had the smallest net summer capacity at 479 megawatts (MW) in 2012.

    Four reactors were taken out of service in 2013: the Crystal River plant in Florida with one reactor in February; the Kewaunee plant in Wisconsin with one reactor in April; and the San Onofre plant in California with two reactors in June. The Vermont Yankee plant in Vermont, with a single reactor, was taken out of service in December 2014.
     
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  7. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    I guess it is now a battle between pollution and radiation. From the proponents of nuclear energy that it is clean and can save earth from the dreaded pollution, the reply of the anti-radiation group is the housekeeping of nuclear waste. It should be contained in a steel container that should be buried in soil for a long time because the radiation remains potent for 50 years. That risk is aside from the accidents in the reactor that could cause undue radiation from the nuclear leaks like what happened in Japan during the strong earthquake a few years ago.

    On the other hand, Philippine president Aquino is in Italy, attending a summit on climate change. On top of the list is the pollution, they say is the primary cause of climate change. And the best way to avert the impending catastrophe is to stop the pollution. Particularly coal-fired generators and smoke emission of vehicles. In short, industrialization is on top of the table - what to do now, go back to being primitive?
     
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  8. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    They shut Maine Yankee, the only one in Maine, down several years ago but the site itself will never be safe, at least not in our lifetimes or in a couple of generations to come.
     
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  9. Chrissy Cross

    Chrissy Cross Supreme Member
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    It's really a scary future no matter which way you look at things, maybe not in my lifetime but surely my kids and grandkids.

    SAD!
     
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  10. Sheldon Scott

    Sheldon Scott Supreme Member
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    The only Nuclear plant in Arkansas is about 20 miles from here.
     
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  11. Will Lawrence

    Will Lawrence Veteran Member
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    We live about 50 miles from a Nuke plant that has been on line since 1985. They do have periodic shutdowns for maintenance or other repair procedures. Even though I don't fear this plant, I am no fan of nuclear energy.

    On one hand, we do need clean and efficient means of electrical generation. The U.S. power grid is aged and so are many of the plants supplying power to the grid. Coal is a non-replenishing fuel... and a dirty fuel. Natural gas is clean, but is costly and in non-replenishing. So, the future is probably more nuclear reactors.

    From Chernobyl to Fukushima, we've seen some frightening disasters. I don't trust that developing countries will build safe and secure plants. Then, we have the likes of North Korea and Iran who will disguise their nuclear weapon programs as energy programs.

    In the U.S. we have become entirely too political to remain safe. We've seen our elected officials be swayed by lobbyists and campaign dollars. Currently, the far conservative wing of the political spectrum wants all government regulation abolished. There goes public safety, "trumped" by the desire to make money. Self-regulation will only work to the point it affects bottom line profits and CEO salaries.

    Our lifetime has seen wars waged for oil. Our children and grandchildren will see wars waged for water and for electricity. Water is necessary for the sustainment of life and fresh water supplies are rapidly diminishing. Electricity is necessary to maintain the things in life our civilization has moved from luxury to necessity. Scary.............
     
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  12. Corie Henson

    Corie Henson Veteran Member
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    @Will Lawrence, I like that line you said about becoming entirely too political to remain safe. It seems that politics is trying to take control of our lives even if we are not politicians. In the recent Miss Universe where the entry of the Philippines bagged the crown in a controversial announcement of winners, she said something positive about having US bases in the country. Take note, the activists were protesting, saying Ms. Pia Wurtzbach's answer is wrong. Well?
     
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