are nuclear power plants safe?
When you consider how many nuclear plants are operating around the world, and how few real problems there have been, you’ll see that they’re quite safe. There are nuclear plants all over the place, and most people don’t even realize it! As of June 2007, over 400 nuclear power plants were in operation worldwide. America had over 100 active nuclear plants. The first nuclear plant in the US began operation in 1951 – since then there have been few serious accidents. I could only think of a few myself, and looking around online the most I’ve been able to find information on are about 8 different incidents. That’s nothing to scoff at, and we should be careful and take precautions, but plants have many levels of safeguards and regulations in place at all times. They do produce some dangerous wastes, but fossil fuel energy plants produce much more waste, even if it’s less dangerous per unit. Research is constantly advancing to produce safer and less polluting reactors, and to more safely dispo
“Nuclear plants are very safe,” asserted Forrest J. Remick, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering, adding, “It helps to compare their safety record with that of other major industries.” In 2005, the industrial accident rate for nuclear power plant workers was 0.24 per 200,000 worker hours, compared with 3.5 accidents per 200,000 worker hours for all manufacturing industries (14.6 times greater). But what about those of us who live near nuclear plants? Said Remick, “No member of the public has been killed or injured from radiation during the nearly 50 years that commercial nuclear power plants have been operating in the U.S.” Many of the 104 nuclear plants in the nation today are approaching the end of their 40-year licenses. But instead of utilities shutting down these profitable facilities, virtually all are expected to apply for 20-year license renewals. To date, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licenses of 47 plants, and a number of others are cu
“Nuclear plants are very safe,” asserts Forrest J. Remick, professor emeritus of nuclear engineering, adding, “It helps to compare their safety record with that of other major industries.” In 2005, the industrial accident rate for nuclear power plant workers was 0.24 per 200,000 worker hours, compared with 3.5 accidents per 200,000 worker hours for all manufacturing industries (14.6 times greater). But what about those of us who live near nuclear plants? Says Remick, “No member of the public has been killed or injured from radiation during the nearly fifty years that commercial nuclear power plants have been operating in the U.S.” Many of the 104 nuclear plants in the nation today are approaching the end of their forty-year licenses. But instead of utilities shutting down these profitable facilities, virtually all are expected to apply for twenty-year license renewals. To date, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has renewed the operating licenses of forty-seven plants, and a numbe
