The American Spectator

Indiana Alex| 3.31.09 @ 9:18AM

This administration is not interested in science, only the failed religion of liberalism.

owyheewine| 3.31.09 @ 9:41AM

A couple of points that need to be corrected and clarified. First, U238 is fissable, but when it "breaks apart", it does not produce enough neutrons to sustain the reaction. Just a picky point. The other omission is the failure to mention the development of DDC, direct digital (computer) control. Earlier systems, called analog, were orders of magnitude slower and less precise than DDC. What that means is that an old outdated PC (think pre pentium processors) has enough computing horsepower to control a reactor. These systems usually are operated in triplicate so that control systems are backed up as much as space shuttle systems. That combined with better training and operations technique make today's reactors almost failure proof.

Mike Donavan| 3.31.09 @ 10:55AM

According to that bill security is OK. Fine, but what about radioactive waste and retired nuclear facilities ? Nobody knows what to do with that stuff. Considering that some of it has a 10 000 years lifelong, you'd better consider it twice if you don't want to blow our children's environment. That is the real question about nuclear energy as we know it today.
I am surprised that 30 years later, no significant improvment has come from scientific research...

Big Leo| 3.31.09 @ 11:08AM

Most nuclear waste is low-level waste that is scarcely radioactive. You wouldn't want to sleep on a pile of it for a couple of years, but it isn't particularly deadly. The high level waste is very compact and could be stored in a medium sized room. I'll put all of it in a bunker in the back field for a million dollars a year. Actually, a stable geological area would be better, like Yucca Flats. I live on a dormant volcanic field.

Joe| 3.31.09 @ 11:29AM

Mike, wake up. The French have been doing a good job of getting rid of it for years including recycling it until it is of no use anymore. We are very very safe!!!

William Tucker| 3.31.09 @ 11:46AM

Gentleman,

I refer you to my previous article on French reprocessing efforts: http://spectator.org/archives/2008/05/12/parlez-vous-nucleaire

cdc| 3.31.09 @ 4:22PM

Reprocessing introduces more risks and inefficiencies into the system than necessary. The promising designs now, my preference is for molten salt, don't need reprocessing; but rather allow for continuos in line fueling/breeding so fissibles go in and non-fissibles come out.

Marc Jeric| 3.31.09 @ 4:27PM

To call the Three-Mile Island equipment failure "an accident" is criminally negligent - not a fly was hurt in that so-called accident. When two cars collide with no injuries we call that a bumper hit or paint scratch - we do not call it an accident when there are no injuries.
Also, not many people know how that equipment failure occurred nor why. The brand-new Unit 2 of that nuclear power plant was only 8 weeks in operation when the Carter's Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with one member of the 5-member commission was a Sierra Club lawyer and another a Massachussetts consumer advocate, directed additional tests of the auxilliary cooling water system. Why - there was no reason for that - the plant just finished all required tests 8 weeks before.
The lectric utility company contracted out this unnecessary test to an outside company with union labor. They tested that system with satisfactory results - but, following union rules the crew left the work on time with 20 minutes given to washup. Thus they left the auxilliary cooling water pump with the valve closed instead of open, without informing the operators of that fact. When the relief valve on the reactor got stuck in the open position the water escaped from the reactor while the Auxilliary cooling water pump came on - but the closed valve did not let that water to arrive to the reactor.
So - it was not an accident since nobody was injured. The causes were :
1) unnecessary tests demanded by the NRC nincompoops for a brand new plant;
2) union work rules that stopped the inspections;
3) unionized utility workforce without a single competent engineer on staff.

W White| 3.31.09 @ 7:57PM

TMI was a godsend for the Nuclear Program.
I had been involved in Nuclear Power in the decade before TMI and spent 3 months on site in the initial recovery phase. For several years after that I was involved in the application of 'Lessons Learned' and the Upgrading efforts. TMI enlightened all of us, and we needed it. It was sobering to realize firsthand how little the Regulators and the Utility hierarchy understood about what they were dealing with.
The accident hit the pocketbook hard enough that the glaring TMI message was taken seriously . A safe, reliable ,mature program has evolved -one that this country desperately needs at least until the 20% nuclear contribution can be replaced.
Unfortunately that enviable record is being put in jeopardy by the blanket approach in the relicensing laws. They do not account for the much greater risk in trying to extend the life of pre-TMI Plants. The whole industry is vulnerable, and indeed the power sensitive economy as a whole, while these plants remain in the system . Older units should be phased out as soon as replacement power becomes available.
A TMI type event at any one of the existing 100 plants would, to say the least, undo 30 years of hard earned progress. That 'bailout' would indeed be a real challenge!

What a shame that the blanket relicensing rules

V Fisher| 3.31.09 @ 8:45PM

I did some research for a debate last year and was surprised to learn that there has never been a personal injury suit brought about by the Three Mile Island incident and the only legal action was by local businesses who sued the local government because they were shut down due to over reaction to the situation.

stmichrick| 3.31.09 @ 11:39PM

V Fisher

The local businesses should have sued the producers of The China Syndrome film which MADE money as a result of the incident.

ARealist| 4.1.09 @ 1:37PM

ALL nuclear power plants presently in operation today in the USA are based on designs produced in the late 60s or early 70s.
The designs are, literally, ancient.
Yet, they have performed admirably.
New nuclear plants, if ever built in the USA, will be far safer , more stupid proof and more efficient than those operating today.
Look at the good results of nuclear plants operated by the French and by the US Navy.
As to nuclear waste ; it is inconceivable that scientists will have made ZERO progress over the next 100 years in figuring out what to do with this stuff and turn it into useful materials - either recycled or otherwise.
As to whether we will have any more nuclear plants built in the USA , well, that is a pipe dream.
We have a Marxist as president who is doing all he can to destroy the USA via bankruptcy.
We have a communist environmental lobby that tosses money to their fellow useful idiots in Congress to prevent any thoughts of nuclear plants.
We have an ignorant public that believes that there is no difference betwixt an H bomb and a nuclear powered generating station.
We have a communist media that will willfully engage in lies and distortion to "prove"nuclear power is the same as an H bomb, and will give face time to any facist communist hate-america firster wacko "environmentalist."
We are doomed to 8 dollar gasoline, sky rocketing electric and heating gas bills - and worse - as Obama and his fellow traveling hate america first communist fascist bolshevik nazi pig tyrants take over.

American Patriot| 4.2.09 @ 1:11AM

Jeez, ARealist, looks like every one is a communist but you! Give in and join us!

flyboy| 4.2.09 @ 8:46AM

After spending 20+ years in Nuclear power as engineer and licensed operator, I can assure you that refueling outages, whether three months or three weeks duration, have never been viewed as vacations by the plant personnel! The Westinghouse AP-1000 is a brilliant design that should be guilt in quantity. It has passive safety systems that lower cost and make it basically disaster proof. (Full disclosure, I have done a little contract work on the AP-1000 initial operating procedure preparation) Thanks for the good article.

Mike Donavan| 4.16.09 @ 4:45AM

Interesting paper about TMI :
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/04/post-4.html