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With nuclear safety concerns, why extend Vermont Yankee’s license?

the too frequent appearance that the NRC is in bed with the industry it regulates, there’s no reason to assume that every plant should get added years. This is where concerns about Vermont Yankee’s record of operation, radioactive leaks included, kick in, and where the NRC needs to do a much better job of explaining why Vermont Yankee should keep running past 2012

The 40-year license for nuclear power plants – New Hampshire, SentinelSource.com: Editorial, 15 May 11, “……….When the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 was being debated, the drafters felt it necessary to put an expiration date on licenses, after which renewals could be considered. However, at the time no one had any experience with nuclear power plants, so the drafters essentially lifted the 40-year provision from federal licenses then in use for hydroelectric power plants. The decision wasn’t based on science and safety; it was based mainly on investment considerations, such as how long it would take for a huge investment to make financial sense.

But, as the unfolding Fukushima disaster tells us, nuclear plants are about more than investments. To bring that point home, the NRC reports that it is finding that many nuclear power plants in this country are vulnerable to big natural disasters; the finding was based on a review ordered up after the Japanese crisis began.

There’s another disturbing consideration, which is not the fault of power generators: the government’s failure to provide for disposal of radioactive waste, meaning that the stuff remains at the plants. Finally, there’s the incident and repair record that’s unique to each plant — which in Vermont Yankee’s case has prompted the state government to fight the extension.

It could well be that some nuclear power plants can do their jobs effectively for 60 years, even longer; there’s no absolute reason that 40 years of operation should be the maximum. Then again, given the associated safety concerns and the too frequent appearance that the NRC is in bed with the industry it regulates, there’s no reason to assume that every plant should get added years. This is where concerns about Vermont Yankee’s record of operation, radioactive leaks included, kick in, and where the NRC needs to do a much better job of explaining why Vermont Yankee should keep running past 2012…. The 40-year license for nuclear power plants – SentinelSource.com: Editorial

May 16, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, USA