nuclear-news

Nuclear power is an amazing source of energy, virtually limitless in potential. It’s extremely safe, and efficient. But it produces a byproduct that wipes out all those benefits. Spent nuclear fuel must be disposed of for hundreds of thousands of years, much longer than humans have walked the Earth. And long-term storage of such fuel is expensive.

— There are several nuclear power plants sitting unused in the United States. Renewable energy, such as solar power is taking the world by storm, eliminating the need for other forms of energy generation.

Nuclear power once held tremendous promise, but now it is seen more as a liability. Plants such as San Onofre, just north of San Diego, and situated right on the California coast, are of particular concern. At San Onofre, the spent fuel is being kept in temporary containers as lawmakers and experts spar over what to do with the dangerous material, and how to pay for it.

Spent nuclear fuel is possibly the most dangerous substance known to humanity. Exposure to a fuel rod could cause death from radiation poisoning within minutes to hours. A smaller dose would kill you within months or years. In all cases, an early death is guaranteed.

A terrorist could use radioactive material con construct a dirty bomb, that is a bomb that spreads radioactive material across a wide area, rendering the space uninhabitable. Again, the exposed people would die. Waste in the water has been known to spread across entire oceans

San Onofre, as well as many other sites are well guarded by personnel with automatic rifles. Dire warnings keep civilians out. The plant produces nothing of value anymore. It just costs money.

It’s the taxpayers who end up paying, to the tune of tens of billions. And a major reason is there remains no permanent storage site for the waste……..

Presently, the waste at San Onofre is likely to go into a temporary facility that will hold it safely for twenty more years. The facility will be built on the coast, next to the power plant. It’s closer to the water, but experts promise it will be disaster proof, protected against terrorists, tsunamis and earthquakes. But it still isn’t permanent. And area residents want it gone……

The only solution may be a tough and expensive one. Such is the cost of nuclear power. One thing is certain, the longer we delay, the more it will cost. http://www.catholic.org/news/green/story.php?id=75405