Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
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After studying the Fukushima disaster, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission task force recommends a dozen changes to U.S. reactors
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500
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9 Comments
Add CommentWow, this will make new reactors even more expensive. What are they, around $10B already?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGEothermal heat is very cheap. All we have to do is learn how to live underground . There should be a reasonable amt of space available, even if it is already occupied. Engineering a habitat will be the challenge.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow spensive is a Human Life?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWell, it seems that we are back to " Business as Usual " in Washington, D.C. , The Disaster in Japan " Should Have Served As A Wake-up Call to Capitol Hill , instead ,Once Again, Republicans are ready to block any Commonsense Changes to The Nuclear Industry , probably because they are hoping for Campaign Contributions from The Power Industry Lobbyists ! Shame , Shame , Shame !
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Satellite Photo Of Fort Calhoun Nuke Plant Today – Hanging By A Thread!"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSome modifications for defense in depth may be warranted, but the Japanese workers and the plant itself did fantastic given the conditions they had to deal with. The radiation outside the plant is nearly insignificant given that 25,000+ lost their lives with the tsunami itself. Shame, shame for not keeping things in perspective.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLOL. Bring geothermal heat to the surface, don't bring people underground. The challenge is drilling deep and cheap. Below 10 km deep there's geothermal energy anywhere in the world.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisConventional drilling is too costly at that depth. I designed a plasma drill that can drill deep, fast and cheap. It uses plasma torch at 25,000 C to vaporize the rocks. It's more powerful than conventional drill rigs. It will be powered by a 6 MW portable power plant.
Whoa! Wat a minute - the radiation around the Fukushima plant was far from insignificant. Soil to depths of 5 or 6 cm withing 12 miles of the facility is contaminated enough to warrant remediation (dig it up and bury it in a monitored storage facility).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOne of the key safety tools in nuclear power plants is the use of operating experience. All safety related component defects, plant transients, events, and accidents are analyzed by the NRC and the industry for applicable improvements. After analysis, plants are required to address the issues and the resolutions are reviewed by NRC inspectors. In this way, safety is constantly improved. The Fukushima report is just one example of hundreds of reports that are used to improve safety.
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