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Alpha Particles Bad, Smog Good
I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that when Energy Solutions wants to bring more low-level nuclear waster into the state everyone from the Governor on down gets all up in arms. But when a new coal-fired power plant to produce electricity for Las Vegas or California is proposed, there’s nary a whimper.
Is this just ignorance and a general fear of all things nuclear?
Before I continue, let me state for the record that I have done quite a bit of graduate level work in nuclear engineering and worked for four years as a nuclear metallurgist, so I know something about nuclear waste.
The kind of waste that Energy Solution would bring into the state has almost no chance of ever doing anyone in the state harm. It’s contained, managed, and, as it’s name states “low-level.” Note that this isn’t someone’s opinion, classifications like “low-level” have a technical meaning. It’s the kind of stuff produced by hospitals, for example. This is very different stuff from spent nuclear fuel like what the Goshutes proposed putting on their reservation.
One the other hand, we have a very real and growing problem with air pollution in Utah this is causing real health problems for people right now.
I don’t think we ought to ban coal fired power plants, but I do think we ought to create very strict regulations on emissions, including C02, from new power plants constructed in Utah and enforce them. Let’s make sure that the power created in Utah includes all the costs, including those required to make it clean, for the sake of our skies and our health. Anything else is a direct subsidy of someone else’s welfare at the cost of our own.
Posted by windley on April 6, 2007 09:36 AM
Comments
The reason I object to Energy Solutions bringing in nuclear waste has less to do with "nuclear" and more to do with "waste". For me it conjures up memories of that forlorn "garbarge barge from hell" that traveled up and down the east coast looking for a place to dump its load before ending up right back where it started in New York...remember?
It's called NIMBY. Why do we need to import waste from other states? Is that image going to help or hinder our all-important tourism industry?
Having said that, I agree with you Phil that it's incongruous for us to get all excited about low-level nuclear waste while ignoring the risks associated with coal-fired power plants.
Posted by: Part of the Plan at April 6, 2007 12:01 PM
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