It’s hard to miss the “green” movement taking place in our society. Only, when looking at their information (as in the propaganda on our latest news clips) it seems that sometimes the “green” group is more focused on slandering nuclear organizations than promoting their own. The following will take a look at this anti-nuclear flyer and attempt to set some of the facts straight.
“In-Situ” uranium mining has destroyed aquifers in South Texas so that residents can no longer use their wells and have to buy water. To date, no mining company has ever successfully restored an aquifer.
The fact of the matter is mining is an enormous part of our economy and lifestyle. From the brick, mortar and cement used to build our buildings and roads to the uranium and coal that generate our electricity, mining is essential to our way of life. The aggregates and concrete industries provide over 121,000 permanent jobs in our state with coal mining and generating facilities responsible for another 30,000 jobs. It turns out Texas is the 4th largest producer of clay and aggregates in the nation and 5th largest producer of coal. This is important because we are the number 1 consumer of coal for electricity generation in the country. With all this activity taking place throughout our environment, there are many steps taken to ensure nature is restored and maintained. “Each year, the Texas lignite mining industry spends in excess of $100 million on land restoration and other environmental procedures including ground water protection and improvement, clean air protection and archaeological review and protection (25% of the total spent on products and services by the industry).” [Texas Mining and Reclamation Assoc.] The restored land is well suited for many things ranging from grazing grounds for livestock to growing crops and some even serving as wildlife habitats. The mining industry makes every effort to in many cases restore the land to a better state than it was prior to operation. Another relative statistic; “based on the EPA’s Acid Rain Database, Texas ranks 6th best in the nation and is best among coal-using states in emissions of NOx.” [Texas Mining and Reclamation Assoc.] With the mining industry’s efficient and conservative efforts, we enjoy the luxuries we’ve come to take for granted on a daily basis and at the same time may rest assured our environment’s well being is being attentively sought after.
There is still no known way to safely dispose of radioactive waste, which stays deadly for 100,000s of years. By default, high level radioactive waste is stored at reactor sites. Due to health and safety concerns Texas refused to commission low-level radioactive waste sites in the state in the 1990s. Texas’ current agreement sending low level waste to South Carolina will expire in 2008.
All radioactive materials decay over time. In fact scientists know exactly how long each radioactive material takes to decay. When analyzing a shipment of low-level waste to a plant in Ohio, scientists discovered that after 100 years virtually all the radioactivity would no longer exist. No effect on cancer rates, no effect on births and no effect on public health has ever been found for people living near low-level disposal facilities. In fact science has not shown any link between low-level waste disposal sites and any disease (including birth defects). A study in western New York State looked at a facility that contained both high-level and low-level radioactive waste. They looked at the cancer rates in seven surrounding counties over 10 years. They found no impact on cancer rates. As far as the packaging for disposal, there are strict methods used to isolate the waste that protect humans and the environment. “In dry climates, where little moisture reaches the waste, burying it in engineered shallow trenches is suitable.” For more humid climates the wastes are placed in concrete canisters. The spaces between canisters are filled with sand to function as drainage material that will channel water away from the waste to prevent leakage into the environment. The NRC’s regulations for disposal sites include natural resources being avoided, the site being suitable distance from ground or surface water, and they can’t be in areas of geological activity. The designs for building disposal facilities include:
The closing of the Barnwell disposal site in South Carolina is set to take place on June 30th of the coming year. Access to this facility will be available only to members of the Atlantic Compact. There is a great need for long-term disposal of low-level waste in a safe manner in order to avoid the risk involved in spreading the storage of these products across the state. We risk curbing the advances in areas such as modern medicine, consumer product safety and electricity generation if we don’t act now to seek responsible disposal for low-level wastes.
Uranium & deadly radioactive waste are transported through communities in trucks and trains. A major crossroads for railroads, 21 major train derailments occurred near San Antonio in 2004, killing 5.
In 1992, the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering Lab produced a report that found there were 53 accidents during the transport of low-level waste over the last 20 years. Four of those incidents involved a radioactive release but stated that no public was ever at risk due to the efforts of emergency personnel repackaging the waste. There are in fact extremely strict regulations for the shipment of low-level waste. One of the biggest factors that ensures the public’s safety is that all waste must be in solid form. This prevents the possibility of any explosion that could occur with liquid waste. The packaging for the waste undergoes extreme testing to prevent release even in “severe accidents.” Also, there are licensing, inspection (which takes place at every critical step of the shipping process), and enforcement regulations. Perhaps the most important factor is the nation-wide tracking system that monitors everything from the source to the receipt of the waste. Local governments are involved in preparing for any emergency that may occur along the transportation route. These personnel are highly trained for virtually any problem that could arise. Finally, manifests and records are kept and updated throughout every step of the shipping process to keep close watch on these shipments as they make their way to the destination facility. The Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority produced a statistic that states “of the 100 million shipments of hazardous materials transported in the U.S. each year, only 2% are radioactive material shipments.” Therefore, over the past quarter of a century “transportation accidents involving radioactive materials totaled 342, with only 53 involving commercial low-level waste.” Of these only 4 accidents involved low-level waste release and no injuries or deaths have been reported with these accidents. These statistics demonstrate the ability to transport these wastes efficiently and safely.
Living near a reactor is linked with a 10-time higher rate of breast cancer, and higher rates of leukemia, childhood cancers and infant mortality. An accident at a reactor could kill thousands immediately and later through the health effects of radiation exposure.
This is one of the areas where people are simply scared into believing such statements as the one above. In fact a Gallup study for USCEA in 1991 found that the most common word associations with “radiation” were: “cancer, sickness, burns and death” at 36%; “destruction and danger” at 21%; and “nuclear bombs or war” at 21%. The media is the most responsible party for such relations. The subjects of the study stated they formed their impressions about radiation from news reporting (84%) and movies and television (61%). Therefore with these images embedded in the public’s mind it is often difficult to get people to listen to the real facts. There are endless benefits to the use of radiation including: treating some diseases (13 million medical procedures each year involve radiation), smoke detectors, testing prescription drugs for harmful side effects, providing power for satellites, and exploring for oil, gas, and natural resources. The truth is that radiation has been studied for more than 80 years and can be closely monitored and controlled. There are strict regulations and standards for all plants and storage facilities monitored by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In fact the National Cancer Institute has concluded that “there is no evidence of any increase of cancer among people living in counties near power plants.” It has been shown that people living next to a power plant receive more radiation from granite buildings, consumer products and nature in general. As far as the plants themselves, there are multiple safety features that prevent any release of high levels of radiation exposure. “Nuclear power was dealt a heavy blow by the tragedy of the 1986 Chernobyl accident, a blow from which the reputation of the nuclear industry has never fully recovered.” (planetark.com) Using predictive computer programs many scenarios have been run through and precautions made to avoid any significant exposure to the public. Therefore, although many people associate power plants and radiation with negative images, the truth is that they are constructed with the people’s safety at the forefront and there have been no accidents that should make people doubt their integrity.