The State | Nuclear power disadvantages: What opponents say - 0 views
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Energy Net on 09 Sep 08ENVIRONMENT * There is no "safe" amount of radiation. Each new exposure can lead to the risk of cancer and harm the body's immune system. Radiation also can lead to spontaneous abortion, mental retardation, heart disease and leukemia. * Increased reliance on nuclear power plants threatens the water supply. Reactors must be near large bodies of water to create steam to power their turbines and cool fuel rods. Water at higher temperatures may be returned to streams, causing thermal pollution and stressing fish and other aquatic life. * If droughts become more common in the Southeast, nuclear plants will compete for water with other important uses. COST * Building a nuclear reactor is expensive, costing up to $6 billion. By comparison, the state budget totals $7 billion a year. * There are no guarantees. The regulatory process required to get a license to build and operate a nuclear plant is lengthy and expensive, and can end in rejection. * Because the risks are so high, power companies must pay more in interest on loans needed to build the plants. To cover that cost, consumers will see their power bills increase as the plants are being built. In a sense, consumers assume the risk. SAFETY * Regardless of new designs, safety procedures and rigorous staff training, there always is the risk of a catastrophic accident. * Opponents cite a 1982 congressional report that estimated a meltdown of one Duke Energy reactor could injure 88,000 people and cost more than $100 billion in 1980 dollars. Today, those figures would be higher because of the area's booming population and inflation. SECURITY * Nuclear plants could be a prime target for terrorists. An attack could injure thousands near a plant. * Technology used to run the plants could be stolen and used to make nuclear weapons. DISPOSAL * Scientists agree the best option is to bury "spent" nuclear fuel deep inside a mountain. But opposition to using tunnels in Nevada's Yucc