Question of the Day (Nuclear Power)

(Q)  Does anyone know the "life span" of a nuclear power plant ? I do not. I do know that ours are ageing which may be a cause for concern. Please elaborate.

Comments

[Rain]

They used to say 20 years, not sure if they have upped that with better technology. Oregon voted to block them from entry until they find a place for the waste. NOBODY wants that for good reason. Japan showed us that they really don't know as much as they claim about them

[Ingineer66]

I believe it is more like 50 years, but I am not sure. I think the 20 years is when they need to be refueled. We had a plan for the waste at Yucca Mountain, but now Harry Reid is fighting it. Nevada had no problem taking the hundreds of millions of dollars to study and prepare the site and now they suddenly do not want it. What a joke.

[James Aach]

US nuclear plants were licensed for 40 years. I believe this date was based on a combination of technical and financial considerations and estimates. There is now an option to extend the license for another 20 years if a plant can go through the NRC license renwal process, which is supposed ot look at how the plant is doing so far and the plans for future upkeep.

For an entertaining inside look at how US nuclear plants operate from someone who does it every day, see my free novel "Rad Decision". The plant involved and the climatic event bear some simularities to Fukushima. Free online, no advertisements or sponsors - just google the title or go to my homepage. Written for the lay person. Reader reviews are at the homepage or Amazon. RadDecision.blogspot.com

[Rain]

I think one of the things they discovered is the proximity of that site to a known earthquake zone. That's one of the reasons they do studies. Also there was concern over Vegas's water supply. Nobody wants it near them and everybody wants it somewhere far away from anything they care about given the potential risks

[Rain]

The other thing is the government (all of them) doesn't tell you the possible risks of any of this stuff. I grew up in the Columbia River Gorge and only when I was in middle age did I find out that they were releasing iodine into the river and region from Hanford. You think they told any of us who could still be endangered from that? Same with those who watched the first nuclear tests or even went into that region later in Southern Utah-- people like Susan Hayward who made a movie there and later died of a virulent cancer or the ones who lived in St. George, where they call it the land of one-breasted women. All of us now know you don't go hiking around in an area that has radiation. Back then the average person didn't know that. Often the government know long before they let you and me know. They wouldn't want to scare us now would they...

[Paul]

SDown here it's the Savannah River Nuclear Plant. An old timer told me the river used to glow in the dark - scary if true. I do not that I wouldn't eat a fish from the Savannah River and Lord knows I love fish and seafood. Thank you all for the cogent comments !

[west_rhino]

IMHO, though reeling off topic, the Billions in Yucca Mountain payroll needs to be elsewhere.

Paul, RE Savnna River Site, I'm more concerned with toxics that were dumped on site when experminting in the '40s than I am with radioactive waste held there. The radiation we can detect rapidly, the chemicals, as with the Columbia Organic Chemicals site, only found in the '80s that supplied SRS, begs processes that offer less immediate results.

[Paul]

There are things that exist or have existed at Savannah River Plant that are scary. I have this from folks who worked there for years. I do not trust the federal government to tell me the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There are dumos of this nature all across the nation. Fukushima and Chernobyl did occur. It could happen here too and probably will at some point. I'll never eat a fish from the Savannah River w_r...