Nuclear Energy

[Diane Amberg]

I have thoroughly read the last handful of posts with great interest. All were well thought out and well written.Thank you. I totally understand how people can feel the way they do. Everyone will  reflect their upbringing and their home area. That's a very good thing. I  live in an area that is not sheltered in any way from any "kind" of people; we have the best of the best and the worst of the worst, but not all the time or everywhere at the same time. We have very strong minded environmentalists here who watch every move and I understand that because we simply don't have the luxury of a lot of excess land to pollute. A big oil spill along our coast or on the big Delaware River could be a disaster. Not from the oil rigs, but from the transportation of the oil to the refineries. Some of our people are as scared of that as Teresa is of Barack. We have had many, many small spills over the years and we are pretty quick with the booms, barriers and vacuums...but they are afraid of "the big one." We also have Nuclear power plants. Not in Delaware, but just across the river in New Jersey.  We are within the 10 mile radius of a leak, and have big "run for your life" sirens on towers along rt. 13. You can see the big cooling towers and every time I see them I sort of wonder.... I want to know who will be the candidates energy and economic advisers and who is advising them now, during the campaigns. I heard some things from Barack this morning that I thought were rather short sighted. I'll know better how I feel when the Vice Presidential candidates are announced. In the meantime, I'll watch the smog cutting events at the Olympics!

[Teresa]

We have had many, many small spills over the years and we are pretty quick with the booms, barriers and vacuums...but they are afraid of "the big one." We also have Nuclear power plants. Not in Delaware, but just across the river in New Jersey.  We are within the 10 mile radius of a leak, and have big "run for your life" sirens on towers along rt. 13. You can see the big cooling towers and every time I see them I sort of wonder....

Diane?? if you would hear the big siren.. what happens? I mean what do you have to do?  I didn't know that it was that "to the wire" there. And the big cooling towers... What about them?
Please explain more about it.

[Diane Amberg]

    Teresa, about Salem.    My house here in Newark is too far away to actually hear the sirens, but if you are over near the river you sure can. I did hear the sirens once but it was just a test, thank goodness. If it's for real, fire board and our radio stations will tell you which way the air is moving and at what speed and what the danger really is. The fire equipment and police cars then hit the road with evacuation orders on bull horns to let people know to leave. The city also has reverse 911 that calls everybody's phones and leaves a message. The University can call student cell phones with a message. You are to go the other way as far as you can and wait for news. We were put on alert for real one time, but it was taken care of and put under control before we had to do anything.  I have a friend who is a fire fighter there at Salem and he tells us about lots of little things that happen. It's very well maintained and the risk is extremely small, but...... The big cooling towers are no problem. They just look imposing.
       Nuclear fission isn't all that complicated, but it's hard to explain. I took a tour at the Peach Bottom PA. plant one time and it is fascinating. The radioactive fuel rods, with U-235, as most of the older plants have, move up and down into water to regulate their temperature. You want them hot enough to create steam to run turbines to make electricity, but not so hot that they melt down or evaporate the water and cause them to melt through the bottom of the chamber to create a "China Syndrome." Water is cooled and replaced constantly so the plants are on rivers or some reliable water source. There are a huge numbers of back ups and redundancies  and since 9-11, security is even tighter.  Newer plants use other products such as sea water and plutonium. Aside from a terrorist attack or a very unlikely series of events, they are very safe.

[srkruzich]

    Teresa, about Salem.    My house here in Newark is too far away to actually hear the sirens, but if you are over near the river you sure can. I did hear the sirens once but it was just a test, thank goodness. If it's for real, fire board and our radio stations will tell you which way the air is moving and at what speed and what the danger really is. The fire equipment and police cars then hit the road with evacuation orders on bull horns to let people know to leave. The city also has reverse 911 that calls everybody's phones and leaves a message. The University can call student cell phones with a message. You are to go the other way as far as you can and wait for news. We were put on alert for real one time, but it was taken care of and put under control before we had to do anything.  I have a friend who is a fire fighter there at Salem and he tells us about lots of little things that happen. It's very well maintained and the risk is extremely small, but...... The big cooling towers are no problem. They just look imposing.
       Nuclear fission isn't all that complicated, but it's hard to explain. I took a tour at the Peach Bottom PA. plant one time and it is fascinating. The radioactive fuel rods, with U-235, as most of the older plants have, move up and down into water to regulate their temperature. You want them hot enough to create steam to run turbines to make electricity, but not so hot that they melt down or evaporate the water and cause them to melt through the bottom of the chamber to create a "China Syndrome." Water is cooled and replaced constantly so the plants are on rivers or some reliable water source. There are a huge numbers of back ups and redundancies  and since 9-11, security is even tighter.  Newer plants use other products such as sea water and plutonium. Aside from a terrorist attack or a very unlikely series of events, they are very safe.

One more point that folks don't know about reactors. Water shields radiation.  You can flood a reactor with water, and no radiation will leak out from it. 

I lived 5 miles from the shud down dawsomville Ga site, where they built the little man bomb used in WW 2.  IT is filled up with riverwater and no radiation leaks out from the core.

[Diane Amberg]

Sorry David, I guess we got a little off track. I keep expecting the two candidates to talk about increases in nuclear power to help with energy needs, but I guess that's a hot button, if you'll pardon the pun. And skr, you are right about the water, but then people worry about contaminated water getting out. There is plenty of containment inside but some people are scared to death of the idea. I think we're in more danger from gasoline tankers on the highways every day.

[Teresa]

Fascinating Diane.. Thank you so much. I may have to pull these posts and start them on another thread so that I can learn more in this area.. ( You should be one of those tour guides. ) You had my rapt attention.

[pam]

I'm one of those people that's always been nervous about nuclear power My aunt and uncle have been workin at Wolf Creek for about 20 years tho, I know American standards are higher than overseas and I know an accident is highly unlikely but at the same time...it only takes one to really screw things up. We have to start thinkin about the consequences and repercussions for future generations more than we have in the past. Pickens plan has serious possibilities I think. Life......it's a big crap shoot and you spend your time hopin you don't roll snake eyes

[dnalexander]

Pam I am still unsure about nuclear power safety due to the fact that much of it in the U.S is very old. France has one of the most modern and safe nuclear power systems in the world if not the most safe. I think it is definitely time to revisit this issue due to our ever increasing energy needs.

David

[pam]

I hear ya, y'know that's one of the few things Frank and I agree on tho is figurin out a way to decrease our energy needs, instead of continually comin up with ways to support em. It's only a matter of time till we run out of ideas!

[srkruzich]

Sorry David, I guess we got a little off track. I keep expecting the two candidates to talk about increases in nuclear power to help with energy needs, but I guess that's a hot button, if you'll pardon the pun. And skr, you are right about the water, but then people worry about contaminated water getting out. There is plenty of containment inside but some people are scared to death of the idea. I think we're in more danger from gasoline tankers on the highways every day.

Funny thing is that the water isn't contaminated.  The only reason i can think of is because water is simple two elements.  Oxygen and hydrogen. Both of which when heated evaporate into the air.  The radiation is contained and the heat from the radiation never gets into the water.
Wierd i know.