Whitman: The Case for Nuclear Power is as Strong as Ever
The Case for Nuclear Power Is as Strong as Ever
Christine Todd WhitmanIt has been suggested recently that, in light of the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, America needs to plan for a massive catastrophe at one of the country’s 104 working nuclear reactors.
The concern for safety is critical, but the good news is that preventive safety work is already being done every day at our nation’s reactors. In fact, the United States nuclear energy industry has accumulated an outstanding safety record since the days of the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. Worker safety in nuclear plants stands above any other American industrial sector, as measured by lost-time accidents. The nuclear power industry has devoted significant resources to continuously improving the safety and reliability of our nuclear power facilities against all manner of potential risks and threats with the result that, for more than 30 years, nuclear plants have delivered about 20 percent of America’s electrical power safely and securely, without major incident.
Every nuclear power plant is designed, constructed and managed to prevent radioactive releases, even in the event of natural disasters, operational accidents or terrorist attacks. Since September 2001, the nuclear industry has spent in excess of $2 billion on enhancements to prevent physical or cyber breaches. In fact, analyses conducted by the independent Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) concluded that the structures that surround U.S. nuclear power plants would protect against a release of radiation if struck by a Boeing 767 jetliner. Steel-reinforced concrete containment structures protect reactors and redundant safety and reactor shutdown systems have been designed to withstand the impact of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods.
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