Nuke Plant Leaks Revealed

The nuclear industry is dealing with criticism over spills of a chemical called tritium. The GLRC’s Shawn Allee reports:

Transcript

The nuclear industry is dealing with criticism over spills of a chemical
called tritium. The GLRC’s Shawn Allee reports:


Federal regulators don’t require nuclear power plants to report what’s
considered minor tritium spills to the public. That’s despite the fact
tritium can make water radioactive, but some residents in Arizona,
Illinois and New York are furious. They’ve learned about tritium
spills… sometimes years later. Now, power plants want to change
course.


The Nuclear Energy Institute’s Ralph Andersen says the industry will
report even minor tritium leaks to the public.


“It’s appreciating the common sense issue that of course, neighbors
around a nuclear power plant want to be aware of emissions from the
plant, not just hear about it later or read about it in the paper.”


Federal regulators insist the public’s safe. Nuclear watchdog groups
remain worried, though. The agreement covers only nuclear plant
operators, not places that store tritium outside power stations.


For the GLRC, I’m Shawn Allee.

Related Links

Group Calls for Nuke Plant Phaseout

A group that promotes green energy says the electricity crisis across North America is going to get worse. And the group says refurbishing old nuclear plants is not the answer. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Dan Karpenchuk reports:

Transcript

A group that promotes green energy says the electricity crisis across
North America is
going to get worse. And the group says refurbishing old nuclear plants
is not the answer.
The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Dan Karpenchuk reports:


Ralph Torrie is one of the authors of a new report by the environmental
group, The
Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout. He wants to reduce reliance on nuclear
power. Torrie
says more than half of the working reactors will need serious repairs
in the next decade.
And new sources of energy will have to be found to bridge the gap until
the repairs are
completed.


“Premature aging and poor performance of the reactors is making the
problem that we’re
facing much more urgent than if the plants were operating the way they
were supposed to
be.”


Torrie says the reconstruction money would be better spent in
developing more efficient
energy programs and finding more renewable sources of energy.


Officials for the nuclear industry say reactors are like cars… and
need to be refurbished to
keep them running smoothly.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Dan Karpenchuk.

Stocking Up on Nuke Accident Pills

The federal government is offering to buy special anti-cancer pills for people who live near nuclear power plants. There are 24 nuclear power plants in the Great Lakes states… and state officials are now pondering whether to accept the offer. In Ohio, the debate reflects the pro and con arguments across the region. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Bill Cohen has details:

Honoring a Fallen Activist

The Great Lakes Basin hosts 44 nuclear reactors, plus a variety of uranium mining and refining facilities and nuclear waste dumps. Their presence has been contentious and divisive, and critics of nuclear power have often been seen as extremists who have polarized the issue. But one remarkable Canadian activist managed to bring both sides of the debate together. Great Lakes Radio Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston says her recent death is a tragedy for all Great Lakes residents:

Commentary – Plutonium to Stay in U-S

The U-S recently announced that it’s abandoning plans to export
weapons-grade plutonium to Canada. U-S activists opposed the idea of
shipping the material along American highways. As Great Lakes Radio
Consortium commentator Suzanne Elston observes, in winning the battle
over transport, those activists may have lost the war: