A decade ago, engineers warned decision makers that the levies around New Orleans were not strong enough in case a Category 5 Hurricane blew in. It did in the form of Katrina. We know the rest of that story.
More than a decade ago, some people in the FBI warned of a possible terrorist attack near September 11, 2001. It was just one of many such warnings that came before decision makers eyes….probably another false alarm. But nevertheless, the worst happened, and 3000 people lost their lives, and our wars on terrorism continue going on 11 years afterwards.
The operators of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant were assured that plant was safe from storms and earthquakes.
No one envisioned a tsunami that would send waves onto the Fukushima plant grounds above protective walls that were only a third as high as those that flooded the plant causing catastrophes so overwhelming that since then Germany has said it will discontinue use of its nuclear plants soon, and PBS’s Frontline predicts that Japan itself will close down all 54 of its plants.
Back in the US, a noted NRC engineer since the 1970’s, Dr. John Ma, warned NRC commissioners that the Westinghouse AP1000 reactor could “shatter like a glass cup,” if put in stressful weather or seismic conditions. Of course, other engineers employed by Westinghouse insisted this was not the case. You can guess who was believed.
U. S Rep Ed Markey, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee has said regarding the AP1000 reactor:
“Instead of doing all they should to protect nuclear reactors against seismically-induced ground acceleration, these Commissioners (NRC) voted to approve the acceleration of reactor construction. They have fast-tracked construction of a reactor whose shield building could ‘shatter like a glass cup’ if impacted by an earthquake or other natural or man-made impact.”
Back in May, NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko expressed concerns with the AP1000. He then said that Westinghouse would need to provide information on “additional technical issues” related to the AP1000 shield building’s ability to withstand accidents.
A number of organizations still are not satisfied with Westinghouse’s modifications. These groups include the AP1000 Oversight Group, Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team,Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Friends of theEarth, Georgia Women's Action for New Directions, Green Party of Fl orida, Mothers AgainstTennessee River Radiation, North Carolina Waste Awareness and Reduction Network, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Nuclear Watch South, South Carolina Chapter - Sierra Club, and Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.
Back in 1913, Union County, just one county south of Gaffney’s Cherokee County, experienced a 5.5 earthquake. There is no basis to say that there won’t be another.
Too often we humans have looked at probability and written off one in a hundred, one in a thousand or one in a million as just not worth preparing for after a cost/benefit analysis.
Tell this to the more than 100,000 residents of Fukushima who are now unable to return to their homes. Tell this to the people near the Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Plant in Nebraska that came within inches of nuclear calamity this summer when the Missouri River stayed out of its banks for months, putting communities at risk for weeks.
Many of us who are parents and grandparents say the chances of failure of this newly designed AP1000 are just too high. We remind commissioners that for as much as this plant will cost by the time it is complete, the number of gallons of water that will be required to make it work, there are better alternatives.
These alternatives are solar, wind, geothermal and other energy sources….low scale, community-based, community-owned and safe. From the World Bank website comes this article about investments in renewable energy sources.
“The World Bank and the International Finance Corporation constitute a major financier of solar photovoltaics (PV) in developing countries with projects valued at more than US$600 million, serving about 1.3 million households and public facilities in about 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.”
Imagine how many households would benefit from an $14 billion investment, the amount estimated to be spent on the construction of the William States Lee plant.
In conclusion, let me state that nuclear power is expensive and dangerous, in this case it is also too much of a burden on the Broad River which already is under stress. It uses uranium which is not easily mined without permanent damage to miners and nearby communities, and the fact that we still cannot adequately deal with nuclear wastes, we do not trust the safety of this plant’s untested reactor, with Gaffney being just one of the nuclear sites where this reactor will be used.
We humans have heard too often of too many warnings that have gone unheeded. Don’t let these warnings also fall on deaf ears and blinded eyes.