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Figure 1: Credit-Rene Mendoza
 

                                                      credit: Mendoza, Rene 2008

Franklin High School

2008 Critical Issues Forum

 

Nuclear renaissance: Benefits versus Risks

 

Participants:

Vinh Bui, Christina Modica,

Kalissa Morgan, Will Sorensen

 

Coordinator:

Rene Mendoza

 

 

 

Benchmark III

Drawing Conclusions

Objective 1 - Scientific and Environmental Domain

Hypothetical Situation:

http://www.landwateruse.water.ca.gov/images/countymaps/00sax.jpg
 
The year is 2020. The Sacramento Valley in California is facing a massive increase in energy demand over the next several years, and extrapolation indicates current power supply means will not be sufficient to continue supplying adequate power. Therefore, SMUD (Sacramento Municipal Utilities District) proposes the construction of Next-Generation nuclear generation station to supply cheap power for the region. The new reactor will be a Molten-Salt reactor design. Various local citizensÕ groups and other organizations vocalize support and opposition to the plant based on scientific and environmental considerations; their chief arguments and complaints are detailed below:

 

In Support:

A prime reason for constructing the plant is its increased safety factors over traditional nuclear power plants and fossil fuel power plants. These include:

á      The lack of a high pressure primary and secondary coolant system; the molten salt reactor uses a low-pressure molten salt as both coolant and reactive matrix, eliminating the possibility of a catastrophic steam explosion in the reactor core.

á       A simpler design decreases possibilities for mechanical failures (fewer pumps than traditional plants).

á      Suspension of radioactive material in salt limits the possibility of a ÒChina SyndromeÓ meltdown.

Furthermore, the new plant greatly increases the efficiency and viability of the nuclear fuel cycle.

á      The new molten-salt reactor can achieve a burnout ratio of nearly 99%, a huge increase over any existing reactor.

á      The new salt reactor can also burn radioactive waste from previous generations of reactors, meaning that waste no longer has to be stored.

á      The Thorium reconditioning cycle means more of the fuel can be efficiently used, decreasing the amount of mining needed and subsequent effects to the environment.

http://www.torium.se/res/default/msretopcol.jpg
 

 

In Opposition:

Any nuclear power plant carries the risk of radiation exposure – no human engineer can be perfectly sure of absolute containment – failures can always occur.

á      See Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Kashiwaszki-Kariwa incidents.

á      Fear of a terrorist attack

á      Storage of radioactive waste

á      Waste storage will be an issue due to the Ònot in my backyardÓ effect.

á      The salt for the reactor is costly and environmentally degrading to produce and process.

á      The salt is water-soluble and should containment fail, it could easily contaminate groundwater and lead to harmful consequences to nearby communities.

á      Mining for and producing the salt has just as many costs as mining fossil fuels.

http://nuclear.inl.gov/gen4/i/msr-lg.jpg
 

Works Cited

"Molten Salt Reactor." 02 May 2008 <http://nuclear.inl.gov/gen4/i/msr-lg.jpg>.

"Sacramento County." 19 May 2008

            <http://www.landwateruse.water.ca.gov/images/countymaps/00sax.jpg>.

"Thorium Electronuclear." 10 May 2008 <http://www.torium.se/res/default/msretopcol.jpg>.