the effects of nuclear power plants

A nuclear power plant may be safer than a coal power plant, but it still hurts the surrounding environment.

With the recent nuclear emergencies in Japan stemming from a magnitude 9.1 earthquake in March 2011, public concern about the effects of nuclear power plants on the surrounding environments and people have skyrocketed. Though nuclear power plants are for the most part safer than other methods of power, such as coal, there are risks involved in living near a nuclear power plant.

1. Radioactive Waste

   • Nuclear reactor sites generally produce 20 to 30 tons of high-level waste every month. At power plants outside of the United States, the usable components of the waste are reprocessed, while the remaining waste is stored underground. The resulting waste contaminates the ground where it is buried, with some radioactive isotopes being released into the atmosphere when the fuel rods are spent. The United States prevents this practice within its boundaries due to an executive order. The spent fuel rods are instead placed in a dry cask storage unit underground. The problem with this stems from the dry cask extending the life of the radioactive isotopes in the waste, destroying the area where waste has been processed and buried. Most of these sites are found in areas far outside of civilian populations, keeping people safe from harm at the expense of the natural environment.

   Nuclear Emissions

   • Despite being monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency, most nuclear power plants release gaseous and liquid radiological effluents into the surrounding air and region. The amounts that are released depend on the age of the power plant, the regulations that are in effect and the performance of the plant. Studies show that living within 50 miles exposes humans to low doses of radiation through these emissions. Vegetation and animal life are exposed as well, with higher levels of exposure coming closer to the nuclear power plant.

   Cancer Risk

   • Until 2007, most studies concluded there was a minimal cancer risk near a power plant unless a major accident occurred. In 2007, however, an international study conducted by M.V. Ramana based on 17 individual research papers found high levels of childhood leukemia near 136 power plants. Studies are ongoing, but so far there has been no information that disproves the 2007 study. For those who have received direct contact with radiation through a nuclear accident, the risk of cancer and other side-effects increases greatly.

   Accidents

   • The highest danger to the environment and the people who live near a nuclear power plant stems from an accident. As has been seen in Japan with the Fukushima nuclear power plant, a meltdown can be catastrophic to the region. Already, citizens within a 30-km radius of the power plant have been warned to stay indoors. Low-level radioactive clouds stemming from the damaged fuel rods have been discovered as far away as the West Coast of the United States.

     Perhaps the most notorious nuclear meltdown occurred in Chernobyl in 1986, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and the evacuation of 300,000 citizens from the city of Kiev. Since then, the abandoned town has seen a decrease in animal and vegetation life that has only recently begun to return. Large rates of cancer and birth defects have been found in the citizens who were affected by the accident. Large levels of radiation can still be found at the Chernobyl power plant.