Setting up nuclear plants far away from human populations

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the idea of locating nuclear power plants far away from human populations to enhance safety. Participants explore the feasibility, implications, and potential problems associated with this approach, touching on aspects of safety, environmental impact, and logistical challenges.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that setting up nuclear power plants far from human populations could enhance safety, but they question the practicality of such a requirement.
  • Concerns are raised about the environmental impact on wildlife if plants are located in remote areas, suggesting that other animals would suffer from increased background radiation.
  • One participant notes the paradox of needing to locate plants away from populated areas while also needing to minimize transmission losses, which can be significant over long distances.
  • Another participant mentions that many existing reactors in the U.S. are already situated outside of population centers, yet still close enough to supply power efficiently.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the feasibility of placing plants in extremely remote locations due to the logistical challenges for workers and maintenance.
  • Historical context is provided regarding the changing demographics around nuclear plants, with some areas becoming more populated over time.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of views, with some agreeing that current placements of nuclear plants are adequate while others argue for more distance from human populations. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to balancing safety, environmental concerns, and logistical considerations.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the assumptions about the safety of nuclear power plants, the varying definitions of "far away," and the unresolved nature of transmission losses and their impact on plant placement.

  • #31
I live in Utah. There has been talk about building a reactor here, near Green River, which is pretty isolated. It was iffy before and now it probably won't happen. But the basic problem is, worldwide, where you have cooling water you have people. Moving the power a long distance isn't that big of a deal. There's a giant coal-fired power plant near Delta, Utah (Intermountain Power Project) that sends its juice to California.
And yeah, Nevada has no water.
The main problem is the NIMBYs. They will not let a plant be built. Of any kind. The next big political fights will be over wind and solar, which are already running into major resistance.
My take on this location thing is this, though: Fukushima is located in the middle of a huge population, and they are going to face immeasurably tiny health effects even if this gets a whole lot worse. If you could build a plant, you might as well build it in a populated area, because the last month has proven that in any natural disaster nasty enough to could cause a nuclear disaster, the nuclear plant will be the least of your problems and the least deadly factor.
 
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  • #32
Drakkith said:
I can't understand you kocthu. Is english a second language for you? If not then you really need to work on your writing skills. What exactly do you mean by this?

May be English is my final language or I might missunderstand the Topic. This is the last reply for Fukushima, "Effects are done by causes". Thanks for your reading.
 

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