Discussion of Hurricane Sandy and its potential impact on U.S. Nuclear Plants, the Woods Hole Report, Kudankulam, and the Shutdown of the Kewaunee Nuclear Plant
/About This Podcast
In this week's podcast Arnie Gundersen discusses with KH what effect we can expect Hurricane Sandy to have on operating U.S. nuclear plants. Nuclear power plants rely on off-site power to cool the reactors, but in the event of a "loss of off-site power" (which is likely in a hurricane,) plants rely entirely on backup diesel generators. A new report from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution finds Fukushima Daiichi accident released more radiation into the Pacific Ocean than any other nuclear event. Massive protests in India, at the site of the new Kudankulam nuclear plant, are met a harsh response by the Indian government. The U.S. Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant is about to shut down for good. Gundersen discusses the costs of operating a nuclear power plant and suggests that other single-unit nuclear plants may soon follow suit.
