Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepting Public Comments for 2 Proposed Duke Energy Nuclear Plants in SC
ADD YOUR VOICE — WE ARE AT AN ENERGY CROSSROADS — COAL and NEW NUKES — OR — SMART USE OF ENERGY and GREEN POWER!
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is accepting public comments — specifically on the “scope” — of what they should include in the Environmental Impact Statement that it will write as part of the license for a new (2 reactor units) nuclear power plant proposed by Duke Energy — that would be located (if sanity does not prevail) near Gaffney, South Carolina. Duke previously started to build a nuclear power plant on the same site in Cherokee County, SC (3 units were planned) but then CANCELLED the project in 1982-83. Duke named the new project William States Lee –and these would be reactors # 6 and 7 in the immediate Charlotte area (less than 30 miles)… and add to the “ring” around Asheville — the site is about 60 miles as the crow flies…only about 25 miles from Rutherfordton and the proposed expansion of the Cliffside coal disaster. Spartanburg, Greenville and many many smaller jurisdictions in both North and South Carolina are inside the “50 mile” zone.
We have been working these past few years under the realization that we must oppose coal and nukes in the same breath — that coal surely is not the path forward — and the nuclear energy is not the solution to the climate crisis — it takes too long, costs too much and still has all the health, safety and security challenges –and therefore is an enormous distraction from the REAL solutions of massive, systemic, delivered and installed energy efficiency and really clean power from the natural forces of wind, sun and appropriate harnessing of water power.
With that — we invite you to participate in the NRC’s scoping process — there are some useful links and quick “talking points” below. Please also register your over-all views on this project and nuclear energy as a path in our energy future. THANK YOU!
Please send your comments:
BY EMAIL —
basic “talking points” on Duke’s new nuke – EIS Scoping Process
your questions and comments will be “part of the record”
the Duke Environment Report that will be the basis for this EIS is posted at:
http://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/idmws/ViewDocByAccession.asp?AccessionNumber=ML073510876
more info on nukes and climate:
http://www.nirs.org/climate/climate.htm
and a small collection of documents more specific to the Southeast:
1. Please do state your overall opinion / judgment / feelings about Duke’s plan — AND — Ask questions — this is our chance to push NRC!
2. Air – please ask for specific dose estimates including tritium (radioactive hydrogen) and Nobel gases for all metropolitan areas within 100 miles
3. Water – a nuke requires millions of gallons of water – in some cases per day, in some cases per minute. Where will the water come from? How much will be returned to that source and how much will leave the site as steam? How that water sacrifice impact our environment, agriculture, local water supplies including drinking water? Are climate change projections factored in?
4. Other sources of power: how much wind energy capacity exists within the Duke service area? What is the solar capacity of all the roof tops within the Duke Service area? If energy efficiency is delivered to Duke customers to reduce consumption across the service area by 30%, would this new power plant be needed? How many other generation sources could be scrapped? How much would each option cost compared to the proposed nuke?
5. Include all the true costs of nuclear reactor operation – including all the costs born by us as tax-payers including direct subsidies, tax credits, loan guarantees, federal waste program, federal insurance program and costs born by victims including health impacts from routine release of radioactivity, processing nuclear fuel, waste transport, management, treatment (including incineration and heat treatment) and disposal.
6. Include the impact of the Climate Crisis on reactor operations – the elevation of temperature in cooling water causing reactor outages; the increased rate of loss of off-site power due to increased incidence of severe weather and so increased risk of a major reactor accident tied to Station Black-out.
7. Ask for substantiation of any claim that nuclear energy can contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions – particularly in the immediate, most critical period of time.
8. Think about what you want to know – and ask NRC to address it in their EIS! This is a major addition to our immediate area – it IS our business!
UNC-Charlotte Earth Club 