Ex-top U.S. nuclear regulator counsels end to atomic power

[kristopher]

Ex-top U.S. nuclear regulator counsels end to atomic power
BY KAZUAKI NAGATA
SEP 24, 2013

The ongoing crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 plant is a sign that the world needs to seriously rethink nuclear safety and consider possibly ending its dependence on atomic power, the former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday in Tokyo.

“When you look at what happened around the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) area, it’s simply unacceptable,” as tens of thousands of people have been unable to return to their homes due to radioactive contamination, said Gregory Jaczko, who served as the top U.S. nuclear regulatory official for nearly three years until July 2012.

Given that Japan is extremely prone to earthquakes and tsunami, among other disasters, using nuclear power poses serious risks unless some kind of new technology is created to completely eliminate the possibility of severe accidents, Jaczko told reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.

However, Jaczko also said that creating such zero-risk technology is next to impossible.

Instead, Jaczko said...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/09/24/national/ex-top-u-s-nuclear-regulator-counsels-end-to-atomic-power/#.UkIeveAyHdl

[madokie]

1. I'd be really

pissed if a nuclear mishap ran me away from my home to possibly never be able to return. Nuclear energy is just too damn dangerous to continue to rely on it for anything except maybe a CT scan or an Xray.
When we were faced with a nuclear power plant being built near here we got out in droves to stop it. Stop it we did.
Its not so much the radiation that worries me when the plant is operating as designed rather its what happens when accidents happen that scares me.

[kristopher]

7. Now those confused, nuclear loving fools are trying to blame Jaczko

...for the Japanese apprehension of nuclear resulting from Fukushima.

It wasn't the triple meltdown and explosions that scared the Japanese, it was the bad publicity made possible by inevitable confusion and caution on the part of the NRC. And of course, since Jaczko has been making statements like the OP, they are trying very hard to find a way to smear him and undermine his credibility as former NRC Chairman.

[JohnyCanuck]

2. Australian news report: Dr. Jaczko warns groundwater situation at Fukushima is out of control

From a transcript posted at the website of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC):

Doubt over Fukushima safety claims

TIM PALMER: The former chief nuclear regulator in the United States has delivered a damning verdict on the ability of Japanese authorities to stop contaminated groundwater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant from flowing into the sea.

Asked about comments by the Japanese prime minister that the situation at Fukushima was under control, Gregory Jaczko replied that the surging groundwater "was beyond human control".

Speaking to foreign journalists in Tokyo, Dr Jaczko warned that a planned underground ice wall around the site would also fail to stop the water becoming contaminated.

snip

GREGORY JACZKO: What was unleashed was a force beyond human control. What you can do is try and mitigate that but you can't really control it. You cannot control groundwater.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-25/doubt-over-fukushima-safety-claims/4979554

[kristopher]

3. That's the point I've been making to those who want international intervention

...to deal with the leaks.

There are some problems that simply can't be fixed, you have to live with the consequences of the decisions that caused the problem.

[GliderGuider]

4. Kind of like carbon dioxide, isn't it?

"There are some problems that simply can't be fixed, you have to live with the consequences of the decisions that caused the problem."

I'm glad Jaczko's speaking out about it. A bit of realistic doomerism is never amiss.

[kristopher]

5. Yes, it is.

That's why it's important to get the policies right first time around - the best course we can pursue in terms of rapid phase out of carbon is renewable energy. The voices cheering for nuclear power are doing nothing but building a more secure edifice from which coal can continue to rule the roost.

[GliderGuider]

6. I agree completely about nuclear power.

Given how it's all turned out, we should probably have just stuck with wood, wind and water from the very beginning. We didn't though, so we will have to live with the consequences. 400+ ppm in the air, 400+ reactors on-line, and dying oceans filled with our shit. It's a shame, really. It was a nice little planet once.