Nuclear and radiation accidents and incidents

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR POWER JULY 2TH,2022

VIENNA CENTER FOR DISARMAMENT AND NON‑PROLIFERATION

DEVELOPED BY BEN TAMOUT CHIRAZ

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR POWER NUCLEAR J UWHAT L Y 2 T H ,IS 202 2 ENERGY?

NUCLEAR REACTORS AND POWER PLANTS HAVE COMPLEX SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES

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W H A T IS NUCLEAR E N E RG Y? Nuclear energy comes from the core of an atom. Atoms make up all matter: the device you’re reading this on, the surface it’s resting on, and the air you’re breathing. And within each atom is a nucleus, a tightly packed core that holds protons and neutrons bound together by what’s known as the strong nuclear force. But when a neutron strikes the nucleus of certain atoms—uranium, for example—this atomic center can break into pieces in a process called nuclear fission, releasing enormous energy in the form of heat and radiation.

Nuclear power Nuclear power comes from the energy that is released in the process of nuclear fission. Most nuclear power plants use enriched uranium as their fuel to produce electricity. This fuel contains greater amounts of a certain kind (or isotope) of uranium known as U-235. Its atoms are more easily split apart in nuclear reactors What Is Nuclear Power Used For? We use nuclear power mainly for electricity generation. The United States is the world’s largest producer of nuclear energy, accounting for more than 30 percent of global nuclear electricity generation.

NUCLEAR REACTORS AND POWER PLANTS HAVE COMPLEX SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES An uncontrolled nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor could result in widespread contamination of air and water.

The risk of this happening at nuclear power plants in the United States is small because of the diverse and redundant barriers and safety systems in place at nuclear power plants, the training and skills of the reactor operators, testing and maintenance activities, and the regulatory requirements and oversight of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

A large area surrounding a nuclear power plant is restricted and guarded by armed security teams. U.S. reactors also have containment vessels that are designed to withstand extreme weather events and earthquakes.

Nuclear power cost Existing nuclear plants have relatively low operation, maintenance, and fuel costs compared to many fossil fuel plants; however, these routine costs still make nuclear power economically uncompetitive in comparison with wind, solar, and gas. The World Nuclear Industry Status Report estimates that the cost of generating nuclear energy in 2021 ranges between $112 and $189 per megawatt-hour (MWh), while solar power costs between $36 and $44 and onshore wind power comes in at $29 to $56. That’s why some nuclear power plants are closing before their licenses expire.

NUCLEAR REACTORS AND POWER PLANTS HAVE COMPLEX SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES An uncontrolled nuclear reaction in a nuclear reactor could result in widespread contamination of air and water.

The risk of this happening at nuclear power plants in the United States is small because of the diverse and redundant barriers and safety systems in place at nuclear power plants, the training and skills of the reactor operators, testing and maintenance activities, and the regulatory requirements and oversight of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

An uncontrolled power surge led to explosions and fire that destroyed Unit 4 of the plant and released radioactive material—after which government secrecy and misinformation put victims at much greater risk.

Radiation contamination reached all the way to Sweden. Rather than attempt to clean up the local contamination by collecting radioactively contaminated material and moving it to a permanent disposal site, the Soviet government created an “exclusion zone” within a radius of about 19 miles around the plant where access remains restricted. Approximately 350,000 people had to be permanently resettled away from the site.

Environmental impact of nuclear power

NUCLEAR REACTORS AND POWER PLANTS HAVE COMPLEX SAFETY AND SECURITY FEATURES

Nuclear power has various environmental impacts, including those related to the nuclear fuel cycle, the operation of nuclear power plants, and the effects of nuclear accidents.

The greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear fission power are much smaller than those associated with coal, oil, and gas, and the routine health risks are much smaller than those associated with coal. However, there is a "catastrophic risk" potential if containment fails,[ which in nuclear reactors can be brought about by overheated fuels melting and releasing large quantities of fission products into the environment. This potential risk must be carefully weighed against the benefits of nuclear power. The most long-lived radioactive wastes, including spent nuclear fuel, must be contained and isolated for a long period of time. However, in some forms of nuclear power generation, spent nuclear fuel can be reused, yielding even more energy and reducing the amount of waste to be contained. There is considerable public opposition to nuclear power.

Nuclear reactor accidents Since nuclear power began operations in the 1950s, there have been three major commercial nuclear reactor accidents.

The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history. A release of radioactive materials followed the 2011 Japanese tsunami which damaged the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in hydrogen gas explosions and partial meltdowns.

The Fukushima disaster was classified a Level 7 event. The large-scale release of radioactivity resulted in people being evacuated from a 20 km exclusion zone set up around the power plant, similar to the 30 km radius Chernobyl Exclusion Zone still in effect.

In Japan, in July 2016, Fukushima Prefecture announced that the number of evacuees following the Great East Japan earthquake events had fallen below 90,000, in part because of the lifting of evacuation orders issued in some municipalities.

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Numerous studies have been done on the possible relationship between nuclear power and cancer. Such studies have looked for excess cancers in both plant workers and surrounding populations due to releases during normal operations of nuclear plants and other parts of the nuclear power industry, as well as excess cancers in workers and the public due to accidental releases.

There is agreement that excess cancers in both plant workers and the surrounding public have been caused by accidental releases such as the Chernobyl accident.There is also agreement that some workers in other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle (most notably uranium mining) have had elevated rates of cancer, at least in past decades.

Chernobyl disaster As of 2013, the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine remains the world's worst nuclear power plant disaster. Estimates of its death toll are controversial and range from 62 to 25,000, with the high projections including deaths that have yet to happen. Peer-reviewed publications have generally supported a projected total figure in the low tens of thousands. For example, an estimate of 16,000 excess cancer deaths are predicted to occur due to the Chernobyl accident out to the year 2065, whereas, in the same period, several hundred million cancer cases are expected from other causes.

CAUTION RADIOACTIVE 2022