Even without the possibility of a nuclear accident, no primary energy source seems to generate more controversy and debate in the United States than nuclear power. Discuss three important environmental impacts that are a result of the normal operation of

Question

a nuclear power plant.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

In order to extract uranium ore from the ground, large quantities of rock must be removed and processed. This mining process disturbs large areas of land and leaves extensive mine tailings behind. These tailings are often acidified by rainfall, and have had severe negative impacts on nearby streams and lakes. Secondly, all nuclear power plants generate an extensive amount of heat from the normal fission process of the U235 atoms. In some cases, this heat is dissipated into nearby rivers, lakes, or ocean waters. Elevated temperatures in waters near nuclear power plants can alter the quality of the aquatic or marine habitats and diminish biodiversity. A third environmental impact has to do with the ultimate fate of the nuclear waste generated by nuclear power. To date, no permanent safe storage facility has been designated, and most spent nuclear fuel rods are currently stored on-site, at the over 100 U.S. plants. This spent nuclear fuel must be kept separate from the environment to avoid radioactive contamination of the environment. At present, there are no nuclear repositories in operation, and this continues to pose a potential environmental risk due to the long-term nature (over a million years) that safe storage requires.