Should We Have 4 Reactors at Turkey Point?

In reaction to the nuclear reactor crisis unfolding in Japan, the US is taking a second look at nuclear reactor safety. The Miami Herald has been publishing a series of articles on the subject. In the article titled Despite approval, critics question new Turkey Point reactor design.

Former UEL member questions the safety of the new reactor design chosen for Turkey Point:

Mark Oncavage, conservation chair for the Sierra Club in South Florida who has long monitored Turkey Point, said newer designs continue — among other issues — to treat potentially volatile spent fuel, stored in large volumes in pools, in buildings that aren’t as strong or secure as reactors.

But the overriding concern about the AP 1000, he said, is that “none of them have been built and proven yet. It’s an experimental design.’’

In an article Sunday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said where nuclear reactors are placed will change. He said that surrounding population will play a greater role in where nuclear reactors are placed. Turkey Point, where there are two reactors and two are planned, has 2.5 million people within 50 miles of the plant.