Funds Dwindle To Dismantle Old Nuclear Plants

Hugh Pickens writes "The Associated Press reports that the companies who own almost half the nation's nuclear reactors are not setting aside enough money to dismantle the reactors, so many plants may sit idle for decades, posing safety and security risks as a result. The shortfalls in funding have been caused by huge losses in the stock market that have devastated the companies' savings and by the soaring costs of decommissioning. Owners of 19 nuclear plants have won approval to idle their reactors for as long as 60 years, presumably enough time to allow investments to recover and eventually pay for dismantling the plants and removing radioactive material. But mothballing nuclear reactors or shutting them down inadequately presents the risk that radioactive waste could leak from abandoned plants into ground water or be released into the air, and spent nuclear fuel rods could be stolen by terrorists. The NRC has contacted 18 nuclear power plants to clarify how the companies will address the recent economic downturn's effects on funds to decommission reactors in the future, but some analysts worry the utility companies that own nuclear plants might not even exist in six decades."

Comments

Re:Weird

[c6gunner]

Still a shame someone flagged me as flamebait instead of discussing our different views. Cause flamebait i Was not.

Uh, yeah, you were, with both comments. You start off spreading FUD which has been addressed hundreds of times, and then follow it up by ranting about political corruption. All of that in response to an article which has more to do with economics than nuclear safety. If I had mod points I'd have a hard time deciding whether to mod you flamebait, troll, or off-topic, since all three clearly apply.