I don't need the government to tell me that you can't make things radioactive by irradiating them with gamma or beta rays. To make something radioactive you have to change the composition of the nucleus. It simply isn't physically possible for gamma or beta radiation to do this.
Your absolutely right that new rods can be refined from spent nuclear fuel. It is done to some extent in Europe. However, this produces a significant amount of waste in the process and exposes the workers in the plant. It was decided by the US Government that the risks of this process outwayed the benifits. Should they change their minds, however, there is a waste disposal facility to handle the production waste near Carlsbad, NM called Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). It is deep in a salt formation.
It's not just the "issue" that the anti-nukes want. They figure that if the powerplants and other generators can't dispose of their waste, then they will have to stop operating. I had a rather annoying conversation with an activist on just that topic.
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Read the article again. That's $5 million NET not pro forma. Everyone expected a pro forma, but Amazon surprised them and posted a REAL proffit.
I don't need the government to tell me that you can't make things radioactive by irradiating them with gamma or beta rays. To make something radioactive you have to change the composition of the nucleus. It simply isn't physically possible for gamma or beta radiation to do this.
Your absolutely right that new rods can be refined from spent nuclear fuel. It is done to some extent in Europe. However, this produces a significant amount of waste in the process and exposes the workers in the plant. It was decided by the US Government that the risks of this process outwayed the benifits. Should they change their minds, however, there is a waste disposal facility to handle the production waste near Carlsbad, NM called Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). It is deep in a salt formation. It's not just the "issue" that the anti-nukes want. They figure that if the powerplants and other generators can't dispose of their waste, then they will have to stop operating. I had a rather annoying conversation with an activist on just that topic.
*sigh* Maybe we should advoid all acronyms here. NIMBY = Not In My Back Yard
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