[ RadSafe ] More Nuclear Power May Be Coming to Fla.

[Sandy Perle]

More Nuclear Power May Be Coming to Fla.

Panel: Fla. Should Lead in Reprocessing Spent Nuclear Fuel 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida should consider building more 
nuclear power plants and even contemplate constructing a facility 
that would recycle nuclear waste into usable fuel, a panel examining 
the state's energy future says.
 
The committee will likely recommend that nuclear power be a big part 
of that future, in light of concerns about coal contributing to 
global warming.

Volatile spikes in the price of natural gas and concerns about carbon 
emissions from coal plants are driving a renewed interest in nuclear 
power across the nation, and Florida should also be moving in that 
direction, several members of the Florida Energy Commission said 
Monday.

One of the obstacles to building more nuclear power plants is the 
question of what to do with the spent fuel. Currently, much of that 
waste is set to eventually be taken to the national Yucca Mountain 
Repository in Nevada, but it won't hold it all. There's also 
opposition to storing it there that may pose problems for that plan.

Last year, the Bush administration proposed reviving nuclear fuel 
reprocessing. Recycling used fuel, which contains 90 percent of its 
original energy after one use, can reduce waste.

"Do we want to put (the waste) into salt mines for eternity or do we 
want to make use of it as a fuel?" said J. Sam Bell, chairman of the 
Florida Energy Commission's advisory committee on energy supply. The 
panel will recommend changes to the commission, which in turn will 
make suggestions to the Legislature.

The United States stopped reprocessing nuclear waste in the 1970s 
because that also produces a plutonium that's nearer to weapons 
grade, raising fears that widespread reprocessing could increase the 
risks of nuclear terrorism or proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Several members of the panel said knowledge about the reprocessing 
technology is lacking, so it needs to be studied more before 
committing Florida to taking a leading role.

Along with security concerns, some environmental and other groups 
have questioned whether reprocessing is a legitimate answer to the 
nuclear waste problem, noting that it is expensive and still leaves 
waste that must be disposed of.

What to do with the safety, security and waste aren't the only 
obstacle to more nuclear plants -- there's also the huge capital 
costs in building them. The last new nuclear plant in the United 
States, opened in 1996 in Tennessee after 22 years of construction, 
cost $7 billion.

The panel's discussions also included whether state policy should 
embrace coal as another option for the state's electric power 
generating future, a touchy subject considering recent statements by 
Gov. Charlie Crist that he thinks coal's future is shaky because of 
global warming. Also, state regulators recently rejected a proposed 
new coal plant for the state's largest utility, Florida Power & 
Light, although it was primarily on economic grounds.

Electric industry officials say new technology makes coal much 
cleaner, and some members of the panel said they hope the state 
doesn't discount coal entirely -- because it's such an abundant and 
cheap fuel source.

"I think the governor's message is really that he doesn't want any 
more dirty coal plants," said panel member David Mica. "We've got an 
awful lot of coal out there.... I just don't know if you can afford 
to throw coal out of that mix."

----------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle 
President
Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc. 
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614

Tel: (949) 296-2306 / (888) 437-1714 Extension 2306 
Fax:(949) 296-1144

E-Mail: sperle at dosimetry.com
E-Mail: sandyfl at cox.net

Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/