[ RadSafe ] Safety Issues Linger as Nuclear Reactors Shrink in Size

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

I am a fan of the idea of smaller, modular reactors, but I have to agree
with the environmentalists who are not impressed with liquid metal
cooled reactors.  They have great characteristics, and made the Alfa
class submarines a nightmare (I was on Active Duty when the Alfa first
came out, and there was much discontent when it became clear that they
could go faster and deeper than our torpedoes.)  However, any reactor
that only gets to shut down once, whether it has been running decades or
weeks, has a real downside.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/19/business/energy-environment/19minireac
tor.html