by John Dankosky - Connecticut’s new commissioner overseeing energy and environmental policy says the nuclear accident in Japan is going to require the nation to step back and look at the “challeges that need to be faced” before moving forward with new nuclear power plants.
Speaking on Where We Live, Dan Esty said that nuclear should be part of a “portfolio” of choices to provide clean and cheap energy. ”Frankly all of the energy options going forward have challenges,” he said. ”The nuclear industry has to make sure that it can dispose of waste safely, and frankly deal with accidents. And I think we don’t yet know what the final outcome of the situation will be in Japan, but it does signal that we need to be careful.”
Esty said that Connecticut’s nuclear plants are a generation more advanced, and have more safety built into them. He also called Connecticut “geologically stable” and a place where nuclear plants could avoid major natural disasters.
“So, I think there is likely to be a commitment to nuclear that goes forward. But I think the difficulty is that this adds – the safety issues that are now at the forefront of people’s minds – adds to the challenge, which was already substantial for nuclear, based on the difficulty of getting new plants licensed and built,” he said.
“And, frankly, the large part of that challenge is economic. These plants have not been built in an economical way in recent years.”
The Millstone Plant in Waterford generates up to 60 percent of the state’s electricity.
You can listen to the entire interview with listener questions on Where We Live.
Esty is insane to contemplate a continued commitment by CT to nuclear power. Love the framing here – calling the problems with nuke power “challenges”. People need to wake up and tell Malloy and Esty to stop playing Russian Roulette with our lives. Nuke power is NOT clean energy. That is a lie – just like “clean coal” is also a lie. The political “elite” in this country really must believe the populace is that stupid enough to buy into a bunch of bunk like that. Nuke power is DEADLY. If there is an accident, that is it – people die and there is contamination. No matter what Obama and the nuclear power industry are trying to lead you to believe, ANY exposure to radiation – no matter how small – may/can lead to health problems, i.e., cancer and who knows what else. Are you willing to gamble your or your children’s lives on an industry that is only thinking about profit? Don’t forget, nuke plants are NOT energy efficient. They are extremely costly to build and are energy hogs in the process. The profit motive demands that the companies go the cheapest routes possible and cut corners to build these plants. Keep in mind, that we are averaging one nuclear power accident every decade. I’m extremely troubled by Esty’s comment that CT is geologically stable. Right, right, like the Titanic was UNSINKABLE! Whatever you want to call it – Mother Nature, Earth, Gaia – she has a way of sticking it to us every time we get cocky. I’d like to remind Esty about 2 major earthquake fault lines: Once that cuts right up through the middle of the state under the CT River and another biggie that runs parallel to the CT/NY border right up along Fairfield & Litchfield Ctys. Saying that CT is geologically stable is absolutely insane. What if there is an earthquake that happens off our shores somewhere and we get a Japan style tsunami here? Who is to say it can’t happen? What about hurricanes? Tornados? Our climate is becoming more and more unstable in case you haven’t noticed. So, Esty is not only egotistical, but clairvoyant now, too? WOW! So, Esty knows that CT will FOREVER be geologically and climatically stable? That is impressive, because the land that makes up CT will have to be geologically stable forever and the weather and climate forever lovely and predictable in order to avoid problems at a nuke power plant. This is insane. Bear in mind: nuke power is for keeps. The power plants emit waste that is highly toxic and deadly and that hangs around for thousands of years. The accidental release of plutonium can also contaminate the entire planet. Who in the hell has any right to determine whether this is an acceptable risk for the planet and everyone on it? The potential for nuke power plant breakdowns is always there. The reactorS in Japan had 3 failsafes that FAILED. It was also made by GE. Remember CT, what GE did to the Housatonic River. Why is CT incapable of ever striking out on its own and taking the lead for once in doing the right thing? Set an example instead of always following what Massachusetts or NY does? Why can’t it say – enough with the nuke plants – we are going green – solar, wind, geothermal – and shutting down Millstone? We are witnessing the second shot across the proverbial ship’s bow. The first was the BP disaster in the Gulf. Now, the nuke plant meltdowns in Japan. See how they are getting more and more dire and deadly each time?