I was surprised to see the Gold Medal standings of countries that produce Nuclear Power. On Average 15% of the worlds electricity is made form nuclear power. The French are the outright winners in number of Power Plants and the percentage of electricity made from nuclear almost 80%. The United States is well down the pack with less than 20% of the electricity made from nuclear. As we set out sights on increasing our output I wonder where the nuclear waste is going to be stored. We already have nuclear waste where nuclear materials have been manufactured and/or where waste has been stored, and where massive leaks, toxic emissions, or unexplained losses have occurred in the processing of nuclear and other toxic materials. Listed with the site is the type of toxic or radioactive leak or “loss.”
- Oak Ridge, TN – mercury, other heavy metals, nuclear (uranium, waste), dioxin
- Barnwell, SC – nuclear (waste)
- Hanford, Richland, WA – nuclear (plutonium, waste)
- Rocky Flats, Colorado – nuclear (plutonium)
- Idaho Falls, ID – nuclear (plutonium)
- Pantex, TX – nuclear (tritium)
- Maxey Flats, KY – nuclear (waste)
- West Valley, NY – nuclear (waste)
- Nuclear Metals, Concord, MA – nuclear (uranium)
- Kerr-McGee, Cimarron, OK – nuclear (plutonium)
The Oak Ridge and Hanford facilities stand out among them as being among the largest leaks of toxic and/or radioactive waste in the world. At Oak Ridge, literally millions of pounds of mercury have leaked into the ground, the aquifer, and a streambed that then winds many miles through the Tennesee countryside and through several towns. In addition, Oak Ridge maintains a hazardous waste incinerator on site, which has been used to “incinerate” nuclear waste and toxic wastes which produce dioxin when incinerated. At the Hanford Works, large amounts of plutonium and other wastes have leaked into the Columbia River, which then winds its way across the entire state of Washington.
So Where will all this waste be stored? Maybe it is time to figure out a strategy ?
Share of nuclear power in electricity generation.
[edit] Table
Argentina 6.2%
Armenia 43.5%[3]
Bangladesh 0%
Belarus 0%
Belgium 53.8%
Brazil 3.1%
Bulgaria 32.9%
Canada 14.8%
People’s Republic of China China (PRC) 2.2%
Croatia 8.0%
Czech Republic 25.0%
Egypt 0%
Finland 22.0%
France 76.2%
Germany 28.3%
Hungary 37.2%
India 2.0%
Indonesia 0%
Iran 0%
Israel 0%
Italy 0%
Japan 24.9%
Kazakhstan 0%
North Korea 0%
South Korea 35.6%
Lithuania 0
Mexico 4.0%
Netherlands 3.8%
Pakistan 2.4%
Poland 0%
Romania 17.5%
Russia 16.9%
Slovakia 56.4%
Slovenia 41.7%
South Africa 5.3%
Spain 18.3%
Sweden 42.0%
Switzerland 39.2%
Republic of China Taiwan 19.3%
Thailand 0%
Turkey 0%
Ukraine 47.4% 0% 0 0 3 11
United Kingdom United Kingdom 13.5%
United States United States 19.7%
Vietnam 0%
Venezuela 0%
World 15%