WRONGLY BUILT NUCLEAR PLANTS ARE CLOSED IN USA

NON-FEASIBILITY OF EMERGENCY MEASURES  LEADS CLOSURE OF NUCLEAR PLANTS

Prof.T.Shivaji Rao,

Director, Center for Environmental Studies,

GITAM University, Visakhapatnam

http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/fukushima/japan-report2/ 
(Lessons from Fukushima by Japan Government. See Chapter-VI)

 http://tshivajirao.blogspot.in/2012/10/underestimated-kudankulam-reactor-mock.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cancelled_nuclear_plants_in_the_United_States

 

Nuclear plants construction was promoted initially in US for producing electricity for public purposes.  But  the Military authorities in the Defence Department  began to use the residual fission products from discarded fuel bundles for making nuclear weapons to establish their supremacy of power over the rest of the countries in the world.  Consequently there was rapid development of nuclear reactors during 1960 and 1970s .  But with the major nuclear reactor explosion at Three-Mile Island nuclear plant in 1979  people began to agitate against nuclear power due to its hazard potential and out of the several reactors proposed to be started orders for 120 reactors were ultimately cancelled and construction of new reactors grounded were stopped. 
Al Gore, former Vice-President of US commented that out of the 253 nuclear reactors ordered in USA from 1953 to 2008 about half of them were cancelled and about 10% were prematurely closed.  Consequently only about one fourth of the nuclear plants ordered or about half of the nuclear plants completed or still operating and have proved to be relatively reliable to a great extent.  In February, 2012 US Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted license for 2 new reactors in Georgia state and they are first new nuclear reactors  to be licensed during the last 30 years.  Hence nuclear plants are considered to be harmful for public health and safety and for promoting sustainable development of a nation.

For instance  Shoreham nuclear plant near New York built between 1973-1984 was never allowed to function because the local country legislature voted against the plant in 1983 for the reason that lakhs of people of the country could not be safely evacuated in the event of a reactor explosion at the plant site.  In fact the Governor of New York ordered the state Government officials to refuse approval for the emergency evacuation plan prepared by the nuclear plant authorities due to the public health hazards posed by the plant. while 43% of the locality opposed the reactor in 1981,  74%opposed it by 1986 due to evidence presented by the Chernobyl disaster on the absence of  safety in nuclear plants. In May 1989 the nuclear plant authorities passed on the reactor to the local people and in 1992 the plant was purchased by the local authorities for a nominal cost of about a dollar  and the plant was fully decommissioned in 1994.  This clearly shows that even if a nuclear reactor is constructed it can still be stopped in case the feasibility of disaster management plans and emergency response plans cannot be successfully implemented by conducting scientific mock drills with public cooperation.

BRIEF DETAILS ABOUT 100 CANCELED NUCLEAR PLANTS AND UNITS IN USA

S.No.	Name [7]	Unit	Reactor type	Status	Location	Net capacity in MW	Gross capacity in MW	Contract year	Construct- ion started	Project close
1	Allens Creek	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	TX	1,160	1,207	1973	-	1982-09-01
2	Allens Creek	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	TX	1,160	1,207	1973	-	1976-09-01
3	Atlantic	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NJ	1,150	1,212	1972	-	1978-12-01
4	Atlantic	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NJ	1,150	1,212	1972	-	1978-12-01
5	Bailly	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	IN	660	686	1967	1974-01-01	1981-08-01
6	Barton	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	AL	1,209	1,254	1972	-	1977-11-01
7	Barton	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	AL	1,209	1,254	1972	-	1977-11-01
8	Barton	3	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	AL	1,209	1,254	1974	-	1975-11-01
9	Barton	4	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	AL	1,209	1,254	1974	-	1975-11-01
10	Bellefonte	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	AL	1,235	1,263	1970	1974-09-01	1988-01-01
11	Bellefonte	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	AL	1,235	1,263	1970	1974-09-01	1988-01-01
12	Black Fox	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	OK	1,150	1,226	1973	1978-07-01	1982-02-01
13	Black Fox	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	OK	1,150	1,226	1973	1978-07-01	1982-02-01
14	Blue Hills (formerly Sunken Log)	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	TX	930	957	1973	-	1978-08-01
15	Blue Hills (formerly Sunken Log)	2	Pressurized water reactor	Cancelled Plan	TX	930	957	1974	-	1978-08-01
16	Bodega Bay			Cancelled Construction	CA					1964
17	Callaway	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	MO	1,120	1,176	1973	1975-10-01	1981-10-01
18	Carroll County	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	IL	1,120	1,150	1978	-	1988-12-01
19	Carroll County	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	IL	1,120	1,150	1978	-	1988-12-01
20	Cherokee	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	SC	1,280	1,343	1973	1976-06-01	1983-04-01
21	Cherokee	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	SC	1,280	1,343	1973	1976-06-01	1982-11-01
22	Cherokee	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	SC	1,280	1,343	1973	1976-06-01	1982-11-01
23	Clinch River	-	Fast breeder	Canceled Plan	TN	350	380	1973	-	1983-11-01
24	Clinton	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	IL	933	985	1973	1975-10-01	1983-10-01
25	Davis Besse	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	OH	910	960	1973	-	1980-01-01
26	Davis Besse	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	OH	910	960	1973	-	1980-01-01
27	Douglas Point (US)	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	MD	1,178	1,206	1972	-	1980-05-01
28	Douglas Point (US)	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	MD	1,178	1,206	1972	-	1978-01-01
29	Erie	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	OH	1,260	1,300	1976	-	1980-01-01
30	Erie	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	OH	1,260	1,300	1976	-	1980-01-01
31	Floating	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	FL	1,150	1,211	-	-	1979-01-01
32	Fort Calhoun	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NE	1,136	1,182	1972	-	1977-02-01
33	Fulton	1	HTGR	Canceled Plan	PA	1,160	1,200	-	-	1976-03-01
34	Fulton	2	HTGR	Canceled Plan	PA	1,160	1,200	-	-	1976-03-01
35	Greene County	-	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NY	1,191	1,277	-	-	1979-04-01
36	Greenwood	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	MI	1,208	1,268	-	-	1980-03-01
37	Greenwood	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	MI	1,208	1,268	-	-	1980-03-01
38	Columbia (WPPSS-1)	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	WA	1,259	1,339	1972	1975-08-01	1983-01-01
39	Columbia (WPPSS-4)	4	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	WA	1,250	1,340	1974	1975-08-01	1982-01-01
40	Hartsville	A1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	1972	1976-04-01	1984-08-01
41	Hartsville	A2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	1972	1976-04-01	1984-08-01
42	Hartsville	B1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	-	1976-04-01	1982-08-01
43	Hartsville	B2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	-	1976-04-01	1982-08-01
44	Haven	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	WI	900	960	-	-	1980-02-01
45	Haven	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	WI	900	960	-	-	1978-05-01
46	Hope Creek	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	NJ	1,067	1,118	1969	1976-03-01	1981-12-01
47	Jamesport	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NY	1,150	1,182	-	-	1980-01-01
48	Jamesport	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NY	1,150	1,182	-	-	1980-01-01
49	Marble Hill	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	IN	1,030	1,090	-	1977-07-01	1984-01-01
50	Marble Hill	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	IN	1,130	1,190	-	1977-07-01	1984-01-01
52	Midland	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	MI	491	526	1968	1973-03-01	1986-07-01
53	Midland	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	MI	816	855	1968	1973-03-01	1986-07-01
54	Montague	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plant	MA	1,150	1,298	-	-	1980-12-01
55	Montague	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	MA	1,150	1,298	-	-	1980-12-01
56	Nep	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	RI	1,150	1,194	-	-	1980-01-01
57	Nep	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	RI	1,150	1,194	-	-	1980-01-01
58	North Coast (formerly Aguirre)	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	PR	583	614	-	-	1978-12-01
59	North Anna	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	VA	907	950	1971	1971-06-01	1982-11-01
60	North Anna	4	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	VA	907	950	1971	1971-12-01	1980-11-01
61	Pebble Springs	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	OR	1,260	1,314	-	-	1982-09-01
62	Pebble Springs	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled plan	OR	1,260	1,314	-	-	1982-09-01
63	Perkins	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NC	1,287	1,345	-	-	1982-02-01
64	Perkins	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NC	1,287	1,345	-	-	1982-02-01
65	Perkins	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NC	1,287	1,345	-	-	1982-02-01
66	Perry	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	OH	1,205	-	-	1974-10-01	1984-04-01
67	Phipps Bend	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	-	1977-10-01	1982-08-01
68	Phipps Bend	2	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	TN	1,233	1,269	-	1977-10-01	1982-08-01
69	Pilgrim	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	MA	1,180	1,240	-	-	1981-09-01
70	River Bend	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	LA	934	991	1972	1975-08-01	1984-01-01
71	Satsop (WPPSS-3)	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	WA	1,240	1,324	1973	1977-04-01	1983-01-01
72	Satsop (WPPSS-5)	5	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	WA	1,240	1,316	1974	1977-04-01	1982-01-01
73	Seabrook	2	Pressurized water reactor	Cancelled Construction	NH	1,149	1,199	1972	1976-07-01	1988-01-01
74	Sears Isle	1			ME					1977
75	Shearon Harris	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	NC	900	960	1971	1978-01-01	1983-12-01
76	Shearon Harris	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	NC	900	960	1971	1978-01-01	1983-12-01
77	Shearon Harris	4	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	NC	900	960	1971	1978-01-01	1983-12-01
78	Skagit	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Plan	WA	1,275	1,335	-	-	1983-08-01
79	Skagit	2	Boiling water reactor	Cancelled Plan	WA	1,275	1,335	-	-	1983-08-01
80	Somerset 1				NY
81	Somerset 2				NY
82	South River 1
83	South River 2
84	South River 3
85	Stanislaus 1				CA
86	Stanislaus 2				CA
87	Sterling	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	NY	1,150	1,185	-	-	1980-01-01
88	Sundesert 1				CA
89	Sundesert 2				CA
90	Surry	3	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	VA	859	919	1972	1974-01-01	1977-03-01
91	Surry	4	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	VA	859	919	1972	1974-01-01	1977-03-01
92	Tyrone	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Plan	WI	1,150	1,188	-	-	1979-07-01
93	Yellow Creek	1	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	MS	1,285	1,339	1974	1978-02-01	1978-02-01
94	Yellow Creek	2	Pressurized water reactor	Canceled Construction	MS	1,285	1,339	1974	1978-02-01	1978-02-01
95	Zimmer	1	Boiling water reactor	Canceled Construction	OH	810	840	-	1972-10-01	1984-01-01