Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Tearing Down Old Nuclear Reactors
When the fi rst nuclear power plants were built in the 1950s, they were
given thirty-year licenses by the government; in 1982 this was increased
to forty years. And now most of the reactors have applied for and been
granted additional extensions to sixty years.
Thirty-three states currently house America's 104 functioning nuclear
reactors (fi gure 8.2). When they reach the end of their useful life, they
must be decommissioned and dismantled, a lengthy and costly process
that normally takes three to fi ve years. The NRC allows up to sixty years
for completion; the cost at present is about $450 million per reactor, an
increase from the 1991 estimate of $120 million. The rules for decommis-
sioning are set by the NRC, and a prime concern is safety. Residual radio-
activity must be reduced to a level that permits release of the property for
other uses, a process that involves cleaning up of radioactively contami-
nated plant systems and structures and removal of the radioactive fuel.
It takes three years to remove the 60,000 fuel rods that were in
the reactor core during operation. This high-level waste has to cool
55˚
Prince George
Prince George
Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Kamloops
Kamloops
Regina
Regina
Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Canada
Canada
50˚
Vi
c
toria
Victoria
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
Chic
o
utimi
Chicoutimi
S
a
int John's
Saint John's
Quebec
Quebec
Sudbury
Sudbury
Ottawa
Ottawa
Portland
Portland
Saint John
Saint John
Minneapolis
Minneapolis
United States
United States
Peterborough
Peterborough
45˚
Madison
Madison
London
London
US Northeast
US Northeast
Boston
Boston
US West
US West
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne
Lincoln
Kansas City, Kansas
Lincoln
Kansas City, Kansas
Ne
w
ark
Newark
Denver
Denver
Balti
m
ore
Baltimore
40˚
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Sacramento
Sacramento
San Francisco
San Francisco
Wichita
Oklahoma City
Fort Worth
Wichita
Oklahoma City
Fort Worth
US Central
US Central
Greensb
o
ro
Greensboro
Albuquerque
Albuquerque
Chattanooga
Chattanooga
35˚
Los Angeles
Tijuana
Los Angeles
Tijuana
Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa
Hamilton
Hamilton
Juarez
Juarez
Mobile
Mobile
Jacksonville
Jacksonville
San Antonio
San Antonio
30˚
Hermosillo
Hermosillo
U
S Southeast
US Southeast
Tampa
Tampa
Nuev
o
Laredo
Nuevo Laredo
Miami
Miami
Nas
sau
Nassau
Torreon
Torreon
La Paz
La Paz
25˚
Ha
van
a
Havana
Cuba
C
u
ba
Pina
r
d
el
Rio
Mexico
Mexico
Pinar del Rio
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Leon (Mexico)
Leon (Mexico)
Manzanillo
Manzanillo
Mexico City
Mexico City
Campeche
Campeche
Colima
Colima
20˚
Orizaba
Oriz
a
ba
San Juan
San Juan
Montego
B
ay
Montego Bay
Kingston
Kingston
M
ay
agu
ez
Mayaguez
South America
South America
Belmopan
Belmopan
B
e
lize City
Belize City
A
c
apulco
Acapulco
Basse-Terre
Roseau
Basse-Terre
Roseau
Pointe-a-Pitre
Pointe-a-Pitre
Puerto Barrios
Puerto Barrios
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula
15˚
230˚
235˚
240˚
245˚
250˚
255˚
260˚
265˚
270˚
275˚
280˚
285˚
290˚
295˚
300˚
305˚
310˚
315˚
Figure 8.2
Location of nuclear power reactors in the United States. Many sites have more than one
reactor. There are no nuclear plants in Alaska or Hawaii. (Nuclear Regulatory
Commission)
