Nuclear power is not cheap or clean

There are two schools of thought regarding nuclear generation of electricity: the “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” way, and the “Dealing with the Facts” way.

Nuclear reactors are the most inefficient way to generate energy. Albert Einstein said, “Nuclear power is one hell of a way to boil water.” It is not clean. The mining of uranium in the United States takes place chiefly in the West, where it has heavily impacted Native American, Latino and low-income communities, contaminating groundwater, surface water and community drinking water systems.

Extracting uranium from mined rock leaves a toxic sludge referred to as tailings. In the past, tailings have been disposed of haphazardly, polluting the environment. Now, these toxic tailings must be disposed in 40-acre lined impoundments by the Department of Energy for long-term maintenance — i.e., forever — at taxpayer expense.

These are just a few of the facts. Nuclear generation is not cheap or clean. We will be dealing with facts like the people of Japan are dealing with the facts of radioactive contamination of their soil, water and air, and the forced evacuation from their homes and farms. The human health impacts will be continuing for decades.

This story was originally published March 20, 2016 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Nuclear power is not cheap or clean."