Informative Essay: Is Nuclear Energy Safe

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Joseph Contreras Panther ID: 4954086 EGN 1033 Is Nuclear Energy Safe? Many questions are asked regarding nuclear energy. How is it used? What can it be used for? What are the different ways it can be used? One of the most important questions asked is the safety. Is nuclear energy safe? The simple answer is yes. Generating electricity from nuclear power and radioactive materials is efficient, reliable and most importantly secure. The 1950s was a crucial moment. People wanted to figure out what would be most successful way to grasp the power of an atom. A popular interest also arisen with the idea of applying heat for electricity. Even though this did cause speculations of safety issues and accidental damage, all factors were put into consideration …show more content…

The accident was caused by a cooling malfunction. Radioactive gas was released. The radioactive gas released did not do any harm. There was no reported injuries or effects of the explosion reported. Another major accident was in 1986 in Chernobyl. The reasoning for this explosion was a bad reactor. The reactor killed 30 operators and firemen. It was the first nuclear reactor accident to cause any fatalities. Last nuclear accident was caused on March 11, 2011 from an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0. There were great amount of radiation released. Luckily there haven’t been any deaths or accidents because of the nuclear accident. In all the years of using nuclear energy there have been only 3 accidents throughout 32 different countries, which is extremely …show more content…

They deal with a huge amount of safety regulation across the world for nuclear plants. From the previous Fukushima accident, the organization has follow-up-visits to plants. The organization also overviews the operation and include upgrades to the plants designs. The IAEA Conventions on Nuclear Safety (CNS) was established to legally maintain a safety standard by setting international standards. Nuclear plants are usually around bodies of water to help with cooling. Even though this can help it can be a downfall when rain floods the power plants. Some power plants have been flooded due to flooding and have needed to be shut down for safety. Most plants are designed to operate for 30-40 years. A lot of the plants wears out and corrode throughout the years. Most of the material needs to be replaced in 30 years to ensure safety. The reactor on the other hand is expect to have a life of 60 years. Some other questions wandering if the material would be obsolete and if it should be fixed or replaced. As time passes and technology improves its always a question to improve the plant to ensure its safety by upgrading the components. Sometimes there will be thorough before extending the licenses of the material. Equipment is regularly being monitored for defective material. The overall concern in power plants is

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