NRC Study Lowers Hazard Estimate For Nuke Plants

JSBiff writes "With the incident at Fukushima causing much renewed concern about the risks of nuclear power this year, the NY Times brings news that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has released the preliminary version of a safety report due out in April 2012, based upon new science about the behavior of Cesium-137. The report finds that the public health hazards of nuclear accidents at the types of reactor designs currently in common use are lower than previously thought, based upon a better understanding of the science behind earlier estimates."

TFA

[Ironchew]

TFA says that 1-2% of cesium 137 is likely to escape the core in the event of a containment breach, unlike 60% in previous estimates (Most of it dissolves in stagnant water or is deposited on the containment vessel surface). People living in a 10-mile radius would have enough time to evacuate, and cancer estimates within 10 miles went from 1 in 167 previously to 1 in 4348. A rainstorm happening during the meltdown can cause a higher dose to accumulate in small areas.

Re:So, which is it??

[gstrickler]

137Cs is dangerous [wikipedia.org], however, the amount you're likely to be exposed to after a reactor meltdown is significantly lower than previously thought.

Re:Surprisee, surprisee. Industry whoring.

[roman_mir]

No, the real outcasts of society are those, who are trying to hold economic and technological development of society back, from allowing that sort of development to help the society to become more wealthy and affluent by having more and cheaper and safer energy sources, and nuclear is that type of source.

Re:The Trouble with Reports:

[spottedkangaroo]

it would make a lot more sense if they could ever get permission to build fast breader reactors and use the nuclear "waste" as fuel in the second type of reactor.