U.S. nuclear power plants safe, secure

By Tom Kauffman How safe is nuclear energy? It’s a question people are asking after the accident in Japan. Although no

U.S. nuclear facilities face earthquakes or tsunamis of the intensity that occurred in Japan, and the

probability of a Fukushima type occurring here is extremely small, electric utilities as well as the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission have aggressively responded to make America’s nuclear energy

facilities even safer. Through the decades, U.S. nuclear power plants have been struck by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes

and floods. Without exception, all have performed as designed to protect the health and safety of the

public and the environment. This past August, for example, Hurricane Irene caused massive flooding

and damage along the East Coast. Of the 24 nuclear facilities in Irene’s path, 18 remained at full power,

four temporarily reduced electric output, one temporarily shut down as a precaution, and one

automatically shut down when storm debris struck an external electrical transformer. After the storm,

the plants provided much-needed electricity for the recovery. Another recent example is the North Anna nuclear facility in Virginia that was shaken by an

earthquake stronger than was anticipated when the plant was built. Both reactors at the site

automatically shut down and safety equipment functioned as designed to cool both reactors.

Although the ground motion exceeded the plant’s design parameters, there was no significant

damage to either facility because of the large added margin of safety designed and built into every

plant. While U.S. nuclear facilities have handled natural challenges extraordinarily well, it would be foolish to

miss the larger lesson: We must always evaluate the 104 reactors here in America to make sure they can

withstand severe conditions regardless of the cause. The industry must apply the lessons of Fukushima,

review seismic protection and continue to prevent damage caused by sudden flooding. The U.S. industry responded similarly after the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, improving security at

U.S. reactor sites while confirming that our reactors can sustain the impact of a deliberate airline crash

without releasing radiation that would harm the public. Looking forward, we have to use our

imagination for the worst possible case and plan for it. In other words, we expect the unexpected. The U.S. nuclear industry’s high level of safety is greatly driven by the lessons learned from the

accident at Three Mile Island here in Pennsylvania in 1979. The TMI accident was a game-changer for

the industry. Following the accident investigation, many actions were taken to permanently improve and

strengthen industry safety measures, including codifying its “defense-in-depth” strategy, forming a

tough watchdog organization called the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, strengthening NRC

powers and using full-scale control room simulators for operator and emergency training at every plant.

The plants also have the gold standard in industrial security and emergency preparedness programs, and

an industrywide safety culture program encourages workers at all levels to take an active role in plant

safety and freely report safety concerns. American commercial reactors have been generating electricity for more than half-a-century and

collectively have operated more than 3,600 years. During that entire time, including the accident at

Three Mile Island, no member of the public has ever been harmed. Besides being one of the safest

industries in U.S. history, the nation’s nuclear facilities produce 20 percent of the country’s total

electricity and 70 percent of the electricity from low-carbon sources, including renewables. On average,

U.S. facilities operate 24/7 at excellent efficiency, making nuclear energy the nation’s most reliable

source of electricity. Over the past two decades, plant operators have invested nearly $80 billion to keep the plants in top

condition. That investment in safety will continue and certainly broaden to include the changes needed

in response to Japan. Nuclear energy facilities in the United States are safe and secure. Advanced design nuclear plants that

are being built in Georgia and South Carolina have features that take safety to an even higher level.

Given the industry’s firm commitment to continuous learning and innovation, you can rest assured that

the nation’s nuclear plants will continue to be held to the highest standards to ensure safety.

Tom Kauffman, a life-long resident of Pennsylvania, resides in York County near the Three Mile

Island nuclear facility where he worked from 1977 to 2000. Kauffman is a senior manager for the

Nuclear Energy Institute, the policy organization for the U.S. nuclear energy industry.

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