In February of this year, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted a license to build and operate two nuclear reactors at a plant in Georgia. The creation of these reactors "sited at the Vogtle nuclear power plant complex, about 170 miles east of Atlanta" is the first approval in over thirty years. With the new reactors planned to be operating by 2016 or 2017, citizens in Georgia worry about the safety of themselves and their families. The plant has a beneficial impact on the rest of the country by providing another source of nuclear energy, and new research, however people worry that "all of the safety improvements sought by the agency in response to Japan's Fukushima disaster would not be accomplished before the reactors start operating". The dangers that come along with the building of a nuclear reactor near our homes, could be deadly and extremely harmful to our environment. Any accident or mishap at the plants could result in something as fatal as the Fukushima disaster or the Chernobyl disaster. Although these disasters are rare, they cause the release of radiation and other harmful radioactivity that leads to deformities in children and animals and death. Although the nuclear power industry has improved performance and safety of reactors, they claim "there is no guarantee that the reactors will be designed, built, and operated correctly". In the long run, this plant may seem to provide an important source of nuclear energy, power, and research, but for now the citizens of Georgia have a right to be nervous about the incoming reactors.
Sources: http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/news/economy/nuclear_reactors/index.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/business/energy-environment/2-new-reactors-approved-in-georgia.html?_r=0
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