the nuclear path is unsustainable david fig cape town international convention centre 21 june 200
TRANSCRIPT
The nuclear path is unsustainable
David Fig
Cape Town International Convention Centre
21 June 200
1. Reviving an untenable industry
In the US no new orders for reactors since 3 Mile Island
Since Chernobyl most European countries have made no new orders
Many countries have reversed their reliance on nuclear (Germany, Sweden, Italy, etc.)
2. South Africa – some history
SA’s uranium industry developed by US & UK to feed their bomb programmes (1950s, 60s)SA developed its own fuel cycle to feed civilian reactors (1970s, 80s)In practice the developments masked a secret process of making weapons of mass destruction (1970s, 80s)
3. Waste
Koeberg’s waste – low & intermediate level stored in drums at Vaalputs, Namaqualand; -- high-level waste stored on site Pebble bed waste to be stored on site for many yearsNo long term solution yet for high-level waste – need to insulate it from the environment for 10 x 24 400 years (half-life of Plutonium)No national policy (August 2005?)
4. Safety
Transportation of enriched uranium, pebbles, and eventually waste, as never before on our road system
Most municipalities en route will have no evacution or clean-up facilities
The “inherently safe” reactors have attracted doubts as to their safety
5. Massive cost
The PBMRs have attracted little foreign investment, in fact a large US utility, Exelon, has pulled out of the project
Recent figures indicate that the first stage of development & commercialisation require the use of R14,8 billion of public funds
6. Carbon positive
Despite statements to the contrary, the nuclear fuel chain ADDS carbon emissions to the atmosphere
Methodologies for assessing emissions use the cradle-to-grave approach, not simply what comes out of the reactor
7. Security
From experience the nuclear industry requires huge secrecy and security around it, to avoid radioactive material falling into the wrong hands An elaborate security apparatus will be entrenched in safeguarding each reactor, each transport of nuclear materialsThe establishment of a security state flies in the face of initiatives to entrench our fragile democracy
8. Regulatory dimension
The public will need to have confidence in our national nuclear regulatorsThe regulatory authorities will need to demonstrate their independence and objectivityIt is a major setback to public trust to appoint a former official of the PBMR company as the head of the national nuclear regulatorThe Minister should take immediate steps to end this “revolving door” approach and to rebuild public trust in the regulator
9. Fair assessment
The Cape high court in November ruled that the Environmental Impact Assessment on the Pebble Bed demonstration reactor was flawed in that the DG’s Record of Decision had not taken the views of interested and affected parties fully into account
10. Alternatives exist
Huge reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved through energy conservation
An array of renewable energy resouces exists and can be commercialised to greater effect
These will produce more jobs and a more democratic set of approaches to bulk energy provision
Verdict
Let’s move towards a more sustainable energy future, with no dangers of radioactivity, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, no requirement of entrenching a security state, and more popular control over our energy sources
