|
|
|
|
: 3/2 large brick home, with large shop on 1 ac corner lot. $259,900. See pics @ or 576-4069.
Answering some questions about the nuclear plant
Q. Is there going to be a new nuclear plant built in the Victoria area?
A. Matagorda County is Exelon Nuclear’s first choice; Victoria County is the secondary site. “The decision to actually build the $4 billion plant still hasn't been made. We are going to file for a combined construction and operating license and we hope to get it," said Craig Nesbit, a spokesman for Exelon Nuclear.
Q. How long will it be before we know if Exelon Nuclear has decided to build?
A. According to Craig Nesbit, that decision could take four or five years. "If we had to make that call today – yes or no – it would be no because there are certain conditions we must meet, and they're not things that we necessarily have control over."
Q. What are some of the conditions that will be considered in this decision?
A. One key factor is the federal government has not yet developed a permanent site where commercial plants can deposit their highly radioactive wastes. Until that happens, Nesbit said, Exelon will not build a plant in Texas or anywhere else.
Q. How long does it take to bring a nuclear plant on line?
A. “From the day you say you think you'd like to build one, you're looking at close to a decade before you're actually producing power,” Nesbit said. Exelon Nuclear anticipates opening no sooner than eight years from now.
Q. What effect will a nuclear plant have on the air quality of the area?
A. Nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide or greenhouse gases. Collectively, the 104 U.S. nuclear plants today – because of their zero emissions – are equivalent to removing 131 million automobiles from the road each year, or 96 percent of “all cars out there,” Nesbit said.
Q. What are the chances of a core meltdown?
A. Adrian Heymber, senior director of new plant development for the Nuclear Energy Institute, said the probability of a core meltdown "is less than one in 10 million.
Q. Does the transporting of fuel for the plant pose a threat to the general public?
A. Spokeswoman Beth Hayden with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said movement of fresh fuel to the plant is not a significant danger. “There is some radiation, but very little,” she said.
Q. What happens to the spent fuel? How much of a threat is it to the public?
A. Used, or spent, fuel is highly radioactive. NRC officials say the spent fuel can be safely stored on site. Until a federal repository is built, spent fuel is not transported from the nuclear plants.
Q. When will a national repository for nuclear waste be completed?
A. According to Jim Riccio, a nuclear policy analyst for Greenpeace, the U.S. government is constructing a permanent underground repository inside Nevada's Yucca Mountain, but no one knows if it will open as scheduled in 2010. It faces fierce political opposition.
Q. How much water does a nuclear plant need for operation?
A. Nuclear power plants require a lot of water - between 10,000 and 32 million gallons of water a day.
Q. Does Victoria County currently have enough water to supply a nuclear plant without affecting its own supply?
A. I think we do have enough water currently, but that depends on how other industries grow here.” said Garrett Engelking, general manager of the Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District.
Q. Does the public have any voice in licensing processof a nuclear plant?
A. The NRC will seek public input before issuing the license. “The NRC will hold hearings at the location itself or in the closest nearby facility," Nesbit said. "It's a very, very open and transparent process. The only things you will have difficulty looking at are the things that relate to security that are highly classified.”
Q. Will a nuclear plant be a target for terrorist attack?
A. Because of the security surrounding nuclear power plants, terrorists normally would look for an easier target to hit,” said Bob Watts, director of the emergency management for Matagorda County.
Q. How would a nuclear power plant built in this area affect our local job market?
A. According to Adrian Heymer, senior director of new plant deployment of Nuclear Energy Institute, a project of this size could possibly add anywhere from to 1,800 to 2,000 jobs during the construction phase, with between 450 to 550 permanent employees after completion. Craig Nesbit, Exelon spokesman, estimated the permanent workforce at 700 jobs.
Q. What are the projected earnings of nuclear plant employees?
A. Information released by the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated nuclear and petroleum engineers are the highest-paid specialties, earning nearly $80,000 a year, not including overtime. Adrian Heymer stated, “They tend to have salaries higher than what's in the immediate locality,”he said. “Off the top of my head, a skilled craftsman's salary – including overtime – will easily top six figures.”
Q. How will this affect local taxes and economy?
A. A plant would boost the local and state economy, Heymer said, because nuclear plants tend to pay about $20 million in taxes a year. "Then you have the overall benefits to the local economy," he said. "Just looking at taxes and overall boost to the local economy, you're looking at about $500 million a year per reactor.”
Q. Will the construction of a nuclear plant in this area have any impact on the uranium mining proposed in the area?
A. “A new nuclear plant in South Texas should help mining operations, but is not critical for the success of the mine as uranium is in short supply and demand is high,” said Harry Anthony of Uranium Energy Corp.
Sources:
Garrett Engelking, general manager of the Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District
Adrian Heymer, senior director of new plant deployment of Nuclear Energy Institute
Charles Windwehen, City Manager
O.C. Garza public information officer for the city of Victoria
Beth Hayden Spokeswoman with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Henriks Zeile, an emeritus member of the American Nuclear Society
Garrett Engelking, general manager of the Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District
Thomas Kleckner Spokesman with TXU Energy
Harry Anthony of Uranium Energy Corp.
Tom Uher Former state representative served on the state legislature as a representative during the time of the building of the first nuclear plant in Matagorda County. “
Craig Nesbit, a spokesman for Exelon Nuclear.
NRC-Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Jim Riccio, a nuclear policy analyst for Greenpeace