Thursday, April 27, 2006

When Nukes Kill, No One Counts the Victims

When Nukes Kill, No One Counts the Victims:

"This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl explosion, the worst nuclear power disaster in history. People are still dying from the long-term effects. An area the size of a small city is still off limits to human habitation.

In the U.S., there hasn't been a new nuclear power plant built since the Three Mile Island accident of 1979. But that is beginning to change. Last year Congress passed an energy bill that gave the nuclear power industry tax credits worth $3.1 billion along with new liability protection. Now at least half a dozen new nuclear power plants are in various planning stages.

According to Physics Today, the nuclear power industry believes the first new US order is only two years away. Most of the new facilities would be in the South, where pay scales are lower and the public seems willing to accept the risks in order to get badly needed jobs. "

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