The future of one of America's biggest unfinished construction projects will remain in limbo for at least a few more months while the Tennessee Valley Authority considers its options.
Utility officials said Tuesday they are delaying a planned April 16 board decision whether to finish the original reactor or build a new one at the Bellefonte Nuclear Plant in Hollywood, Ala.
"It's an important decision for TVA and its customers, so we want to take the time to make sure we make a prudent decision," TVA spokesman Terry Johnson said.
An environmental assessment released last year found that finishing the Unit 1 reactor begun in 1974 would be cheaper than building a next-generation Westinghouse AP-1000 reactor.
TVA in 2006 said it would build the new AP-1000. But as the projected cost rose above $3 billion, officials began rethinking.
The utility had given up its construction permit for the original reactors in 2006, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission agreed last year to reinstate it so work could resume.
Supporters and opponents of the Bellefonte reactors said Tuesday that TVA is wise to take more time with its decision.
Westinghouse still is responding to NRC concerns about the shield building for the new AP-1000. And the Senate hasn't yet confirmed four new TVA board members who must decide which way to go at Bellefonte.
Goodrich "Dus" Rogers, president of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority, said people who live around the site want TVA to build both reactors.
"Sooner is better than later, but we want TVA to make the right decision the first time," he said.
Sandra Kurtz, a member of the anti-nuclear Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team, said her group is "very pleased" that TVA is taking more time.
"BEST hopes that with a careful assessment, the TVA board members will see that there are safer and less expensive options for power that don't leave a legacy of radioactive wastes for our children," she said.
Goodrich "Dus" Rogers, president of the Jackson County Economic Development Authority, EDA, does not represent the people of Jackson County, he represents the Economic Development Authority, apparently the nuclear construction industry, the TVA and that is all he represents. He does not represent the people of Jackson County Alabama. I live 4.5 miles from Bellefonte, many others live within Jackson County and North Alabama which do not support a radioactive nuclear power plant at Bellefonte.
Not everyone agrees with Mr. Rogers. The TVA has utilized the EDA and the local Chamber of Commerce as their lap dogs to put forward information, at times misinformation, in support of a radioactive nuclear reactor at Bellefonte.
Proponents of nuclear power fail to tell the truth concerning the risks and hazards of nuclear power. Radioactive nuclear power is not safe, it is not clean, it is not reliable, it is extremely expensive and because of the requirement for enriched radioactive uranium fuel it kills people. Plus, there is radioactive nuclear waste, currently there is near 7 million pounds of the radioactive material in the Tennessee River Valley at this time.
Mr. Rogers apparently approves leaving a radioactive dump legacy for our children and grandchildren of Jackson County.
The TVA is attempting to locate the reactors over unstable Karst Terrain. This terrain is porous limestone rock containing caves, large fissures, springs and sinkholes. The 2 AP 1000 reactors, if they are to be built, are to be precariously close to a very large sinkhole.
The TVA failed to list a fourth choice in the decision making equation for Bellefonte. The most economical and efficient choice is that of a 880 mega watt Natural Gas Combined Cycle plant along with a new generation solar facility and implementation of energy efficiency measures. Total cost, under $1.5 billion as compared to $4 billion for a radioactive waste producing plant.
The fact is, TVA is carrying a massive debt load and can not afford more radioactive nuclear plants. There is a better way, it is the 4th choice which the TVA fails to recognize in support of the nuclear construction industry.
The large multinational nuclear construction corporations only care about their bottom line and could care less about turning Jackson County into a radioactive nuclear waste dump for thousands of years. I wonder if our grandchildren will thank Mr. Rogers??
what an absolute, idiotic comment.
I just have to say this....Mr. Morgan you must be a pro-Obama, leftist, liberal, that has no idea about the use of or the production of electricity from Nuclear Power what-so-ever. After having read your above article, I have come to the conclusion that you must have voted for Obamy and are walking around with your head firmly affixed up your tooter. Wake up and get with the program. Nuclear power is what we need to be using for all our power generation. Look at France, they have a Nuke plant on about every corner and you never hear about them having problems.
France has had several nuclear accidents. The TVA nor the nuclear construction industry care to tell the truth about the risks and costs of nuclear power. http://theimpudentobserver.com/world-news/non-reported-french-nuclear-accident-raises-questions/ http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,568467,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/25/nuclear.industry.france
Perhaps you would care to browse the records of the NRC to realize the level of Tritium contamination occurring around our nuclear plants. Reported are pump failures and electrical fires which result in reactor scrams. Or how about hot and cold weather interrupting cooling water flow in reactors resulting in plant shutdowns.
Sickness and deaths of nuclear fuel workers is another story. A story which the TVA and the nuclear construction industry do not want you the citizen to know the truth. The manufactoring of nuclear fuel kills citizens.
Nuclear power leaves our children and grandchildren with the legacy of a massive radioactive waste dump in the Tennessee River Valley? More nuclear power is not necessary.
Payoffs to the Obama Administration. The nuclear payola equation=$$$$$$$$hundreds of millions of dollars to politicians and media campaigns in support of high risk, dangerous, radioactive nuclear power. http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/nuclear-energy-lobbying-push/story/nuclear-energy-working-hard-win-support/
Money/payola directly to the Obama administration. http://investigativereportingworkshop.org/investigations/nuclear-energy-lobbying-push/multimedia/exelons-links-president-obama/
Nuclear power reactors and their radioactive dumps are not the answer to our energy needs. Energy efficiency improvements, sustainable energy solutions such as wind, solar and improvement of the TVA dam fleets generation efficiency and capacity coupled with Natural Gas combined cycle is the answer for the TVA region well into the 21st century.
Ignore Garry. He is our village idiot. We try to keep him contained but he sometimes gets out.
If NRC’s specifications were met in every respect, if the manufacturer of the reactor turned over a splendid piece of machinery with operating manuals and notes, if all of these things met the highest technical standards and then some, the last question would be, “Who is to operate it?”
This is a huge question because the operation and management of this new (or rebuilt) reactor presently would fall in the hands of a thoroughly discredited management team of the TVA.
Just the process, going on since 1974, gives one pause about management competence which then filters down to consumer confidence. The decision makers, however, do not fall under the purview of even a modicum of citizen review, no public service commission hearings in any of the seven states involved, no appealing a final decision of the TVA.
I have many reports of dangerous and lackadaisical actions of TVA nuclear plant operators. In one instance, a clean up person was allowed to shut down a reactor (it was for maintenance). I can’t imagine such a person anywhere near nuclear reactor controls for any reason. There are other instances where the TVA culture preferred to do things their way and not according to the book. Much of this information came from a former Browns Ferry Nuclear operator.
Just look at the present circumstances. Since TVA never divulges the whole story until pressed, there is only speculation surrounding TVA’s motives. First, TVA has only one source of income to fund all of its actions, good or bad, and lately, TVA has made one horrendous management mistake by not following up on the repairs that could have prevented the Kingston disaster.
Except for overbuilding, or starting to build, too many nuclear reactors in the 70s and 80s that still has ratepayers strapped, Kingston probably is the best example of TVA management incompetence.
And now the fits and starts continue, build or not build Bellefonte? Not enough information? Do nothing? That’s the typical bureaucratic response, just freeze and let circumstances overwhelm again. TVA’s timeline goes on ad infinitum. TVA’s claim to be like a private corporation and using them in any comparison with TVA’s operations is entirely misleading. TVA is a federal government agency, period.
You see, there is no penalty for TVA to delay, no stockholders to answer to. Oops! Another mistake? “We’ll try to fix that”, is TVA’s attitude.
Until a “controlling legal authority” steps in, TVA will continue its merry bumbling way – with a hand on the nuclear switch.
Ernest Norsworthy emnorsworthy@earthlink.net http://norsworthyopinion.com
For my latest article on the TVA, see: http://norsworthyopinion.com/TVAcausingitsowncustomerstorebel.aspx
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