From: crb7q@kelvin.seas.Virginia.EDU (Cameron Randale Bass)
Subject: Re: ZERO Nuclear impact (was: Is car pooling for real? etc)
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 20:23:20 GMT

In article <1992Jul20.231007.696@nmt.edu> houle@nmt.edu (Paul Houle) writes:
>In article <10959@cis.rand.org> Rodger_Madison@rand.ORG (Rodger Madison) writes:
>>     I don't doubt that a nuclear reactor can be build that will operate
>>     perfectly for an indefinate period of time.  This can happen only if
>>     competant individuals dedicate themselves to making it happen.  I DO
>>     doubt that this will happen in every case in which a reactor is built
>>     and operated.  Somewhere along the line there will be human mistake,
>>     inattention or malice that will cause a system failure.  When this
>>     happens it may illuminate a previous human mistake in the design or
>>     construction of the facility and cause a catastrophe.
>
>	In a perfect world,  all of the materials used to build a nuclear
>reactor are of the highest quality.  In reality,  one ends up buying
>concrete from the mob.  In a perfect world,  well-trained and attentive
>experts work in the control room.  In the real world,  they run an extension
>cord from the bathroom to power a TV set.  We can never underestimate the
>human potential for making honest mistakes,  never mind dishonest mistakes,
>sheer stupidity and everything else that can go wrong.

     In a perfect world, all the other car drivers operate their
     vehicles in a safe and courteous manner.  However, it is not
     so I suggest you stop driving.  In a perfect world, no aircraft
     crash due to pilot-error and/or maintenence problems.  However, it 
     is not, so I suggest you stop flying.  In a perfect world, no
     trains collide because of driver-error and/or switching error
     and/or maintenence error.  However, it is not, so I suggest you
     stop using the train. 

     My point is that it is *indeed* possible to overestimate the potential
     for human mistakes, and to overestimate them in such a manner
     as to very grievously hurt a society.   It is hard to imagine the
     potential growth lost to society and the pollution of
     the environment gained by the effects of mindless objections
     to the concept of nuclear power.  In my way of thinking, a cask
     of potentially useful radioisotopes buried thousands of feet
     under western hills is exceedingly preferable to the smog-belching
     coal-fired plants in the Ohio valley that are progressively
     acidifying our streams and killing our trees.  

     Since most of my power comes from the nuclear plants at Surry and
     Lake Anna, I see no reason why I should have to suffer the fumes
     of plants that should have been replaced by nuclear energy long ago.

     I also offer the ground 5200 feet beneath my house as a nuclear
     material storage repository (subject to regulatory approval and a 
     appropriate personal fee).  

                                    dale bass



--
C. R. Bass                                           crb7q@virginia.edu
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia                            (804) 924-7926
Xref: sparky sci.environment:10355 sci.psychology:3373