Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-11-30

Atomic power by itself will
do nothing to improve Me-
Murdo's sanitation. buck up its
maintenance Of equipment or
keep its buildings In repair.
Three False Beliefs T
Nuclear power is undoubtedly
justified economically in Ant
arctica, but the case for the
McMurdo reactor seems to have
been< greatly overstated by
proponents of atomic power,
including the Atomic Energy
Commission. Three statements
in support Of the reactor have
been banded about without
apparent justification. They
are:
/. Nuclear power will cut the
large and expensive annual
freight lift into Antarctica by
80 per cent by eliminating
heavy Diesel fuel requirements
for electrical power and space
heating.
2. The McMurdo reactor will
pay for itself In two years after
1t starts up by providing cheap
er power ct the main Antarctic
base.
8. The first reactor at Nc
Murdo will revolutionize condi-
tons there by making large
quantities of power available.
The three statements have
one thing in common: None Of
them Is even remotely true.
Yet all have been advanced or
accepted at face value by people
who should know better, pos
sibly in part because haphazard
accounting methods have con-
cealed the true cost Of operating
the Antarctic base camp. What
has emerged is a warped pic
ture Of what an atomic reactor
will do.
10 Pct. Cargo Cut
These are the facts, as nearly
as they can be pinned down:
/. A nuclear plant at Nc
Murdo will reduce the annual
cargo lift to the continent by
something under 10 per cent,
rather than d figure like 80
per cent.
Explanation: The total ton
mage for all petroleum products
gas and jet fuel for planes,
gas and diesel fuel for rolling
stock. lubricating oil and diesel
fuel for all purposes including
lelectricity-has been estimated
to represent as much as 80 per
cent Of the annual cargo lift
into Antarctica. The base sup
ply officer at McMurdo puts the
figure lower. between IS and
10 per cent.
The total import Of petrol
cum products is about 4 million
gallons q year, Of which $780,
600 gallons is consumed at Nc
Murdo for electricity and space
heating. Thus. McMurdo's
share is about 1914 per cent OF
the petroleum total, or between
8 and 10 per cent Of the annual
cargo lift.
Long Pay-Off Period
2. The McMurdo reactor can
not possibly pay for itself in
anything like two years.
Explanation: The two-yeal
payout figure. cited by Atomic
Energy Commission Chairman
McCone, Is based on q capita
cost Of slightly under 81 mil.
lion, the amount Of the con.
struction contract awarded tt
the Martin Co. of Baltimore.
But using o diesel-fuel cost
estimate Of SITS q gallon, citeC
by the Deep Freeze commander
Rear Admiral David M. Tyree
against an annual consump.
ton Of 100000 gallons at Nc.
Murdo, one arrives at an an.
nual fuel saving Of $875, 900
The quickest possible payou
thus would be about as years
even If atomic power cost moth
ing to generate.
AS Chairman McCone woult
be one Of the first to admit
atomic power is not cheap; IL
fact. the only reason it look
so attractive in Antarctica |.
that conventional generating
methods there are so expensive.
Only q Replacement
3. The first McMurdo reactol
will not prove horn Of plenty
where electric power Is con.
cerned.
Explanation: The 1,500-kilo.
watt reactor Is supposed to sup.
plant not only the 450-kilo-
watt diesel power generator
now in use, but diesel fired
space heaters as well. Conse.
quently. the disparity between