More Power Scotty – Maine and Nuclear

 Maine and Nuclear Power and Nuclear Waste

by Don Ames

I like nuclear – actually, I like nuclear waste. What does this have to do with energy savings, everything. Nuclear power was the great white hope, let it in the power ring and see what happens. If it won the crown, nuclear could be the peoples champion.

For some of the nuclear power plants, the days in the ring, looking for the champions belt, was many years ago. Let’s look at Maine’s only power plant - Yankee.

Yankee is located on the Bailey Peninsula near Wiscasset Maine. (Wiscasset sounds like a good native american name) The nuclear plant was commissioned in 1972 and shut down in 1997. The plant generated some 119 billion killowatt hours of juice.

Now, back to the waste. Like I said, I like nuclear waste and I think I like it because it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It makes my heart pump a little harder and my hands sweat. I got the same feeling when I leveled a rifle at a nice piece of venison. Nuclear waste brings out an adrenaline reaction.

Today, Maine is seeking monetary damages from the Department of Energy because the Yankee nuclear waste is still on Bailey Peninsula. Yep, 64 steel and concrete containers house the results of 25 years of spent nuclear rods and every container is still on site after 14 years. The Dept. of Energy was suppose to remove and safely store the containers years ago, but they just point to Yucca Mountain and say, what are we suppose to do.

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, was suppose to be the nuclear waste dump site that was going to solve the nuclear waste problem. Another great white hope. But, the Yucca Mountain site fell through. Now what – I know, just leave all the nuclear waste where it is. All you do is change the name. Instead of Yankee Nuclear Plant – change the name to Bailey Point Nuclear Storage Facility and the problem is solved.

When I see pictures of Chernobyl and the damage that was done to the earth and to humanity, I shudder deep inside, my heart pumps a little harder and my hands sweat. When I see solar panels on a roof, I stop, take a picture and smile.

What does this have to do with energy savings – guess why Yankee Nuclear Plant was decommissioned. It was not because of some radioactive leak or pending meltdown. It was because the plant was not economically viable to operate.  Maybe if we save enough energy at millions of homes, we won’t need to have nuclear waste sitting around at places like the Bailey Peninsula Nuclear Storage Facility.