Matthew Hull
Rachel Glover
11/04/2013
English 102
Research paper.
Nuclear energy was discovered in late 1930s and was initially used to build atomic bombs, however after the Second World War it started to be used in production of electricity. Over time though there has been the question asked, does the usage of nuclear power in the United States have more disadvantages than advantages? This question has been the spark of protests, debates, even some could say alleged terrorism; however despite what various parties may argue here in this paper only the facts from both sides will be represented. The point of this paper will be to give you the reader the necessary information to make a choice of your own to answer the question. Some of the disadvantages of nuclear power in the United States are its increasingly aging facilities, the current storage methods of nuclear waste, and a history of accidents that have leaked radioactive material.
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The nuclear power plants currently in use in the United States are aging with many approaching the end of their operational lifespan. Coral Davenport makes mention of this in her writing, "Most of today's plants were built during America's love affair with nuclear power in the 1960s and 1970s; they were granted 40-year operating licenses. 73 of the nation's existing plants have reached the end of their 40-year operating spans but have been granted 20-year renewals (Davenport)." Many of the nuclear power plants in The United States, up to half; are over thirty years old, while the others are a little over twenty. (Hargreaves) This problem of the reactors of approaching the end of their original operational lifespan has brought about the debate should the United States build new plants to...