Safety of Atomic Reactors (Nuclear News, December 1967)

Page 1

aid that four of the pickets ually came into the AEC for a efmg on nucbar power and its ety regulations. These ladies then ast returned to the street and turned in weight, and one that was not expected to raise many goose pimples in the nuclear industry; however, when a gaggle of pretty girls led a bevy of ducks up Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and the AEC’s downtown Washington headquarters on October 19, the foxy press could hardly be blamed for taking off in hot pursuit. In fact, just about everybody stopped to take a It was almost as though the young ladies had taken their cue from a recent ’NN story that quoted Senator Robert Kennedy quoting an old verse: “The law doth punish man or woman That steals the goose from off the But turns that greater felon loose Who steals the common from the ly concerned about the common, nor the goose either for that matter: For them, it was a lark, and the press was saved a wild goose chase when someone quacked the story. It was just a publicity stunt by nine attractive Long Island housewives from Hewlett, who were hired to protest the Q ing at Shoreham, one speculated for pl.r) None knew much of anything about nucy clear power, and, admittedly, they had - sought no information from the utility. - However, they were paid to carry signs w saying that they want their L.I. duckhave the facts.” Their flight south with NUCLEAR NEWS / DECEMBER 1967 quoted by Electrical World as saying he “first became interested in the safety of atomic reactors in January of this year when (he said) California outlawed civilian atomic power plants.” Although no one mentioned it aloud, the AEC circles must have contemplated that the geese on the common were a far honk from those that flew into town the next day to roost on the steps of the Pentagon. 2.96-3.10:,fmills 2.76-2.79 millsj$-8 years after start up) : If cooling towers are required, $5.5/kw should be added to the capital costs and .06 mill/kwh should be added to the power costs for each unit. i Figures are based on an 80% capacity;plant factor for a 30-year life and a net heat rate of 8380 Btu/ kwh. 1 ‘Figures %om the General Atomic presentation to the Washington Public Power Supply System. printed here courtesy Nuclear Industry in which a similar table has previously appeared. The acquisition of the General Atomic Division of General Dynamics by the Gulf Oil Corporation (NN, Nov. ’67) is expected to enhance the commercial position of the HTGR in the United States. Although Gulf General Atomic will continue the diversified nuclear activities of the former GA, Gulf obviously has its eye on nuclear power-plant purchases of the utilities and will push for its share in this market. E. D. Brockett, former member of the Westinghouse board of directors and now chairman and chief executive officer of Gulf, is reported as saying that GGA petitor alongside of General Electric Meanwhile, the Washington Public Power Supply1System has made public the GA cost data (see box) quoted for one or two 19O-Mwe HTGRs, the first of which could be in operation by late Obviously delighted over the excellent performance report of Peach Bottom (see below), Frederic de Hoffmann, GGA president, is reported to consider vis the LWRs as extremely good, and he has claimed that, in the 1000-Mwe class, GGA thinks their reactor may have a 0.3-0.5 mill advantage over the water reactors. He also extended the competitive bracket to include the lowgain LMFBR, which he said may not be as economic as a large HTGR. that must run for 9 months and a minimum of 1000 hours at full power before GGA can begin construction on the 300Mwe Fort St. Vrain project, was indeed performing “beautifully” according to its operator, The Philadelphia Electric Company. The plant was back on the