Public Exposure to U.S. Commercial Nuclear Power Plants Induced Disasters

Abstract

This study explores the potential risks associated with the 65 U.S.-based commercial nuclear power plants and the distribution of those risks among the populations of both their respective host communities and of the communities located in outlying areas. First, it starts by examining the racial/ethnic composition of the host community populations, as well as the disparities in socioeconomic status that exist, if any, between the host communities and communities located in outlying areas. Second, it utilizes two independent-sample T tests to identify any differences in the sociodemographic compositions of the two areas. Third, it explores regional demographic trends by looking at the percent change in demographic variables in the host communities and communities located in outlying areas in 1990–2000 and 2000–2010. Findings reveal that during the past two decades more people were exposed to the risks as population living in the host communities increased.

Keywords

Exposure to nuclear power disasters / Host communities / Nuclear disasters / U.S. commercial nuclear power plants

References

[1] Acton, J.M., and M. Hibbs. 2012. Why Fukushima was preventable. Washington DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. http://carnegieendowment.org/2012/03/06/why-fukushima-was-preventable/a0i7. Accessed 6 Mar 2013.

[2] Anzai K, Ban N, Ozawa T, Tokonami S. Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: Facts, environmental contamination, possible biological effects, and countermeasures. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 2012, 50(1): 2-8

[3] Astakhova LN, Anspaugh LR, Beebe GW, Bouville A, Drozdovitch VV, Garber V Chernobyl-related thyroid cancer in children of Belarus: A case-control study. Radiation Research, 1998, 150(3): 349-356

[4] Baba M. Fukushima accident: What happened?. Radiation Measurements, 2013, 55: 17-21

[5] Blevins MR, Andersen RL. Radiation protection at U.S. nuclear power plants—Today and tomorrow. Health Physics, 2011, 100(1): 35-38

[6] Bolin B, Nelson A, Hackett EJ, Pijawka KD, Smith CS, Sicotte D The ecology of technological risk in a Sunbelt city. Environment and Planning A, 2002, 34(2): 317-339

[7] Bowen WM, Salling MJ, Haynes KE, Cyran EJ. Toward environmental justice: Spatial equity in Ohio and Cleveland. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 1995, 85(4): 641-663

[8] Bullard RD. Environmental justice: Its more than waste facility siting. Social Science Quarterly, 1996, 77(3): 493-499.

[9] Bullard, R.D., P. Mohai, R. Saha, and B. Wright. 2007. Toxic wastes and race at twenty 1987–2007: A report prepared for the United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries. Cleveland, OH: United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries. http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unitedchurchofchrist/legacy_url/491/toxic-wastes-and-race-at-twenty-1987-2007.pdf?1418423933. Accessed 9 Aug 2013.

[10] Canu IG, Ellis ED, Tirmarche M. Cancer risk in nuclear workers occupationally exposed to uranium—Emphasis on internal exposure. Health Physics, 2008, 94(1): 1-17

[11] Cappiello, D., and J. Donn. 2011. Earthquake risk to U.S. nuclear reactors is greater than previously thought. New York: The Associated Press. http://blog.nola.com/business_impact/print.html?entry=/2011/09/earthquake_risk_to_us_nuclear.html. Accessed 12 Aug 2013.

[12] Cardis E, Kesminiene A, Ivanov V, Malakhova I, Shibata Y, Khrouch V Risk of thyroid cancer after exposure to I-131 in childhood. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2005, 97(10): 724-732

[13] Cutter SL, Holm D, Clark L. The role of geographic scale in monitoring environmental justice. Risk Analysis, 1996, 16(4): 517-526

[14] Cyranoski D, Brumfiel G. Fukushima impact is still hazy. Nature, 2011, 477(7363): 139-140

[15] GeoLytics. 2012a. 2000 long form in 2010 boundaries. http://www.geolytics.com/USCensus,2000-Long-Form-in-2010-Boundaries,Products.asp. Accessed 9 Oct 2013.

[16] GeoLytics. 2012b. Census 1990 in 2010 boundaries. http://www.geolytics.com/USCensus. Accessed 9 Oct 2013.

[17] GeoLytics. 2012c. Census 2010/American community survey (ACS). http://www.geolytics.com/USCensus,Census2010ACS,Categories.asp. Accessed 9 Oct 2013.

[18] Giugni M. Social protest and policy change: Ecology, antinuclear, and peace movements in comparative perspective, 2004, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

[19] Golay, M.W., I.I. Saragossi, and M. Wilefert. 1977. Comparative analysis of United States and French nuclear power plant siting and construction regulatory policies and their economic consequences. Working Paper (MIT-EL 77-044-WP). Cambridge, MA, Energy Laboratory and Department of Nuclear Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT: The Joint Nuclear Engineering Department/Energy Laboratory Light Water Reactor Project, the US Energy Research and Development Administration.

[20] Gottlieb, R. 2005. Forcing the spring: The transformation of the American environmental movement (Rev. and updated edn.). Washington, DC: Island Press.

[21] Greenberg MR, Krueckeberg DA. Demographic analysis for nuclear power plant siting: A set of computerized models and a suggestion for improving siting practices. Computers & Operations Research, 1974, 1(34): 497-506

[22] Hochfelder D. The promise of nuclear power. Proceedings of the IEEE, 1999, 87(8): 1405-1408

[23] Kan, N. 2013. Panel discussion. The Fukushima nuclear accident: Ongoing lessons for New York. Symposiums on Fukushima and Nuclear Power. New York. Accessed 8 Oct 2013.

[24] Koch, W. 2011. Earthquake readiness of U.S. nuclear power plants is unclear. USA Today. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/story/2011-08-25/Earthquake-readiness-of-US-nuclear-power-plants-is-unclear/50141704/1. Accessed 12 Oct 2013.

[25] Lazare, S. 2013. Radition soars 6,700 times leagl limit as Fukushima diasters continue unabated. CommonDreams.org. http://www.commondreams.org. Accessed 25 Oct 2013.

[26] Margai FM. Environmental health hazards and social justice: Geographical perspectives on race and class disparities, 2010, London: Earthscan

[27] Mariottee, M. 2006. The NRC’s reactor licensing process: An overview. Nuclear Information and Resource Services (NIRS).

[28] Thakur P, Ballard S, Nelson R. An overview of Fukushima radionuclides measured in the northern hemisphere. Science of the Total Environment, 2013, 458–460: 577-613

[29] United States Census Bureau. 2010. TIGER/Line^® shapefiles pre-joined with demographic data: 2010 census summary file 1 demographic profile (DP1). http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-data.html. Accessed 25 Nov 2013.

[30] U.S. NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 2011a. Emergency preparedness at nuclear power plants. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

[31] U.S. NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 2011b. Nuclear Regulartory Commission. http://www.nrc.gov. Accessed 12 Aug 2012.

[32] U.S. NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 2012a. 2012–2013 information digest (NUREG-1350, vol. 24). US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1350/v24/sr1350v24.pdf. Accessed 12 Aug 2012.

[33] U.S. NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 2012b. Information digest, 2011–2012. http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1350/. Accessed 12 Aug 2012.

[34] U.S. NRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission). 2012c. Nuclear power plant licensing process. http://www.nrc.gov. Accessed 12 Aug 2012.

[35] Yamaguchi, M. 2013. Fukushima leak: Cause revealed to be overflowing tank. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com. Accessed 12 Aug 2012.