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Earthquakes and Radioactive Waste (1) |
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by Jeonghyun Lee | 04-10-2014 22:27
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All of us were shocked after seeing the destruction of the Fukushima nuclear power plant from tsunami in 2011. Japan halted all of its nuclear power policies immediately after the incident. Yet it recently began to reactivated some of their power plants, provoking anger from Japanese citizens and activists.
Despite the ever-going battle and controversy, there is no doubt that nuclear energy is one of the most important means of electricity production. It produces massive amounts of energy, with little greenhouse emission. However, there is one fatal flaw to nuclear energy-the endless threat of radiation.
Korea, a country with a relatively long history of nuclear power generation, has persisted its nuclear policy despite strong opposition after the accident at Fukushima power plant. It has also produced massive amounts of nuclear waste since its first nuclear production in 1972. However, there has not been any storage or disposal site for these nuclear waste until now.
Recently, KHNP(Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company), the operator of all the nuclear plants in Korea started construction of Korea?s first nuclear waste disposal site in Gyeongju. Although local residents strongly opposed the construction, KHNP persisted the project. However, the project is now facing the strongest opposition ever after a magnitude 3.5 earthquake struck the area last week. Considering the fact that disposal sites will contain nuclear waste, the earthquake caused deep worries not only for local residents but Koreans all over the country. In a situation which everyone is sensitive to radioactive accidents, the earthquake and the nuclear waste facility project is one of the hottest topics nowadays. So a few days ago, I visited the planned disposal site to research more about the situation. To find out more about it, look forward to my next article about the trip! |
  
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7 Comments
Thank you for sharing, Jeonghyun!
Posted 30-11-2014 09:47
Jeonghyun Lee I thank you for your persistent approach to this subject. It is totally unfair to the residents who feel offended at the decision makers when it comes Radioactivity. This is a catastrophic en devour and human life should highly considered and it is disturbing as Rohan says. I mean consider standing on a time bomb!!
Posted 26-10-2014 23:09
This is quite disturbing fact. Govt. must act in an apt manner so that Japan like disasters can be averted.
All possibilities must be considered before finalizing such a sensitive issue.
Nuclear energy is the future of the green energy but all pro & cons are required to be taken care of.
Thanks for the report.
Posted 09-10-2014 21:23
Oh thank you so much for detail information about the earthquake. I saw it from the news a few days ago but I didn't know that it is deeply related with nuclear waste disposal site. In gyongju? No way! It's historic city and its worth is uncoutable! I feel so angry on decision makers in KNHP.
Posted 08-10-2014 23:59
Nuclear power certainly has its pros and cons. It is considered to be a climate-friendly energy source because it generates power without much greenhouse gas emission . However, there are safety & health concerns that come with nuclear power, including the possibility that a nuclear power plant could accidentally release radiation into the environment or be targeted for a terrorist attack. There is also the issue of what to do with radioactive waste. Japan already suffered from radiation hazards , still it's surprising that it started to re activate some nuclear plants.
Thanks for sharing , Jeonghyun.
Posted 06-10-2014 06:11
Hi Jeonghyun! Thank you for this informative report. I'm excited to hear about your research. I agree that nuclear waste is very disturbing. I wish the government understands that it has a long term effect and can greatly affect the next generation.
Posted 05-10-2014 09:54
Greetings Jeonghyun,Thank you for sharing this article.I visited Japan last year and I agree with you totally .Nuclear energy risks outweigh benefits .
Posted 05-10-2014 04:43