By Randall Radic

The generation of electricity by means of nuclear reactors has always been and will continue to be a touchy subject.  Visions of Hiroshima, Chernobyl, and Three Mile Island cause people to stop and think.  The pro-nukes say that Chernobyl and Three Mile Island were the result of deficient reactor design and poor training.  Supposedly, both deficiencies have been rectified.  The no-nukes say nuclear power is difficult to control, and since human beings make mistakes no matter what, there is no assurance that such “meltdowns” won’t happen again.

The last commercial nuclear reactor to go online in the United States was Watts Bar 1.  It came online in 1996.  This is often cited as proof positive that nuclear power is being phased out throughout the world.  This is not true.  Research and development continues in the U.S., Europe and Asia.  According to numbers supplied by the World Nuclear Association (WNA), in the 1980s one new nuclear reactor went online every 17 days.  And the WNA forecasts that by 2015 a new reactor will go online every five days. 

As of October 1, 2009, the U.S. had 11 nuclear plants planned or ordered, and 19 more proposed.  The Ukraine had two plants ordered, with another 20 proposed.  South Africa had 3 plants ordered, and proposals for an additional 24 plants.  Russia had seven planned and 37 more proposed.  Italy had zero planned and 10 proposed.  India had 23 planned and 15 proposed.  China had 34 planned and a whopping 90 plants proposed.

The only inhibiting factor at the present time is the fact that only a few companies in the world have the capacity to forge single-piece containment vessels, which reduce the risk of radiation leaks.  However, many manufacturers are researching alternatives, such as Canada’s CANDU Reactors or Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors.  The motivation is simple:  every country in the world needs more and more electricity.  And that equates to generating plants, whether conventional or nuclear.  Contributing to this push for nuclear generating plants are predicted electricity shortages, steadily increasing prices of fossil fuels, and global warming.

In other words, nuclear power is looking more and more attractive. 

The BIG question is this:  is it safe?

Atomic America, written by Todd Tucker, attempts to answer the BIG question.  According to Atomic America, the answer is no.  Nuclear power is not safe. 

The book relates the story of a small nuclear reactor – designated SL-1 by the Army – near Idaho Falls.  In 1961, SL-1 exploded, killing three of the operators and releasing radiation into the surrounding atmosphere. 

Atomic America examines the genesis of SL-1, which was a Nuclear Reactor Testing Station.  And that’s where the book gets interesting.  Apparently, there was a power struggle going on between the Army, the Air Force and the Navy.  Each branch of the armed forces wanted to control the military use of nuclear power.  The Navy won, because they had an admiral who was tougher and smarter than everybody else.  His name was Rickover. 

Admiral Rickover was a fascinating person.  For he recognized the capability inherent in nuclear power, especially in submarines.  How Rickover maneuvered, manipulated, cajoled and argued his way to the top of the Navy, and at the same time advocated nuclear power reads like a contemporary thriller.  Todd Tucker tells the story well.

Indeed, there are some that suggest he tells it too well.  The insinuation is that Tucker is misrepresenting the facts.  There was an explosion, but it was not nuclear.  Rather it was caused by superheated steam.  And that 99.9% of the radiation was contained despite the fact that SL-1 did not reside in a containment vessel.  Even then, only improper training was at fault.  In other words, it wasn’t the reactor – it was human error. 

Who’s right?  The reviewer doesn’t know.  He doesn’t have a doctorate in nuclear physics.  All he does know is this:  Atomic America: How a Deadly Explosion and a Feared Admiral Changed the Course of Nuclear History (Free Press/ 2009) is an important book, because it delivers one side of a story that is potentially too perilous not to be heard.  Of course, the other side of the story needs to be told too.  Only then may a judicious decision be made.

On the Read-O-Meter, which ranges from 1 star (insipid) to 5 stars (galvanizing), Atomic America generates 5 irradiated stars.     

Todd Tucker received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Notre Dame and served as an officer with the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarine force. He is the author of Notre Dame Game Day (Diamond Communications, 2000) and Notre Dame vs. the Klan (Loyola Press, 2004).

Randall Radic is a former Old Catholic priest. After a midlife crisis, he spent time behind bars. Today, he has emerged a changed man.  As the author of  Gone To Hell: True Crimes of America’s Clergy (ECW Press/ Oct 2009), Radic aims to warn the public of the sins committed behind the walls of churches every day.  Randall Radic is also author of A Priest in Hell: Gangs, Murderers and Snitching in a California Jail.

Book Review: America For Sale By Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2006-2010, Basil & Spice. All rights reserved.