The Nuclear Power Deception

by Arjun Makhijani, Ph.D.
and
Scott Saleska
April, 1996

(The book, published in 1999, updates this report.)

Table of Contents to the Full Report Preface Acknowledgments Summary and Recommendations A. Main Findings B. Recommendations Other Recommendations PART I -- HISTORY: NUCLEAR POWER PROPAGANDA AND REALITY Chapter 1: Romance with the Atom Chapter 2: Electricity Production and Nuclear Reactors A. Nuclear Fuel 1. Uranium Fuel 2. Plutonium Fuel B. Nuclear Reactors 1. Thermal Reactors 2. Breeder Reactors (Fast Neutron Reactors) C. The "Nuclear Fuel Cycle" Chapter 3: The Early Years -- Atomic Messiahs, Propagandists, and Skeptics A. Atomic Messiahs and Propagandists 1. "Atoms for Peace" B. Atomic Skeptics 1. Early Practical Assessments Chapter 4: Plutonium, the Nuclear Navy, and Nuclear Power Development A. Round One: Dual-Purpose Reactors B. Round Two: Admiral Rickover, the Nuclear Navy, and the Light Water Reactor 1. Propaganda Aspects 2. Shippingport C. Other Skeptics Chapter 5: From "Too Cheap" to Bust A. The First Civilian Reactors B. Safety 1. Reactor Safety Basics 2. Light Water Reactors -- Basics about Loss of Coolant Accidents 3. Historical Aspects of the Light Water Reactor Accident Debate 4. Sodium-Cooled Fast Breeders C. Cost 1. Cost -- the 1950s to the 1970s 2. Cost: The 1980s and early 1990s Chapter 6: Radioactive Waste A. Radioactive Waste Basics 1. Waste categories 2. Quantities of weapons-usable materials B. High-Level Waste Management: Short- and Medium-Term Issues 1. Nuclear Waste and Nuclear Power 2. Reprocessing C. Long-Term Management Issues Concluding Observations PART II -- MORE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS OR A SOUND ENERGY POLICY? Chapter 7: "Inherently Safe" Reactors: Commercial Nuclear Power's Second Generation? A. New Reactor Designs -- Overview B. New Light Water Reactor Designs C. Other Reactor Designs 1. The MHTGR D. The Semantics of "Inherent Safety" E. Accidents and Nuclear Technology 1. Chernobyl 2. Some Lessons of the Chernobyl Disaster Chapter 8: Plutonium Disposition, Military Tritium, and Commercial Reactors A. Plutonium Disposition B. Military Tritium C. Concluding Observations on the Civilian-Military Nuclear Power Connection Chapter 9: Nuclear Power and Energy Policy A. Energy Concepts B. Renewable Energy Sources C. Integrating Renewables with Energy Efficiency in the Electricity Sector 1. Obstacles to Efficiency 2. A Proposal for a Financing Structure 3. Improving Efficiency in Existing Large Buildings 4. Improving Efficiency in Existing Small Buildings 5. Other Measures Appendix A: Basics of Nuclear Physics and Fission A. Structure of the Atom B. Radioactive Decay C. Binding Energy D. Nuclear Fission E. Fertile Materials Appendix B: Uranium A. The Mining and Milling Process B. Conversion and Enrichment C. Regulations in the U.S. D. The Future Appendix C: Plutonium A. Nuclear Properties of Plutonium B. Chemical Properties and Hazards of Plutonium. C. Important Plutonium Compounds and Their Uses D. Formation and grades of Plutonium-239. Glossary References