Nuclear energy policies include efficiency and emissions standards, fiscal policies, and safety regulations and protocols concerned with the mining of nuclear fuel and the generation of nuclear energy. Other legislative policies are concerned with the transportation, storage and trade of radioactive waste.
In the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster many countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, and China have begun to reconsider their nuclear policies and find a more conservative approach to nuclear energy generation[1]. Other governments including those of Israel, Ireland, Greece, and Australia have used this disaster to support their anti-nuclear policies[2].
The Nuclear Debate
When making decisions about nuclear energy, policy makers take into account both sides of an ongoing debate. Some believe that nuclear energy is a clean and sustainable approach that can be effectively implemented and safely operated over time with the proper maintenance and planning. Others argue that the hazardous waste and risk of catastrophic failure outweigh the environmental and economic benefits.
Nuclear Energy and the Clean Air Act
The production of Nuclear Energy aids in the compliance to policies like the U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970 as it does emit criteria pollutants such as nitrous oxide or sulfur dioxide. Nuclear energy is also desirable because of its low carbon footprint (though the debate about whether greenhouse gases should be regulated by the Clean Air Act is ongoing)[3].
The Waste Issue
In the United States, used nuclear fuel has been considered high-level waste since 1977 which the government has deemed itself responsible for disposing in a deep geological repository facility. An ongoing debate over the location of this site has delayed its construction. This has prompted the Department of Energy to mandate the storage of nuclear waste on site at reactors currently under construction. The DOE has vowed to remove the used fuel within 20 years after the reactor is first refueled[4].
Recent News
Canada and India recently struck an uranium deal which will provide India with 7.1 million pounds of uranium over the next five years, a contract worth around $300 million. India, being one of the world’s fastest growing populations, poses a critical threat to future energy sustainability. As the nation continues to develop, electricity demand is only going to grow as well. This historical deal suggests India’s divergence from a strictly coal-based energy sector by possibly increasing electricity production from nuclear fuel.
(Composed by Dan Kervick, Edited by Becca McIver & Sean Hanczor)
Resources
- Jo Chandler (March 19, 2011). “Is this the end of the nuclear revival?”. The Sydney Morning Herald.
- “Nuclear power: When the steam clears”. The Economist. March 24, 2011.
- Nuclear Energy Institute. “Clean Air”. http://www.nei.org/Issues-Policy/Protecting-the-Environment/Clean-Air.
- World Nuclear Association. “National Polices: Radioactive Waste Management”. April 2013. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Nuclear-Fuel-Cycle/Nuclear-Wastes/Appendices/Radioactive-Waste-Management-Appendix-3–National-Policies/