The situation at the Fukushima nuclear site just keeps getting worse. If it isn’t a hydrogen explosion in one of the six reactors, it’s a fire in the spent fuel pool of another. The nuclear power industry likes to point to its safety record – years of operation without an incident. The industry’s opponents will point to the severity of Chernobyl and now Fukushima – disasters may be rare, but they are disasters.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that right after a major environmental catastrophe is not “a very good time to be making American domestic policy.” Leaders of other countries are less blasé about nuclear power’s future in their nations.
A statement yesterday from China’s State Council said, “We will temporarily suspend approval for nuclear power projects, including those that have already begun preliminary work, before nuclear safety regulations are approved.” China has 27 nuclear reactors under construction, about 40% of the total of new builds.
Venezuela, which is a major oil exporter, has followed suit. In calling off the construction of a nuclear site in cooperation with Russia, President Chavez said, “It is something extremely risky and dangerous for the whole world. Despite the great technology and advances that Japan has, look at what is happening with some of its nuclear reactors.”
Germany has decided to “temporarily” close 7 of its 17 reactors. In 2000, the red-green coalition government of the SPD and Greens announced a phasing out of nuclear power. The CDU government of Angela Merkel that replaced it has supported changing that policy. Now, the smart money says Germany will go back to a phase out of some sort.
France, which gets 80% of its electricity from nuclear power and therefore, is hardly about to dismantle its nuclear industry, has ordered tests on all of its nuclear reactors the results of which will be public information.
On Monday, Switzerland’s Minister of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (a hefty portfolio in the quietest of times) suspended plans to build and replace nuclear plants. This affects three sites, and it will stay in effect “until safety standards have been carefully reviewed and if necessary adapted,” Energy Minister Doris Leuthard said.
Chile, which is no stranger to earthquakes, has been cautious in its policy review. The government is keeping its options open, and Presidents Pinera and Obama will sign a nuclear accord next week when the American leaders visits Chile. “Chile needs to learn about nuclear energy, and that’s why we’ve signed accords with France and Argentina and we’ll sign another with the United States,” Pinera has said.