TVA's Bellefonte Dream, 4 nuclear power plants which estimates show will cost the citizens and rate payers of the TVA service area in excess of $20 billion dollars for the 4 proposed reactors It is important to point out that none of this project has been approved by the TVA Board. Yet, billions of dollars have been spent and the entire project has been wrapped in controversy and mismanagement since its conception over 30 years ago. Not one kilowatt of power has ever been produced from the reactors at Bellefonte. Update Dec 1, 2015 - cost estimates are now between $10 billion and $15 billion per unit for construction and updates at this time. 6 years after my writing of this article the total costs are estimated at $40 billion for the 4 units at TVA's Bellefonte, Alabama.
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Units 1 & 2 were over 50% complete when construction was halted in the mid 1980's. When the construction permits were cancelled by the TVA a few years back the plant was stripped of usable and expensive metals which were sold as scrap or utilized at other facilities.
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Now, the TVA and nuclear construction contractors have unduly influenced the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, to reinstate a cancelled construction permit in violation of NRC policy and protocol. The NRC Commissioners reinstated the construction permit with out one, 1, vote of approval from the NRC, The Commission voted 1-disapproved, 3 jointly approved-disapproved. This unprecedented and ILLEGAL vote, in contravention of Atomic Licensing Authority for construction of nuclear reactors, has resulted in legal action being filed against the NRC, the case has been filed in the Washington D.C. Federal Court of Appeals. This is where we are at now with Bellefonte.
The debate concerning Bellefonte and nuclear power will continue for many years. The TVA, the nations largest utility and one of the nations largest governmental, corporate, socialist organizations. The TVA was created by President Roosevelt during the depression in order to provide jobs and power in the southeastern U.S. The TVA program worked marvelously to help end the Great Depression.
Unfortunately the government's premier example of socialism did not end after World War 2, it has continued and now masses an enormous debt load of over $26 billion, primarily due to mismanagement of enormously expensive nuclear construction.
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The TVA should have been sold to private enterprise after WW2, that has not happened and now the TVA has become a massive governmental bureaucratic monster which is not accountable to the people which it was designed to serve nor has Congress chosen to offer meaningful oversight of this bureaucratic crystal palace.
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There are positive aspects of TVA, they provide continuous power to the Tennessee Valley area. In economic troubled times the cost of power is increasing. The TVA was once the least expensive source of power in the southeast. It continues to provide economical power to customers of the southeastern U.S. in its service area.
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Unfortunately, with expensive nuclear power additions the economic benefits of TVA power will end as electric rates will soar to pay for the expensive nuclear power projects. Already power companies in Kentucky and Georgia are at par with TVA power rates
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The issue continues, in Scottsboro's local paper, The Daily Sentinel, this report was filed concerning a recent press conference with Congressman Parker Griffith at Bellefonte. http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=2d6a28bbd22452e6
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My reply to this report was sent as a Letter to the Editor which was published in today's The Daily Sentinel. Below is a copy of my letter in it entirety. Their title to my letter was "Totally Against Nuclear Power and Bellefonte," I prefer to think of my letter as " The Rest of the Bellefonte Story." Many thanks to the Daily Sentinel for publishing my letter. The Daily Sentinel News site link for todays article, weekend addition, concering Bellefonte. http://thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=c0c787b560976aa6
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Dear Editor,
"Bellefonte process progressing" is the headline in Fridays Daily Sentinel. "Griffith says clean, safe nuclear power is the key to becoming energy independent." Many would disagree with the statements made by the TVA and its supporter, Congressman Griffith.
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Inaccuracy and propaganda have been the continuing trend of those who support the construction of nuclear power plants at Bellefonte. It seems the truth of the risks are not told, politicians and TVA/nuclear construction propaganda meisters intentionally mislead the public. It would be nice if the complete story would be told. I submit the "rest of the story" for your consideration.
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Nuclear power is not safe nor is it clean. There are over 40,000 workers, many are our neighbors in the southeast, who are sick and dying from the nuclear fuels manufactoring process. The facts concerning the sick and dying workers are the "secret" which nuclear power proponents attempt to keep from the public. An act of Congress entitled Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act was passed in 2000. Facts concerning these good folks who have gave so much of their lives may be found on the Internet at http://www.wildclearing.com/ice-ages/the-exposed.html There are 163,000 claims that have been filed of which 43,000 have been approved by DOL, Department of Labor. God Bless the 1200, 1 in 17, and their families who have died before one cent of money was paid. Individual payments per claim is approxiamately $94,000 per worker. The claims involve atomic weapons materials workers and nuclear fuels workers.
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Other inaccuracies originating from the TVA and Congressman Parker Griffith. 1) According to Dr. Griffith, " The opponents of Bellefonte are usually from out of state." That statement is not true, there are 85 local citizens who reside within 45 miles of the Bellefonte facility who have signed legal documents in opposition to the proposed nuclear plant. Many of the 85 reside in Alabama. 2) Safety. The Bellefonte site sits on a geologically unstable area consisting of Karst Terrain, cave terrain and sinkholes. The construction of unit 3 is proposed to sit near a very large sink hole. Hydrology is a serious issue, the reactor vessels will actually rest below Guntersville Reservoirs low water lake level. Fissures and channels in the Karst Terrain would surround the reactor vessels. The reactors at Bellefonte are approximately 1 mile from the Sequatchie Fault Line, coupled with the Karst Terrain Bellefonte is being constructed over an unstable geological area. 3) Renewable fuel. Nuclear fuels are not renewable as Dr. Griffith suggests. However, there are proposals to reprocess spent nuclear fuels. Nuclear fuels reprocessing is a hazardous and dangerous business which results in the creation of plutonium which may be used in nuclear weapons. Does Dr. Griffith support Nuclear Proliferation? 4) Waste. What are you going to do with the nuclear waste that will be created. Is it Dr. Griffith, the TVA and local politician's wish to create a nuclear waste repository at Bellefonte. That is exactly what will occur. Nuclear Waste must be stored on site for an indefinite period of time. 5) Cost. No one likes to discuss the cost, not even the TVA. TVA is $26 billion dollars plus in debt, their debt is growing. How will the TVA afford the nuclear reactors? Completion of Units 1 & 2 will cost $4-$8 billion dollars, possibly more. The minimum cost of Units 3 & 4 will be $16 billion with cost overruns, units 3 & 4 may come in at $20 billion. The TVA has a $30 billion Congressional mandated cap on their debt. Where are they going to get the additional funds? Raise your electric rate to double or triple current electrical rates? 6) Approval of Construction. The reinstatement of the Construction Permits for units 1 & 2 violated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's, NRC's, own policy and protocol. My military experience in Nuclear Reliability Programs makes me very, very concerned of the NRC's flagrant violation of protocols and policy in this matter. There was not one vote of approval for the reinstatement of construction permits for units 1 & 2 at Bellefonte. Again I repeat, the NRC Commissioners did not vote to reinstate the construction permit. They voted, 1 vote disapproved and 3 votes jointly approved-disapproved, an unprecedented vote and scheme to intentionally violate the NRC's own protocol and policy. This unprecedented action on the part of the NRC has landed them into a legal action in the Washington D.C Court of Appeals. From my stand point of military experience there can be no violations of law, policy or protocol concerning nuclear programs, including the construction process. If the very commissioners and authorities who are required by law to provide for nuclear safety and protect the public from unscrupulous actions of nuclear operators, contractors and government entities violate policy and protocol, they themselves stand as a liability to Nuclear Reliability and Safety programs. 7) There is no demand for the power that a Bellefonte Nuclear plant would produce. The TVA has reported its power demand and sales are down. This is the exact reason Bellefonte construction was previously ended. Do our political representatives wish to repeat the mistakes of 20 plus years ago and waste another $5 billion dollars or more?
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In summary, TVA is experiencing decreasing power demand according to their own reports. This is what led to the previous cancellation of Bellefonte Units 1 & 2. We who depend on TVA power cannot afford another series of poorly planned and unnecessary nuclear projects. The utilization of energy efficiency programs would end further expensive, risky nuclear expansion and will result in cost savings for customers and reduced impacts across the Tennessee River Valley. Use the money that Bellefonte would cost to update an antiquated power generation and distribution system and begin investing in Solar Power alternatives.
Garry Morgan, Scottsboro
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I am a member of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, BREDL, its local sub-chapter- Bellefonte Efficiency and Sustainability Team, BEST and The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, SACE.
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These organizations are concerned about our environment and the ecological impacts of nuclear power on our environment and other environmental issues. There is strength in numbers. Any meaningful effort in opposition to nuclear power or to assure the accountability of our government in nuclear licensing costs money. The nuclear industry has poured millions into the coffers of politicians and attorneys to insure nuclear construction continues, even if it is not warranted. The TVA has the backing of the U.S. Government in its efforts to continue with its unwise decisions concerning nuclear power. If you as a citizen believe that government accountability is needed concerning nuclear construction or oppose the continuation of nuclear construction at Bellefonte or other sites we welcome your participation in our cause. Information concerning BREDL and membership http://www.bredl.org/ information concerning SACE and membership http://www.cleanenergy.org/
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Other articles on my blog concerning the TVA and nuclear energy. http://arklite.blogspot.com/search/label/TVA
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A short history of nuclear corruption and deceit, the "whistle-blowers": http://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/12/nyregion/paying-the-price-for-blowing-the-whistle.html http://www.frankmckinnon.com/nuclear_industry_bribes.htm http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101960304-135575,00.html http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=60199&catid=2
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A reminder of how nuclear power began, the Atomic Bomb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1sS1TmXF38&feature=related
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