A Look at Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear Power Plants Across the Nation

Browns Ferry. Diablo Canyon. Prairie Island. Turkey Point.  Seemingly innocuous names, these are some of the various nuclear power plants located across the nation.  

According to the [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html” title=”Nuclear Regulatory Commission“], there are 100 licensed nuclear reactors in the country.  Nuclear power plants may have multiple operational reactors on site, such as the four plants named above.

Types of Nuclear Reactors

There are two types of nuclear reactors: [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/pwrs.html” title=”Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs)“] and [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/bwrs.html” title=”Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs)“].

While both produce steam to power the generator, how that occurs is slightly different, yet safety systems are almost identical, including back-up diesel generators, emergency water cooling supplies, and concrete and steel containment enclosures.  The major difference between the two is the number of fuel rod assemblies contained in the reactor core for power generation, PWRs have 150-200, while BWRs contain between 370 to 800 assemblies.

Currently, there are [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/power.html” title=”65 PWRs and 34 BWRs operating in the various plants“] across the country. These nuclear plants are [link url=”http://instituteforenergyresearch.org/topics/encyclopedia/nuclear/” title=”producing approximately 20% of the nation’s electricity“], which equates to around 8.5% of the total energy production in the country.

NPPs, Their Security, and Safety

A brief overview of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), including safety and security:

• Most [link url=”http://www.nei.org/master-document-folder/backgrounders/fact-sheets/nuclear-power-plant-security” title=”NPPs are privately owned and controlled“]
• NPPs noted as most governmentally controlled private industry in nation
• Oversight and regulation by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

NPPs take a three pronged approach to protect facilities:

• Safety of the plant
• Security of the plant
• [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/respond-to-emerg/response-terrorism.html” title=”Emergency preparedness“]
  • Coordinated with local, state, and federal agencies, including FEMA

• [link url=”https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34331.pdf” title=”Three main areas of vulnerability exist within a facility“]:
  • Controls for the nuclear chain reaction
  • Cooling Systems (and their backups)
  • Spent nuclear fuel storage facilities or areas

Defense-In-Depth

NPPs were [link url=”http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1523/ML15232A263.pdf” title=”originally designed and built around a ‘Defense-in-Depth’ approach“], providing layered safety and security features to the facility, including three increasingly restrictive access areas before admission to nuclear and spent fuels locations. Access to the often remote plants is highly restricted, and people will encounter an [link url=”http://www.nei.org/master-document-folder/backgrounders/fact-sheets/nuclear-power-plant-security” title=”owner-controlled buffer zone, protected area, then vital area“] in its layered security approach. The vital area is the location of the reactors and spent fuels.

Other [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/defense-in-depth.html” title=”features of the ‘Defense-in-Depth’ approach“] include redundant cooling systems, back up generators for power failures, and diverse fail safes to compensate for human and/or mechanical failures. This ensures that no single layer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the NPP.

Increased Security Measures Since 9/11

Since 9/11, the [link url=”http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/enforcement/security/” title=”NRC has upgraded and strengthened security“] requirements:

• More in-depth background checks of employees
• Psychological evaluations
• Ongoing employee observations
• New fingerprinting requirements
• Increased armed security presence
• Increased [link url=”http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/category/nuclear-security/” title=”cyber securities“]