Nuclear waste management inevitably becomes a tax-payer subsidy to the nuclear industry
Derek Abbott, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Watch South Australia, 3 Oct 16, Thought for the day: when we point out to nuclear apologists the fact that the management of waste fuel from each nuclear station ultimately runs into the many tens of billions of dollars, their smooth response runs something like this: “divide that cost by the many kWhrs of electricity from the lifetime of that nuclear station, and it’s only an extra two cents or so per kWhr.”
Here’s the big flaw with that argument: Over the lifetime of each reactor those billions have been effectively flowing into the private pockets of those behind nuclear power companies. Then when it’s time to spend billions repackaging that spent fuel and store it somewhere, those private individuals have long retired or are passed away and several changes in government have occurred in the meantime. No one is around to be accountable, so the taxpayer then picks up the tab.
In other words the risks have been socialised, whilst profits have lined selected pockets. Profits for the elite are made by deferring costs, and the proletariat has to pay the price later.
Bottomline: Because of the 100-year cycle from building a station to ultimately dealing with its waste, it is impossible to enforce accountability and so the taxpayer ends up paying. The mantra that nuclear has no subsidies is false, as this is effectively a huge taxpayer funded subsidy. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1021186047913052/
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