The article critiques the resurgence of nuclear energy by highlighting the overlooked dangers of uranium mining. It references Elizabeth Kolbert's discussion on nuclear plant risks but emphasizes the health hazards from abandoned uranium mines in the Four Corners area, particularly the Church Rock incident in 1979. The author also introduces Generation IV nuclear reactors, which offer a safer alternative by employing different cooling methods that reduce operational risks compared to traditional reactors, thereby calling for a balanced view on nuclear energy generation.
One development that Kolbert might have touched on is the emergence of Generation IV (Gen IV) nuclear reactors, which, unlike traditional reactors, are not cooled by water but, rather, by liquid sodium, liquid lead, molten salts, or helium gas.
The most egregious example of damage done by such a mine is that of the fallout from an accident at a mill in Church Rock, New Mexico, in July, 1979.
Though it was overshadowed by the Three Mile Island meltdown, which had occurred just months earlier, Church Rock represents the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history.
Granted, these uranium mines were created for military, not commercial, use, but they offer an instructive lesson-especially as the country sees more such mines opening again.
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