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The Great Atomic Lake Deregulation And Commercial Nuclear Power by Susan Peterson Gateley

The Great Atomic Lake Deregulation And Commercial Nuclear Power

by Susan Peterson Gateley

81 pages
A timely look at deregulation's potential impact on health and safety. Straight talk about policy that will impact our economy and environment for many years-policy you can influence now.

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Category: Politics
About the Book

Our nation stands at a cross roads in energy policy. The turn we now take as we deregulate the marketplace for electricity will have impacts on our children and on our environment for many years to come. Deregulation is changing the way we produce power. This, in turn, will determine how much our electricity costs, what lethal and damaging substances we continue to release into our environment, and what our own health and quality of life will be.

The Great Atomic Lake begins with an overview of the particular problems posed to Lake Ontario by a fleet of ageing commercial nucler power plants. There is probaby no more "nuclearized" body of water in North America than Lake Ontario with its sixteen American and Canadian power stations, two shoreline radioactive waste repositories, and uranium refinery. This is a good place to begin the examination of the issues raised by deregulation. However, the problems now faced by the lake ports of Oswego or Port Hope are common to many communities in the U.S. and Canada that host a nuclear facility.

After surveying the issues faced by Lake Ontario downwinders,
The Great Atomic Lake broadens the scope of its examination of events to an overview of the deregulation process, its particular impact on commercial nuclear power, and the push to deregulate and streamline the already weak and conflicted Nuclear Regulatory Commission's oversight process. "The Great Atomic Lake" also describes some of the consequences for public safety and the environment of this lessened oversight and the increased pressure on nuclear utilities to cut costs brought about by competition.

The last part of the book details the potential benefits of a truely competitive efficient market for power production free of the government manipulation and subsidies that have characterized it in the past. It also describes some of the legislation that was proposed at the federal level in 2000 that may well come to the floor in months to come.

This book is particularly timely because it may well be that this legislation will determine the course deregulation will take nationwide. In the past public dialogue and input on these issues and problems has been slight to non exisistent at the state level where deregulation has occurred. The issues are complex but they are also far too important to exclude citizen input and involvement. It is my hope that The Great Atomic Lake will shed some light on these policy questions and will help empower the consumers, small business people and citizens who must live with its consequences to help shape the course it takes.

 

 

About the Author
Susan Peterson Gateley publishes an on line e zine The Lake Ontario Log and has written three books on Lake Ontario's environment and maritime history. She offers sailing instruction and charters aboard a 32-foot boat through Silver Waters Sailing.

 

 

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