How Many Nuclear Power Plants Operate In The United States & Worldwide - How Safe Are They

Worldwide Nuclear Power Plant Guide

 

Nuclear power plants have been around for many years and of people living near them never think about them until something happens to bring them to the top of mind. The crisis at the Fukushima Dai-ich plant in Japan has focused attention like a laser around the world on existing nuclear power plants and their safety.

How will this affect the future of nuclear power around the world? In general nuclear power has been far safer in terms of deaths than coal mining and oil drilling, but the nature of nuclear incidents are harrowing. Unlike a worksite based coal mine or oilfield accident, radiation from a nuclear core meltdown can spread for miles contaminating the ground and people. Radiation damage can be instant and delayed. Short term radiation sickness from high doses of exposure and long term illnesses like cancer are both possible.

It is the invisible nature of radiation that strikes fear into the hearts of men. How does someone know they are exposed and that is the driver of fears of mortality? 

Find The Nuclear Power Plant Closest To You In The United States Of America

Locations Of Nuclear Power Plants In The United States

In light of the issues that took place in Japan after the massive earthquake and tsunami disabled the cooling capabilities of one of its nuclear power plants, it seems practical for people in the United States to know where their closest nuclear power plants are located.

There have been massive problems taking place in Japan with one of its nuclear power plants. The Fukushima Dai-ich nuclear power plant lost the ability to cool the fuel rods when the tsunami disabled the primary and backup power systems. The fuel rods began to heat up and possibly melt. The plant then suffered multiple hydrogen explosions and the threat of a nuclear meltdown of the core was a realistic possibility.

There were multiple unlikely occurrences that took place to cause the nuclear power plant in Japan to fail, but they did take place. We have over 100 nuclear power generators in the United States and except for the incident at Three Mile Island there has been a high degree of safe operation. It would seem that nuclear power in the United States has been fairly safe and effective over the years. If you compare deaths from nuclear power to those involved in the oil industry and coal mining, there is no comparison.

Even in the face of years of safe operation it is still prudent to be informed. The locations of United States nuclear power plants are included in the embedded video at the top of this article.