Khaymann

http://i.imgur.com/QgJUL.gif

Which, unlike many ladies who encounter this on Reddit, you're at least more prepared? Maybe? (i have no idea!)

I think its something that is a hell of a lot better for the planet that burning coal.

Just look up the injuries and deaths related to nuclear power versus the coal industry.

Coal kills a LOT of people. The nuclear industry has a safety standard that is second to none. But the average person has a visceral reaction to "nuclear power" that is currently preventing us from making use of this energy source.

I personally think (and this is a non professional opinion), that the solution in the immediate future is nuclear as a baseload, and renewables such as solar and wind as a supplement.

Every method of energy is consuming resources of our planet. As a technological society, we're going to consume it. I think we should do so responsibly and efficiently, as not to use it without purpose.

Yes. Go buy a bunch of bananas. There is radioactive potassium in them. :)

If there was no protection? The transuranics that we handle are highly radioactive. But the facility, despite being old, is extremely well shielded.

Much of our work takes place through 3 foot thick windows filled with zinc bromide solution, and we have remote manipulators to perform the work. We do absorb a lot of dose, but its never been anywhere close to dangerous levels.

When the fuel is loaded in the cell, its placed in a lead container (we call them lead pots). Its a 1 gallon cylinder. That is placed in a 7 gallon can, with a apparatus to ensure its centered in the can (called a spider). This entire process is required to be filmed, and have two witnesses besides the tech doing the work. Its sealed, and then two of those cans are passed through a drop chute into a larger 30 gallon can in a clean transfer area (this passes from inside the cell to the outside). The 30 gallon cans have two layers of plastic, a hard layer and a soft layer. These are also witnessed by two people to ensure our paperwork is straight.

Then, the 30 gallon can is dose rated, and either put in to a steel cask, or a lead cask, depending on the dose rating (the lead ones are really annoying, due to being too heavy to drive around on our electric lifts... we have to use a manual one, and muscle it into place. Major pain the ass).

Once they're sealed in the casks, we transfer them to the waste mechanics. After that, I'm not involved in the details.

No. Absolutely not. Its a economic disaster, not a human disaster. It'll cost a lot of yen to make it right, but its no threat to anybody no in the immediate area (much like any other industrial accident).