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The ND Monitor reported on the Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee interim meeting that took place Tuesday, and discussion surrounded the necessary water source for a potential nuclear reactor in the state.
Though the economic feasibility of a nuclear reactor is years out of reach, legislators and regulators are looking into the Missouri River as a source of water, as a nuclear reactor would require as much water as a coal power plant. Reice Haase, director of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, said that the river is a better option than groundwater in this use case. Missouri disagrees with North Dakota’s use of the river. Though nuclear power plants do not release pollutants into the air, the Monitor’s report did not say whether the committee addressed potential pollution impacts a reactor would have on the river.
Sheri Haugen-Hoffart of the Public Service Commission said that the commission’s role is purely regulatory, and law designates they are unable to make decisions about prohibiting the facility or deciding if it is economically necessary. The Monitor reports she did not argue for or against nuclear power. However, she did express concerns about the storage of nuclear waste, as there is no current long-term storage option within the United States.
A 12-year-old Pembina resident, Jayson Needham, testified for committee members, saying that his interest in nuclear power was sparked by disasters at Chernobyl, Fukishima, and Three-Mile Island. He explained how nuclear power is generated and the conditions that led to these disasters, showing the younger generation’s awareness of what makes nuclear power dangerous if not approached carefully.
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