NUCLEAR ENERGY Technology from Hell Neeraj Jain “Man’s dearest possession is life. It is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world— the fight for liberation of Mankind.” Nikolai Ostrovosky Nuclear Energy: Technology from Hell Neeraj Jain © Neeraj Jain This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. You are free to to copy, distribute, display, and perform and make derivative works under the terms of the said license. First Published, 2012 ISBN 978-93-5002-180-4 (Hb) Published by AAKAR BOOKS 28 E Pocket IV, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Delhi 110 091 Phone : 011 2279 5505 Telefax : 011 2279 5641 [email protected]; www.aakarbooks.com in association with LOKAYAT 129 B/2, Erandwane, Pune 411 004 [email protected]; www.lokayat.org.in Printed at Mudrak, 30 A, Patparganj, Delhi 110 091 Dedicated to the fighting people of Madban, Nate, Mithgavane and other villages of the Jaitapur region. “Man’s dearest possession is life. It is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world— the fight for liberation of Mankind.” Nikolai Ostrovosky Nuclear Energy: Technology from Hell Neeraj Jain © Neeraj Jain This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/. You are free to to copy, distribute, display, and perform and make derivative works under the terms of the said license. First Published, 2012 ISBN 978-93-5002-181-1 (Pb) Published by AAKAR BOOKS 28 E Pocket IV, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Delhi 110 091 Phone : 011 2279 5505 Telefax : 011 2279 5641 [email protected]; www.aakarbooks.com in association with LOKAYAT 129 B/2, Erandwane, Pune 411 004 [email protected]; www.lokayat.org.in Printed at Mudrak, 30 A, Patparganj, Delhi 110 091 Contents Acknowledgements vii Aknowledgements for Photographs ix Foreword by Dr Surendra Gadekar xi Abbreviations Used in Text xii About Us, Lokayat xiii Introduction 1 1. Nuclear Energy: From Slowdown to ‘Renaissance’ 15 2. What is Nuclear Energy? 22 3. Is Nuclear Energy Safe? 39 4. Is Nuclear Energy Cheap? 94 5. Is Nuclear Energy Green? 113 6. Global Nuclear Energy Scenario: Reviewing the Renaissance 120 7. India’s Nuclear Energy Program 152 8. India: The True Economic Costs of Nuclear Electricity 171 9. India’s Nuclear Installations: Safety and Other Issues 182 10. The Sustainable Alternative to Nuclear Energy 238 11. Unite, to Fight this Madness! 275 Epilogue: The Fukushima Catastrophe in Japan 291 Notes 334 Index 395 Acknowledgements I have much gratitude for the invaluable help, knowledge and advice provided by Dr Surendra Gadekar. I am no expert on nuclear energy and, whenever I had difficulties in understanding any issue, he patiently answered all my queries. He also took out time to read the manuscript, pointed out numerous mistakes and gave invaluable advice, without which this book would never have taken the shape it has finally taken. I am also very grateful to Dr Sulabha Brahme, who initiated me into writing this book, went through the draft and gave many important suggestions, and to Soumya Dutta and Shanker Sharma, who also went through some parts of the draft and provided invaluable comments and criticisms. Then of course, I would like to thank Karen Haydock for making all those wonderful sketches which have been included in the book, and Sumesh Chandran who allowed me to use his cartoon which has been included in the Epilogue of the book. I would also like to thank Milind Joshi who provided help in the layout and design. Finally, my deepest gratitude to all my colleagues in Lokayat, who provided invaluable support during the long period it took me to write this book. Aknowledgements for Photographs We thankfully acknowledge the following links for the photographs included in the book: P1 – Child Victims of Chernobyl O Sasha: http://picasaweb.google.com/BlacksmithInstitute/WorldSWorstPolluted Places2007#5109019001241573154 O Annya: http://www.chernobyl-international.com/Libraries/blog/ Annya_2005_ Knoth_1.sflb.ashx O Natasha and Vadim: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeacebrasil/ 5536720339/lightbox/ O Alexandra: http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenpeacebrasil/5536720365/in/ photostream/ O Nastya: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/nuclear/ P2 – Child Victims of Jaduguda Uranium Mines O http://network.earthday.net/profiles/blogs/how-much-safe-is-nuclear-power O http://network.earthday.net/profiles/blog/list?tag=uranium O http://www.siliconeer.com/past_issues/2007/siliconeer_march_2007.html O http://nitishpriyadarshi.blogspot.com/2008/10/growing-sunflower-in- jadugoda-of.html O http://www.dianuke.org/urgent-an-appeal-for-solidarity-with-anti-uranium- mine-movement-in-jadugoda/ Remaining photographs are courtesy Dr Surendra Gadekar P3 – Rawatbhata Nuclear Plant, Health Costs: O All photographs, courtesy Dr Surendra Gadekar P4 – The Growing Worldwide Anti-nuclear Movement: O French protest: http://www.beyondnuclear.org/home/2009/10/3/french-anti- nuclear-rally-goes-on-despite-city-under-siege.html O Japan protest: http://shineyourlight-shineyourlight.blogspot.com/2011/04/ 7-japans-nuke-crisis-on-same-level-of.html x Nuclear Energy: Technology from Hell P5 – The Growing Worldwide Anti-nuclear Movement O Hongkong protest: http://world.pressenza.org/npermalink/anti-nuclear- demonstrations-in-hong-kong-june-11-2011 O Germany protest: http://www.indymedia.org.au/2011/03/28/biggest-ever- anti-nuclear-protests-in-germany P6 – The Growing Worldwide Anti-nuclear Movement O Taiwan protest: http://mirrorsignalmove.blogspot.com/2011/05/anti-nuke- protest-in-kaohsiung.html O South Korea protest: http://makanaka.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/radiation- truth-there-is-no-threshold-below-which-risk-is-zero/ P7 – Anti-nuclear Protests, India O Kudankulam protest: http://www.dianuke.org/thirteen-reasons-against-the- koodankulam-nuclear-power-project/ O March to Parliament: http://toxicswatch.blogspot.com/2011/03/anti-nuclear- march-to-parliament.html P8 – Anti-nuclear Protests, India O Tarapur Jaitapur Yatra: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/ article1761935.ece O Jaitapur protest: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/one- killed-seven-injured-anti-jaitapur-protests-turn-violent-319 Foreword The most unfortunate thing about this book is that, even after sixty years of the nuclear age, there is such a need for it. In a fairer and a more just world, nuclear power would have died a natural death long before this. The fact that it has no relevance to peoples' real energy needs—besides being too expensive, extremely dirty and prone to catastrophic accidents—would have led to its rejection in any sane society. Its continued existence, even after Fukushima, is a demonstration of the power of moneyed vested interest to steer large parts of the world towards suicide. The next most unfortunate thing about this book is the language it is written in. The people who need this book the most, read and understand languages such as Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Bangla, etc. Neeraj Jain has assured me that this book is being translated into Marathi. I hope it also gets translated into other Indian languages and can become a source-book for activists involved in the struggle against the nuclear monster. The Indian government, its atomic energy establishment and many amongst the ruling elites in the country have turned a blind eye towards the warning posed by the Fukushima disaster in Japan and the many other near misses that have already occurred in India. Chernobyl is, of course, too distant a memory for these worthies to recollect. It is the ordinary people of this country, the aam adami, who have not forgotten these disasters or overlooked their relevance to their existence and opposed the setting up of any more of these death-dealing machines. Hopefully, this book shall help in these efforts. July 20, 2011 Dr Surendra Gadekar Sampoorna Kranti Vidyalaya Vedchhi, Dist. Surat Gujarat 394 641 Abbreviations Used in Text AEC Atomic Energy Commission (India) AERB Atomic Energy Regulatory Board BARC Bhabha Atomic Research Centre BWR Boiling Water Reactor DAE Department of Atomic Energy (India) DOE Department of Energy (USA) DU Depleted Uranium ECCS Emergency Core Cooling System EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EPA Environmental Protection Agency (USA) EPR European Pressurised Reactor FBR Fast Breeder Reactor FDA Food and Drug Administration (USA) GE General Electric HWR Heavy Water Reactor IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency IEA International Energy Agency IEP Integrated Energy Policy (India) KAPS Kakrapar Atomic Power Station KARP Kalpakkam Atomic Reprocessing Plant LWR Light Water Reactor MAPS Madras Atomic Power Station (Kalpakkam) MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India) MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests MOX Mixed Oxide Fuel NPCIL Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USA) PHWR Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor RAPS Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, Rawatbhata TAPS Tarapur Atomic Power Station TEPCO Tokyo Electric Power Company UCIL Uranium Corporation of India Limited WHO World Health Organisation About Us : Lokayat Santhal revolt Who has become free? From whose forehead has slavery's stain been removed? My heart still pains of oppression ..