PBS高端访谈:乔治亚州核反应堆安全问题

 　　JEFFREY BROWN: Now, a big move forward for nuclear power in the U.S.

　　This construction site in eastern Georgia will house the nation's first new commercial nuclear reactors² in decades. They're to be built at the Plant Vogtle facility, where two existing reactors have operated since the late 1980s. The plant is situated³ near Waynesboro, Georgia, 34 miles southeast of Augusta, 170 miles east of Atlanta.

　　U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited the site today to see the work in progress. Basic construction had begun more than a year ago, anticipating that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would license⁴ the new reactors, which it did last week in a vote of 4-1.

　　The reactors are the first to be approved since 1978, the year before the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania.

　　President Obama has several times called for expanding the role of nuclear energy as part of an overall national strategy.

　　PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: By 2035, 80 percent of America's electricity will come from clean-energy sources.

　　(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)BARACK OBAMA: Some folks want wind and solar. Others want nuclear, clean coal and natural gas. To meet this goal, we will need them all.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Today, there are 104 commercial reactors in operation at 65 nuclear power plants nationwide. All told, nuclear power provides 20 percent of the country's total electricity and 8 percent of energy consumption from all sources.

　　But the earthquake and tsunami⁵ in Japan last year underscored the potential dangers, when reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant suffered partial meltdowns. The damage released dangerous levels of radiation and led to mass evacuations that emptied the countryside for miles around.

　　The disaster also sparked new questions about the safety of this country's aging nuclear facilities. One of those is Indian Point, in Buchanan, N.Y., whose license to operate two reactors is soon to expire.

　　NewsHour science correspondent Miles O'Brien reported on the debate there on the PBS program "Frontline" last month.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: A Fukushima-scale accident here, less than 50 miles from the lower tip of Manhattan, would likely mark the end of the U.S. nuclear industry. Seventeen million people live within 50 miles of this plant. And that's one reason plant operator Entergy's application for a 20-year renewal⁶ is proving so controversial.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: For now, though, the work at Plant Vogtle in Georgia is going ahead full-steam. The first of the new reactors there is expected to be up and running by 2016.

　　At the same time, the new reactors continue to face opposition⁷ and lawsuits⁸ over safety concerns, as well as federal loan guarantees that are helping⁹ to fund the project.

　　We join that debate now with Stephen Smith. He's executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, one of several groups filing a suit, and Tony Pietrangelo, chief nuclear officer for the Nuclear Energy Institute, a trade group that represents the industry.

　　Stephen Smith, I will start with you. And let's start with the safety issue. You argue that this is not the time to press forward with new nuclear power facilities. Why not?

　　STEPHEN SMITH, executive director, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy: Well, let's remember, less than a year ago in Japan, we witnessed the catastrophic failure of the nuclear power industry.

　　We saw multiple nuclear reactors out of control for an extended period of time, literally¹⁰ blowing up before our eyes and spreading uncontrolled radiation into the countryside. The rubble¹¹ there hasn't even cooled yet, and now the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has granted a license for a reactor¹ type that's never operated in the United States.

　　We think we need to take a conservative, responsible safety approach and go slow here and make sure that we incorporate the lessons learned from the Fukushima disaster in Japan into any new reactor designs before they go forward.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Now, Tony Pietrangelo, that sentiment exactly—we mentioned that the NRC approved this 4-1. The one dissent¹² was from the chairman, Gregory Jaczko.

　　And he said, "I cannot support issuing this license as if Fukushima had never happened."He clearly thinks that we have not learned the lessons. What's the argument in favor of this?

　　TONY PIETRANGELO, Nuclear Energy Institute: Well, the reason the commission granted the license was that, as a licensee now for Vogtle three and four, Southern Company and Georgia Power will be obligated to implement¹³ any of the Fukushima requirements. So a licensing¹⁴ condition was superfluous¹⁵ to that.

　　They will be obligated to implement all the applicable Fukushima requirements that the commission is systematically¹⁶ processing right now.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Have we learned—what lessons have been learned from Fukushima that make you sanguine¹⁷ about going forward?

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: The principal lessons learned from Fukushima was, one, that an extended loss of A.C. power, electricity, can lead to core damage.

　　One of the enhanced features of the plant being built by Southern Company at the Vogtle site is that it doesn't need electricity to shut down safely in the event of a loss of off-site power, a loss of A.C. power at the site. There are passive features that are relied on to safely shut down the plant for well over 72 hours, when you can get help to the site for key safety functions.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Well, Stephen Smith, these are new designs, right, for the reactors at the Vogtle plant, a Westinghouse AP1000, that it is said, at least, supposedly incorporates some of what were the lessons from Fukushima. What do you think?

　　STEPHEN SMITH: Well, yes, they're new. As a matter of fact, they're very new. They have never operated in this country before, so we're still learning about how they're going to operate.

　　And one of the key things—I would disagree with my friend from the industry, that the reason the chairman dissented¹⁸ was because the industry and the NRC did not force as a part of the actual granting of the license that all the lessons learned would be incorporated.

　　It is unclear exactly when and how those lessons learned will be incorporated. And so we think that those lessons must be incorporated as a condition of granting the license, not some hopeful future date that they will be incorporated. And that's one of the reasons why we're challenging the issuance of the license.

　　But, yes, these are newer reactors. But, unfortunately I don't have as good a crystal ball as I think some people in the industry think they have to be able to predict exactly what's going to happen. What we do know is that if had talked to Japanese nuclear people or any of the folks in the industry before Fukushima, they would have assured you that what happened at Fukushima could not have happened.

　　And it did, catastrophically. And so we need to be sure that we understand why that happened and that we are going the extra distance necessary to assure that this doesn't happen.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Well, Mr . . .

　　STEPHEN SMITH: I would think that the industry would actually want to be joining with us to make sure that those safety features are hard-wired in to the license before it's granted to give that extra level of assurance before we go forward. And that's what we're looking for in our legal challenge.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All right, well, he just—he asked the question there. He think you'd like to join him in these efforts.

　　Do you see this as a model for a kind of—there's been talk about a renaissance¹⁹ of nuclear power in the U.S.

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: The AP—first of all, to answer the gentleman's question, the AP1000 is probably the most exhaustively reviewed design, the most transparent²⁰ design that's ever been licensed²¹ in the United States.

　　Many of the new requirements that the commission is currently contemplating²² have already been achieved at the new design in terms of using the latest data on external threats, whether it be flooding, hurricanes, seismic²³ events, etc.

　　I talked about the advantages it has with respect of loss of A.C. power and how it would cool itself down. So there's really no reason to stop the construction. In fact, four other commissioners²⁴ and the NRC staff and their general counsel all recommended proceeding²⁵ with the license. And the chairman was the only dissenter²⁶ in that vote.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: And my further question about this design, does this look as though it's the beginning of something, a new era, something much bigger than just this Vogtle plant in Georgia?

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: Yes, it's a significant milestone²⁷.

　　One reason is that it demonstrated that the new process, the combined licenses²⁸, a construction permit and an operating license, in the making for 20 years in the process phase has now been demonstrated by a licensee that they could get through that process efficiently²⁹ and effectively.

　　The same thing will happen in South Carolina in the next couple of weeks, when they get granted their combined license. What's more important, we think, is that we standardize³⁰ as a country around design families. The AP1000 is one. We have demonstrated, I think, very effectively that we can operate these plants very safely and reliably.

　　As an industry, we have had a capacity factor on average over 90 percent, around 90 percent for the last decade. What we really need do now is demonstrate that we can license and construct these plants equally reliably. And that's the next milestone, really, is to stay on budget and on schedule for this project.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: Well, speaking of on budget, I do want to talk in our couple minutes left here about the cost issue.

　　I will start with you, Stephen Smith, because there's a history, of course, of huge cost overruns. I mentioned in the setup that the government supports this project. I think it's to the tune³¹ of $8 billion in conditional³² loan guarantees. Is that part of your—explain the concerns that you have over the government involvement in that.

　　STEPHEN SMITH: Well, if this was a mature industry, as they claim it is, then they really shouldn't be going to the government for handouts³³ and support.

　　And we think that, because of the inherent economic risk, these price tags on these reactors have absolutely skyrocketed from what they were originally proposed to do. Georgia Power in Georgia is actually having to take money from rate payers now before the reactor is even built because no one wants to invest in these things. They have to get the loan guarantees.

　　And it's just extremely costly³⁴ and economically risky³⁵. Much of the much-touted nuclear renaissance has largely evaporated because demand is down, natural gas prices are low, energy efficiency is showing much stronger potential, renewable prices are dropping. And so we're seeing that we don't really need to go in the direction of these high-risk energy choices.

　　And the federal government really doesn't need to be subsidizing it if the market doesn't want to support these.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All right.

　　Well, let me ask Mr. Pietrangelo, could this happen without the government stepping in and helping with these loan guarantees?

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: It could. In fact, if Southern doesn't close on the loan guarantee, the project will still go forward.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: So why is the U.S . . .

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: The South Carolina is proceeding without a loan guarantee. They are in regulated territory, which is—combined with the loan guarantee, the construction work and process that Mr. Smith referred to, and the production tax credits that are part of the Energy Policy Act, it'll reduce the cost of the project to consumers by a billion dollars.

　　It's good public policy for the rate payers to save a billion dollars through these incentives³⁶. So it's a great demonstration³⁷ of the partnership³⁸ between private industry and government.

　　JEFFREY BROWN: But does it not also put the taxpayers³⁹ at some risk to be left holding the bag . . .

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: There is some risk, and Georgia Power or Southern Company pays a premium⁴⁰ for that loan guarantee. And the government will actually make money on this project.

　　Southern has a lot of skin in the game, as well as their partners. This is a $14 billion project. They are about $4 billion into that project. So there's a lot of skin in the game from the utilities building these plants and their partners. So I think, combined with the oversight⁴¹ of construction that's in place, the learnings that we will great from the Chinese when they build the first AP1000s, these projects will proceed smoothly⁴².

　　JEFFREY BROWN: All right.

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: The other thing I will mention . . .

　　JEFFREY BROWN: I'm sorry. We are out of time. But we will come back, because we will watch this over the years.

　　Tony Pietrangelo, Stephen Smith, thank you both very much.

　　TONY PIETRANGELO: Thank you, Jeff.

　　STEPHEN SMITH: Thank you.

1 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

2 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

3 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

4 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

5 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

6 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

11 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

12 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

13 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

14 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

15 superfluous   

adj.过多的，过剩的，多余的

参考例句：

• She fined away superfluous matter in the design. 她删去了这图案中多余的东西。
• That request seemed superfluous when I wrote it.我这样写的时候觉得这个请求似乎是多此一举。

16 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

17 sanguine   

adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的

参考例句：

• He has a sanguine attitude to life.他对于人生有乐观的看法。
• He is not very sanguine about our chances of success.他对我们成功的机会不太乐观。

18 dissented   

不同意，持异议( dissent的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• We dissented from the decision. 对那项决定我们表示了不同意见。
• He dissented and questioned the justice of the award. 他提出质问，说裁判不公允。

19 renaissance   

n.复活，复兴，文艺复兴

参考例句：

• The Renaissance was an epoch of unparalleled cultural achievement.文艺复兴是一个文化上取得空前成就的时代。
• The theme of the conference is renaissance Europe.大会的主题是文艺复兴时期的欧洲。

20 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

21 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

22 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

23 seismic   

a.地震的，地震强度的

参考例句：

• Earthquakes produce two types of seismic waves.地震产生两种地震波。
• The latest seismic activity was also felt in northern Kenya.肯尼亚北部也感觉到了最近的地震活动。

24 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

25 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

26 dissenter   

n.反对者

参考例句：

• The role of the dissenter is not for the weak-kneed.反对者的角色不是软弱之人所能够担当的。
• The Party does not tolerate dissenters in its ranks.该政党不允许其成员中存在异见分子。

27 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

28 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

29 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

30 standardize   

v.使符合标准，使标准化

参考例句：

• We will extend and standardize legal services and provide effective legal aid.拓展和规范法律服务，积极开展法律援助。
• There is a drive both to standardise components and to reduce the number of models on offer.正在为实现零部件标准化和减少推出的型号数量而努力。

31 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

32 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

33 handouts   

救济品( handout的名词复数 )； 施舍物； 印刷品； 讲义

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后，他仍然很骄傲，不愿接受施舍。

34 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

35 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

36 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

37 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

38 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

39 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

40 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

41 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

42 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。