Experts Warn Against Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant Restart

Our Driftless region deserves more than postcards — it deserves a watchdog. Be that support. DES MOINES, Iowa — National energy, health and legal experts warned Monday morning that restarting the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, located in Palo, Iowa, would bring unacceptable risks to Iowans, urging instead for investment in renewable energy sources that they said are safer, cheaper and already powering most of the state. The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter hosted a virtual press conference titled "Iowa's Energy Future – Nuclear Risks vs. Renewable Solutions," convening a panel of four speakers to address NextEra Energy's proposal to restart the plant, which has been in decommissioning since 2020. "This is about more than just one facility," said Briana Kouma, Conservation Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club, "It's about whether Iowa will continue to lead with clean renewable energy or whether we take a step backwards into costly, risky technology. Nuclear energy comes with major challenges, such as water usage, safety concerns, radioactive waste, and financial costs that fall on local communities; Meanwhile, Iowa has proven that wind and solar can power our state safely, affordably and sustainably." Renewables vs. Nuclear EconomicsMark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University and Director of the Atmosphere and Energy Program, presented data showing that Iowa already generates nearly 79% of its electricity from wind, solar, and hydropower. "It's just a myth to claim that renewables are driving up electricity prices," Jacobson said, "They're keeping electricity prices low. It's only when you don't have renewables that your electricity prices are going higher." Jacobson outlined seven major problems with nuclear power: long planning and construction timelines, high costs, higher carbon-equivalent emissions than renewables, weapons proliferation risk, meltdown potential, waste storage lasting up to 200,000 years, and health risks from uranium mining. "Worldwide, it takes 12 to 23 years between planning and operation of a new nuclear plant versus half a year to three years for new solar and wind," he said. "Why not just build renewables that are faster, cheaper and cleaner?" Click here to view slides from Jacobson's presentation. Health Effects Near Nuclear PlantsJoseph Mangano, executive director of the Radiation and Public Health Project, presented county-level health data showing increased cancer rates and decreased infant mortality after the plant's closure. "When a nuclear plant operates, it creates over 100 new isotopes not found in nature," Mangano said. "Some of these chemicals are routinely released into the air and water, getting into human bodies through the food chain." Before Duane Arnold began operating, cancer rates in nearby counties were 6.5% below the state average. But after decades of operation, those same counties showed cancer rates more than 12% higher. That translates to nearly 500 additional cancer cases among local residents under age 40," Mangano continued. Following the plant's shutdown in 2020, Mangano noted an 18% decline in infant deaths in Linn and Johnson counties, compared to just 2% nationally. He also cited reductions in premature and low-weight births. "There should be no final decision on the future of Duane Arnold unless these statistics and additional ones are thoroughly analyzed and thoroughly understood by officials and shared with the public," Mangano said. Click here to view slides from Mangano's presentation. Legal and Regulatory ConcernsWally Taylor, an environmental attorney and Conservation Chair of the Iowa Sierra Club, argued that federal law does not allow a decommissioned nuclear plant to restart. "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) decommissioning regulation is clear that the purpose is to close the plant and terminate the license. So the nuclear industry has been cobbling together a scheme to use existing NRC regulations, they claim will allow closed reactors to be restarted…NextEra has applied for an exemption from the NRC's decommissioning rule..." Taylor said, adding that exemptions are supposed to be used "very rarely in very rare circumstances", "Restarting Duane Arnold is a planned undertaking…This is a misuse and perversion of the NRC rules," he added." Taylor said the plant has not been maintained in "layup" condition, a state of preservation for systems and components during a planned shutdown or outage to prevent corrosion and degradation, and warned that components may have corroded. He also criticized NextEra's decision to transfer interconnection permits from three proposed solar projects to Duane Arnold. "Instead of developing purely renewable energy, NextEra is going back to the discredited reliance on nuclear power, and all the problems that entails," he said, "Nuclear power is not clean or renewable. Uranium mining leaves radioactive waste, reactors routinely leak tritium into groundwater, and the spent fuel remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years with no solution in sight." Design Flaws and Waste RisksDon Safer, Nuclear Power Committee Chair for the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, called restarting Duane Arnold "a mistake" because of its outdated design. "The Duane Arnold reactor is actually identical to the Fukushima reactors that melted down and exploded in March of 2011," Safer said, referring to the GE Mark 1 design. "These are really old designs at the very beginning, almost the infancy of the nuclear industry." Safer also highlighted risks posed by spent fuel stored onsite. "All the fuel ever created at Duane Arnold is still there," he said. "Those canisters were designed for short-term storage, and if oxygen gets to the fuel rods, you get spontaneous explosions or massive leaks of radiation." Jobs and Subsidies Questioned In response to questions about local support for the plant due to job creation, Taylor said, "Certainly there were jobs there, but we as a society need to help everybody adapt to change. There aren't many companies making typewriters anymore, either." Jacobson dismissed claims that nuclear power is needed to meet demand from data centers, calling it "a complete money grab for subsidies." Safer added that the nuclear industry's public relations campaigns and ties to the weapons sector have kept nuclear in the spotlight despite economic and environmental concerns. About The Sierra Club Iowa ChapterThe Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club is the largest environmental non-profit in Iowa that endorses candidates, lobbies at the Capitol, and empowers volunteers to engage with elected officials. The Iowa Chapter, formed in 1972, has members in every Iowa county. (https://www.sierraclub.org/iowa) To view a recording of the full meeting, click here. Join the community of savvy subscribers (for free)! Get the latest updates, tips, and insider information by subscribing to the free newsletter today.