Introduction
Indian Point nuclear plant rises along the Hudson River north of New York City. Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster has raised new concerns about Indian Point, which sits near two earthquake faults and nearly 20 million people. (AFP/Getty Images/Don Emmert)
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The catastrophic accident in March at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has sparked new debate in the United States and elsewhere over the role of nuclear energy in electric-power generation. Spurred by concerns that the burning of coal and other carbon-based fuels is causing climate change, Democrats, including President Barack Obama, and some environmentalists have joined a long-established Republican consensus that nuclear power belongs in the nation's energy mix. But expansion of nuclear power faces big obstacles, including the high cost of building new plants and public qualms about health and safety. Largely because of cost issues and investors' fears of liability, expansion of nuclear power in the United States has virtually stopped since the 1970s. Meanwhile, critics charge that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is too lax about safety.
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Jun. 10, 2011 |
Nuclear Power |
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Jan. 28, 2011 |
Managing Nuclear Waste |
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Jan. 2007 |
Nuclear Proliferation |
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Mar. 10, 2006 |
Nuclear Energy |
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Jun. 08, 2001 |
Nuclear Waste |
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Jan. 22, 1993 |
Nuclear Fusion |
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Feb. 22, 1991 |
Will Nuclear Power Get Another Chance? |
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Dec. 05, 1986 |
Nuclear Reactor Safety |
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Jul. 29, 1983 |
Nuclear Power's Future |
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Dec. 04, 1981 |
America's Nuclear Waste Backlog |
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Sep. 12, 1980 |
Nuclear Fusion Development |
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Aug. 10, 1979 |
Determining Radiation Dangers |
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Dec. 03, 1976 |
Nuclear Waste Disposal |
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Aug. 22, 1975 |
Nuclear Safety |
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Aug. 04, 1971 |
Nuclear Power Options |
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Jun. 10, 1964 |
Atomic Power Development |
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Feb. 12, 1958 |
Radiation Hazards |
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Feb. 27, 1957 |
Atomic Power Race |
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Mar. 29, 1955 |
Atomic Energy for Industry |
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Apr. 24, 1946 |
Control of Atomic Energy |
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