In-Class Essay 3

As a stakeholder in the nuclear energy industry, I have a vested interest in helping solve the problem of nuclear waste management. This is the single most important issue that my industry faces today, and I believe that reprocessing spent fuel is the most logical solution. For example, Prairie Island may be forced to discontinue operation if the state does not approve the addition of a new storage cask because the U.S. Department of Energy is still years away from hauling what is already present to Yucca Mountain. What I bring to the table is not revolutionary, but I believe the connection between these two pressing issues (Yucca Mountain and reprocessing) has not been discussed thoroughly. Sometimes if you can convince the public that solving one problem will help solve another, they are generally more interested.

My passion is in nuclear power operations. The words, “The reactor is critical,” followed by the deafening sound of steam marching down the propulsion plant echo in my head as I write this today. The amazing power of nuclear energy has to be harnessed to its maximum extent to free this country of our self-induced dependence on the oil industry. Each time I bring a reactor critical I am single-handedly adding to a problem which currently does not have a solution. For me, there could be no more subjects more important to my future, and there is no better fit for a research proposal essay.

Yucca Mountain depository is a money sponge that has created many problems for the DOE, so much that most of the energy companies in the U.S. have sued their own government for breach of contract. With each passing deadline, the DOE must pay for their broken promises. The problem is that our energy companies have already paid for a product they have not received – Yucca Mountain. The alarming part of this issue is that under our current regulations the empty depository is already full. The heat from the unprocessed nuclear fuel is predicted to be great enough to fill Yucca Mountain to its capacity as soon as the transfer is complete. My proposed connection to these problems, reprocess so Yucca Mountain can serve us for many decades to come, solves two problems at once and may be the leverage Washington needs to reverse the 30 year old law banning this process. Most importantly, I am passionate about this idea, and I believe the product I produce will not only be an excellent paper, but will maybe even help my industry.