ABC is reporting that there were 56 safety violations at the 104 US Nuclear plants over the last 4 years. They should strive to do better. There should be zero safety violations. However, I will put it into context.
MSHA cited the Upper Big Branch mine for more than 1,300 safety violations from 2005 through April 2010. They had the accident that killed 25 people last year.
In 2009, MSHA inspectors issued 82,126 citations and orders at underground coal mines
Compiled fatal work injury statistics Above is the fatalities for mining with a lot from oil and gas extraction. The US only produces about 6-7% of the world’s oil and safety in some other countries is a lot worse than it is in the USA.
OSHA statistics show BP ran up 760 “egregious, willful” safety violations, while Sunoco and Conoco-Phillips each had eight, Citgo had two and Exxon had one comparable citation.
After a 2005 BP refinery explosion in Texas City, Texas that killed 15 people and injured 180, a Justice Department investigation found that the explosion was caused by “improperly released vapor and liquid.
This all leads back to annual deaths per TWh by energy source.
And lifetime death per TWh by energy source.
Nuclear energy is about 1000-4000 times safer than coal and oil. Coal and oil and natural gas provide 85% of the total world energy (electricity, transportation and heating).
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Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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