Concerns from those skeptical of nuclear energy were renewed two years ago after a tsunami hit Japan and devastated the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Since 2011, in the post-Fukushima disaster world, the primary reaction in the United States has been a renewed outcry to close several nuclear plants, primarily those in regions subject to natural disasters, according to Paul Roland, treasurer of the UT Graduate Student Association.
The state of nuclear safety in the United States and the power plants in the Toledo region will be the topic of a lecture Tuesday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Field House Auditorium.
The free, public event is co-sponsored by the Graduate Student Association and the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
“We want to answer some of the questions regarding what has changed with nuclear reactors in the last two years,” Roland said. “Educating the public on nuclear safety issues enables everyone to provide input, which should ultimately lead to more informed and better decisions regarding how our region and nation utilize and oversee our nuclear technology.”
Dave Lockbaum, director of the Nuclear Safety Program for the Union of Concerned Scientists, will speak on nuclear energy safety.
In addition to Lockbaum’s 17 years of experience as a nuclear engineer, he has worked as an instructor for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and has testified before Congress numerous times.
Lockbaum also will discuss how a disaster similar to Fukushima would play out in the United States and the unique role Toledo has with the Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Oak Harbor, Ohio, and the Fermi II nuclear power plant in Monroe, Mich.
