When you think about it, every sunset is technically nuclear powered so the title would fit almost any sunset. Granted this is a fission reaction and the sun fusion reaction. Without nuclear power, the Earth wouldn't be the paradise we currently enjoy.
We were returning from a shoot in the Sierra when I first glimpsed the towers. We were miles away but they were still massive in the sky and towered above the rolling hills of ranchland and vineyards. Few manmade objects really get my attention but there is something a little more than unnerving about the ominous towering structures that clearly define a nuclear reactor. Especially when one of the first things you notice is the massive World War II era air raid sirens you encounter long before even seeing the famous Rancho Seco reactor site. As we approached the road took a turn directly toward the site and I realized we would pass right next to the cooling towers. The towers loomed ever larger with each mile till the road once again turned right along the base of the towers. When you look at the safety rail across the walkway atop the towers it reveals the true height.
In March of 1978 the plant experienced a very serious power outage that disabled much of its instrumentation resulting in the steam generator running dry. This would be the third most serious safety related event in the United States just behind Three Mile Island. Though there was no release of radiation from the plant, the event sparked protests and the place was eventually shut down by SMUD following a vote to shut down the facility. To cope with the loss in power for the city of Sacramento, SMUD planted over half a million trees that now blanket Sacramento in shade. SMUD also has built a modern solar plant on the Rancho Seco site. The surrounding area became a recreational park, vineyards and ranchland. Though the facility still retains its low energy fuel rods under tight security, the plant is much more open to the public than similar site. The massive cleanup cost of nearly half a billion dollars hopefully will make us think before we decide on how we wish to generate the energy we consume and hopefully consume it more wisely.
Personally I have always been fascinated by nuclear power. It may someday be made fully safe and cost effective but when you consider the massive cost of cleaning up such a site, you realize there is little room for nuclear power with our current technical levels. We can even agree on what to do with the spent fuel rods. For now it acts as a landmark to remind us that we need to use our energy with care and knowledge about the long term effects and costs involved.
But the old plant, the only one decommissioned in the US, sure makes for a beautiful photo op with a glowing Sierra Nevada sunset as the backdrop.
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© Darvin Atkeson
LiquidMoonlight Studios
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