Phillip Stoddard Illustrates the Dangers of Biden’s Energy Strategy at Turkey Point
Turkey Point is a massive nuclear power plant located between Biscayne National Park and the Florida Everglades, in a sensitive ecosystem that is home to sea turtles and manatees. For fifty years, the facility has provided a low-carbon energy source for southeast Florida, lighting up nearly one million homes in the Miami area. Nonetheless, the plant inspires fear in Phillip Stoddard, a longtime college biology professor at FIU and former mayor of South Miami.
After 50 years of operation, experts warn that Turkey Point’s high radiation levels could eventually weaken and crack the steel protecting the nuclear core of the reactors. The former five term Mayor Stoddard isn’t taking any chances despite the regulatory agency’s assurances that Turkey Point’s reactors are safe thanks to mathematical modeling. Stoddard said he keeps enough potassium iodine on hand to protect every child and pregnant woman in his city from developing thyroid cancer as a result of radiation exposure.
As the nation’s fleet of nuclear plants ages, environmentalists and some nuclear experts are concerned about a number of serious issues, including the potential for the steel to fail.
The amount of nuclear waste kept at the facilities raises additional issues, as does the threat of extreme weather brought on by climate change, which Hurricane Ian vividly illustrated when it plowed into Florida’s southwest coast with colossal storm surges, deadly flooding, and catastrophic rains.
The Biden administration views Hurricane Ian and similar weather occurrences as more justification to invest billions in nuclear energy as part of a larger effort to reduce carbon emissions. In order to reach his goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035, President Joe Biden is relying on American nuclear power plants, the country’s top source of clean energy. But given that the nation’s nuclear facilities are getting older and that extreme weather is getting worse, the situation at Turkey Point highlights the potential risks with that approach.