I have been intending to talk about the failed Washington Public Power Supply System(WPPSS) reactor construction program but kept putting it off. Given that there is a new push for nuclear power in Washington State, perhaps this is the right time to talk about WPPSS.
The Wanapum Dam on the Columbia River in south central Washington State is owned by the Grant County Public Utility District. The reservoir created by the dam is called Lake Wanapum. The dam was licensed in 1955 for a fifty year span. Construction started in 1959 and the dam went operational in 1963, generating about a gigawatt of electricity. The cost of construction was about a ninety million dollars.
I have been writing this blog for almost two years now. I have learned many new things about radioactivity and nuclear issues. Since this will be my five hundredth post, I thought that I would reflect on some of the important things that I have learned.
