what's NSF???? (Johnson City, Kingsport, Oak Ridge: crimes, living, malls)

[johnnybc]

Been checking out the area a lot for relocating, and had sort of settled on "south of JC", 'cause I've read the north side has lots of malls and growth, and I want a rural area, but now I read on the south is "NSF, recycling spent Nuclear fuel", what what what?? How big is that place, where is it, How safe is it? anybody know? sorry, I'm a no nukes northerner!

[mbmouse]

I believe what you are referring to is NFS which stands for Nuclear Fuel Systems. It is in Erwin, witch is south of south JC. It is where all the nuclear fuel cells for the aircraft carriers and such are made. They send all the waste to France who uses it for their electricity.
NFS - Overview Information (http://www.nuclearfuelservices.com/globe_more.htm - broken link)

[rccrain]

First, I'd encourage you to objectively review your position on nuclear.

Second, I'd rather live in a nuclear plant than near a coal-fired plant. We have aircraft carriers that operate safely with two nuclear reactors on them. Recently a coal ash pill wiped out an entire community.

Third, NFS is in Erwin 10 to 15 miles south of Johnson City. I can't imagine any threat the facility could have beyond a 1 mile radius.

[NorthernLights]

It certainly seems wise to check out any possible environmental/industrial issues in any area you may wish to relocate to. Issues that upset you may be different from issues that alarm another person. NFS is not a large facility, about two city blocks I would 'guess', it seems to have a fairly good safety record. There was a 'close call' and some regulatory violation issues I've discovered that concerned me but you also have to look at actual spills or releases, to determine if it is truly an industry that concerns you. I have to agree with rc here that I find more toxic release concerns from other non-nuclear industries in many other parts of the country that I personally would be much more concerned about living down wind/stream from. [I wish there were more nuclear recycling facilties in this country myself, it would reduce the amount of waste to be buried somewhere] There are toxic pollution potentials in most any area of the country that you may wish to move to. I guess you have to pick your poisons. Erwin is about 15/20 minutes south of JC. If it concerns you then you can live on the north side of JC, closer to Eastman Chemical. You can go to EPA websites that list polluters for the entire country and see what their records of safety and the types of releases that each industry has on record. Then look at the area you wish to move to and determine if it is downstream/downwind from those issues. It may help you make your mind up. It may surprise you too when you do that to find the biggest polluter in an area you wish to move to is actually an old dry cleaners, or a chrome plating business that has been out of business for 50 years, or MTBE leaking from old fuel tanks from a business that closed 25 years ago. Still, wise to check things out, especially if, say, you're going to have well water. You could move somewhere and worry needlessly about the nuclear facility 50 miles away and be drinking toxins from an invisible polluter right up the hill around the corner from where you live.
JohnnyBC, you're a "No Nukes Northerner" you say? In what part of New England do you live now? I believe you already live near a larger concentration of nuke Plants in the northeast than we do in TN do you not?

• Beaver Valley, Pennsylvania
• Calvert Cliffs, Maryland
• Connecticut Yankee, Connecticut (Decommissioned)
• FitzPatrick, New York
• Ginna, New York
• Hope Creek, New Jersey
• Indian Point, New York
• Limerick, Pennsylvania
• Maine Yankee, Maine (Decommissioned)
• Millstone, Connecticut
• Nine Mile Point, New York
• Oyster Creek, New Jersey
• Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania
• Pilgrim, Massachusetts
• Salem, New Jersey
• Saxton, Pennsylvania (Decommissioned)
• Seabrook, New Hampshire
• Shippingport, Pennsylvania (Decommissioned)
• Shoreham, New York (Decommissioned)
• Susquehanna, Pennsylvania
• Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania
• Vermont Yankee, Vermont
• Yankee Rowe, Massachusetts (Decommissioned)

We have Seqouyah and Watts Bar and the stuff in Oak Ridge.

I'm from the north myself Johnny, feel free to D/M me if you wish to talk about your concerns in housing or environmental issues for your relocation. I'll try and find answers for you. We can talk 'jazz' too maybe [I've got some Coltrane on right now as a matter of fact.]

[johnnybc]

thanks, for all that good info, yes I live in the Pioneer valley of Mass, about 45 minutes south of a very unsafe nuke plant at Vernon Vermont, which is right next to ultra-liberal Brattleboro that voted to arrest Bush for war crimes if he ever showed up there, but can't vote to close that nuke facility. That was all great info, didn't know they could "re-cycle" spent nuke fuel. I was also very concerned about coal and was trying to do research on any mines or problems right near the try cities but they seemed to be further off.??
Hopeing to bring some jazz to the east tn area!!

[NorthernLights]

Vermont Yankee, it was built in 1972. It seems to illustrate my argument regarding the danger of older nuclear power plants continually being recertified instead of building newer nuclear power plants with the latest technology, it was allowed to operate past it's prime rather than build newer, safer power plants. We reap what we sow.
Other countries build new power plants, they recycle their nuclear waste. We should do the same.

[rccrain]

Originally Posted by johnnybc

I was also very concerned about coal and was trying to do research on any mines or problems right near the try cities but they seemed to be further off.??

TVA has one in Rogersville, 30 minutes south of Kingsport. That is the closest coal-fired plant I could find in Tennessee. Most of the other coal mines and plants are to the North in Virginia.