CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon State University engineer is in the forefront of the search for a new and safer nuclear reactor design.
Jose Reyes Jr. heads OSU’s nuclear engineering program, which is testing a design for a Westinghouse reactor that could be the first one commissioned in the U.S. since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident. He’s also chief technology officer for an OSU spinoff company called NuScale Power that hopes to win government approval for a small reactor he says is far safer than current designs.
The Oregonian reports that NuScale hopes to file for federal design certification by 2012 and build a plant by 2018. Some skeptics, however, say there are still many problems with nuclear energy, including cost, safety and what to do with nuclear waste.
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Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com
