Nuclear Power has been around since the 1930’s (Weart, 2016). It was not until 1954 when the first nuclear power plant was built (Nuclear power plants, world-wide, 2014). These power plants have the potential to generate loads of electric power, but they also have their disadvantages. Some drawbacks to these plants are life threatening and could leave many people wounded or even killed. Nuclear power plants are not all bad, their good side helps the economy and the workforce. There are over 438 nuclear power plants operational internationally ( Power Reactor Information Systems Database, 2015). But in the United States, Illinois has the most power plants out of any other state. Some may say nuclear power is more of a foe than a friend. I believe …show more content…
In 1789 a German chemist named Martin Klaproth discovered the element uranium inside the mineral pitchblende (Outline History of Nuclear Energy, 2006). Martin named his new element after the seventh planet in the solar system, Uranus (Outline History of Nuclear Energy, 2006). Another scientists named Wilhelm Röntgen opened the door to uranium’s full power. While he was in his laboratory he accidently discovered x-rays (California, 2006). X-rays use radiation and uranium produces loads of it. (California, 2006) It wasn’t until 1938 that Otto Han and Fritz Strassman discovered fission. From then this new concept called nuclear fission this only progressed, and leading to the manipulation of uranium’s strong source of radiation (California, 2006). In 1960, Illinois put that to test building the first nuclear power plant in the state without government funding (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2014). Later that year a dramatic growth in the size of electrical production of nuclear power increased alarming the emergency preparedness (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2014). The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards recommended that the AEC took a new look