Re:Big Coal Plants Begin to Close
by DebtDeflation on Friday August 16, 2019 @02:22PM
(#20718005)
Don't forget the heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury), radiation (coal ash is literally more radioactive than some nuclear waste) and particulate matter releases that come from burning coal. Natural gas isn't optimal but it is FAR better than coal.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
> coal ash is literally more radioactive than some nuclear waste
Please do not repeat this nonsense. It either compares non-power-plant waste (lab gloves used in isotope labelling, for instance), or is so wrong as to be ludicrous.
Used nuclear fuel is billions of times more radioactive than coal ash.
Re:Big Coal Plants Begin to Close
by ecpottinger on Friday August 16, 2019 @03:17PM
(#20718663)
Yes, but that nuclear waste is in storage pools. The waste from the coal plants is in the air we breath and the ash-spills effect the water we drink.
Or better yet, walk around an operating nuke plant with a radiation detector and then do the same walk around an operating coal plant. I am willing to bet the coal plant will spike higher.
If that's what you mean, then say "coal ash ponds emit more radiation than can be measured outside spent fuel cooling pools".
"Coal ash is more radioactive than nuclear (power) waste" is a completely difference factual statement and is untrue by many orders of magnitude.
Including poisoning our fish. Coal is where the mercury in fish comes from.
Re:Big Coal Plants Begin to Close
by fred_is_fred on Friday August 16, 2019 @04:37PM
(#20719464)
Also all the dead coal miners and dead people from coal ash spills.