1.

History of nuclear in america and its decline in recent years

(other events around the same time?)
Nuclear power plant (NPP) reactors produce low-level ionizing radiation, high level
nuclear waste, and are subject to catastrophic contamination events.
Almost all the US nuclear generating capacity comes from reactors built between 1967 
and 1990.  
Some states have liberalized wholesale electricity markets, which makes the financing 
of capital-intensive power projects difficult, and coupled with lower gas prices since 
2009, have put the economic viability of some existing reactors and proposed projects 
in doubt. 
In the USA, Westinghouse designed the first fully commercial PWR of 250 MWe, Yankee
Rowe, which started up in 1960 and operated to 1992
Recently however construction has begun on another nuclear reactor. This is the first since
1997.
2. Who is against Nuclear and Why?
The World Nuclear Association claimed that it is difficult to detect the cancer in the
individuals who are exposed to less than 100 mSv [​24​]. The U.S. NRC has also claimed that
biological effects from exposure to low level radiation are small and may not be detectable
One of the biggest groups against nuclear energy is greenamerica.org. They are a group
that believes in finding alternative energy sources through solar wind and geothermal.
They claim that an increase in nuclear energy would increase the likelihood of a higher
production of nuclear weapons
The anti-nuclear movement in the United States consists of more than 80 anti-nuclear
groups that oppose nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and/or uranium mining.
The anti-nuclear movement has delayed construction or halted commitments to build some
new nuclear plants,[1] and has pressured the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to enforce
and strengthen the safety regulations for nuclear power plants
Additionally they are protesting the yucca mountain repository for nuclear waste making it
even more difficult to store the nuclear waste
3. Who is leading research on nuclear energy? (government funding)
As stated in the climate central article ,Nuclear power, a low-carbon but expensive
source of electricity, isn’t likely to grow much in the United States, even as President
Obama pushes to slash greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants.
But the U.S. Department of Energy is betting that $60 million in new research and
development could eventually breathe some new life into nuclear power in the U.S.,
helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Obama administration’s Clean
Power Plan.
The $60 million the Department of Energy is dedicating to nuclear research will go to
more than 40 different projects at universities across the U.S. focusing on nuclear energy
modeling, nuclear security and safety and new reactor concepts and fuels.
4. How can we store our nuclear waste in america
Across the United States, nuclear waste is accumulating in poorly maintained piles.
90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste requiring disposal are currently in temporary
storage. The United States, however, has yet to construct a long-term storage solution
for this waste, leaving the nuclear material vulnerable to extreme weather events such as
hurricanes, rising sea levels, and wildfire.
Nuclear waste storage facilities need to be designed to protect the waste from theft,
shield it from emitting radioactivity, prevent it from leaking into water or soil, insulate it
from release by natural disaster, and hide it from future generations that may not
understand its danger. The main risk of nuclear waste is water running through the
sealed storage containers (dry casks) and carrying nuclear particles out of storage. With
this in mind, the two primary options for storage are protected sites above ground and
geological repositories underground
For the past 40 years, Yucca Mountain, in an arid desert 100 miles from Las Vegas,
Nevada, was on track to become the main site for storing the U.S.’s accumulated nuclear
waste (Figure 3). The area has little precipitation, so little water would seep into the
mountain. The extremely dense volcanic rock of the mountain has small pores,
preventing any water leakage through the rock. In addition, waste would be stored far
above water sources in the mountain. These features would effectively shield the waste
and prevent the release of radioactivity.

Key:
“Emerging Environmental Justice Issues in Nuclear Power and Radioactive
Contamination”

Nuclear Power in the USA on “world Nuclear Association”

Outline history of nuclear energy “world Nuclear Association”

Ten strikes against Nuclear Power

Wikipedia Article on the Anti Nuclear Movement

Climate Central article

Harvard article on nuclear storage