Though many casual observers of the nuclear energy industry in the US believe that Three Mile Island and a fear of “The China Syndrome” are the root cause of our 35 year hiatus in new nuclear plant construction, perceptive observers more often point to the Shoreham Syndrome as the more important contributing cause.
Shoreham was a single unit nuclear plant designed to power Long Island, New York. The plant project struggled along for nearly two decades, produced some epic antinuclear protests, and was finally completed and licensed after the owners had invested almost $6 billion dollars. However, the plant never produced any electricity for sale. Residents of Long Island are still paying the costs with some of the highest electrical rates in the nation and still purchasing fuel oil every winter to heat their homes.
A couple of enterprising young men who grew up in the wake of the debacle and often saw the site were full of curiosity. After hearing a 2009 interview of Patrick Moore on the Penn Jillette radio program, they were inspired to find out more and to produce a documentary about what they found. This is the first chapter of their production. Stay tuned here for the rest.
