Slim Majority Still Think Nuclear Power Safe

The Washington Post reports:

A slim majority of Americans see nuclear power plants as a safe energy source, but nearly two-thirds reject the idea of building new reactors in the United States at this time, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The 53 percent who approve of nuclear power are a mirror image of the 53 percent who said such power was unsafe in the wake of the 1986 meltdown at the Chernobyl plant in Ukraine. But while there is majority support, more than four in 10 say they’re less confident in U.S. reactor safety after the troubles at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan.

More — just over half — say the nuclear crisis in Japanhas not led to a fundamental loss of confidence in U.S. plants. But there is less support than there was three years ago for new plants here.

By a nearly 2 to 1 margin, more people oppose building new plants (64 percent against, 33 percent in favor). That’s a shift from July 2008, when new plants were opposed by a 53 to 44 percent margin. Since 2008, the percentage who “strongly oppose” new plants has more than doubled, from 23 to 47 percent. The poll shows the highest level of strong opposition in a decade.

Strong opposition to plants spiked to 59 percent when respondents were asked whether they’d support a new nuclear facility within 50 miles of their home.

The perceived lessons from Japan make a difference among those who say they feel less confident in U.S. nuclear power plants. Fully 67 percent strongly oppose building new plants anywhere in the country, rising to 84 percent against a facility nearby.

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