THE ATOMIC STATES OF AMERICA at Montclair Film Festival 2012
May 10th, 2012 by chocko
The Atomic States of America (2012)
DIRECTED BY: DON ARGOTT and SHEENA M. JOYCE
This documentary is a sobering look at the power of nuclear energy told through the eyes of the communities around the country that live in the shadows of nuclear reactors. This film is jam-packed with information and does not intend to take a side concerning the issues, but just gives us the straight up facts about the advantages and potential dangers of living in a world that is dependent on nuclear energy.
The film starts with Kelly McMasters, author of Welcome to Shirley: A Memoir from an Atomic Town as she recalls living in a working-class town in Long Island, NY where many of her friends and loved ones were dying of cancer at an alarming rate. After doing her own research it was discovered that Shirley, Long Island was unfortunately adjacent to Brookhaven National Laboratory where research on atomic energy was being conducted for decades. All three nuclear reactors at the laboratory leaked nuclear waste into the environment and drinking water which devastated the surrounding communities in Long Island.
The film continues to educate the viewer about the utilization of nuclear energy, both sides of the story, with a series of vignettes and articulate speakers including journalists, politicians, local community leaders and members of the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission). One part of the documentary hits pretty close to home…Indian Point Energy Center, a nuclear power plant is roughly 30 miles from New York City and located less than a mile away from the intersection of two fault lines. If Indian Point were to get rocked by an earthquake like the one that hit Japan recently, see ya later! The plant was only designed to withstand a quake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale (The Fukushima earthquake was a 7.1) and if you think the government has a plan to evacuate 20 million people within a 50 mile radius of Indian Point…guess again.
Another issue the film sheds a light on is nuclear waste. About 100 operating nuclear reactors in this country produce radioactive garbage. Where do we put all that nasty stuff? Since 2002, it’s been stored in Yucca Mountain, deep in the deserts of Nevada. In 2009, The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository operation was shut down, leaving the nuclear waste to be stored on-site at the power plants.
In the wake of Japan’s Fukushima disaster, this film demands your attention. Go see this film, educate yourself about the issues and tell your friends to see this intense and informative documentary.
Tags: documentary, Don Argott, mff12, montclair film festival, movie, review, Sheena M. Joyce, the atomic states of america
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