What concerns you most about the nuclear industry?
WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE - DONATE NOW
A Message from Rochelle
What concerns you most about the nuclear industry?
What frightens you most about growing stockpiles of highly radioactive waste on California's coast? Is it the fear that, long after the last kilowatt of power has been generated, our seismic coastline will remain the final resting place for hundreds of casks of high-level radioactive waste? This includes the tons of deadly materials already created, and also the prospect of adding all the waste to be generated if the plant is relicensed for another 20 years of operation.
The Alliance is setting its goals for 2008 and believes it is vital to understand your interest in our mission to stop the production of high-level radioactive waste on our fragile coast. Our mission is to limit this production to current licenses. Issues abound and we would like to know what concerns you most.
UPDATES…
Security:
On November 2, 2007 a contract worker entered the Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in Arizona with explosives. Though the utility detained the worker and the NRC declared that there was “no danger to the public”, the question remains how did this worker get hired in an era where we have been told the industry is doing all it can to protect the public? http://a4nr.org/library/security/11.02.2007-ap/ This follows on the heels of a breaking news story that revealed undercover video of nuclear reactor security guards sleeping while on duty in their “ready room.” http://a4nr.org/library/security/11.02.2007-abcnews
In late October, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruled that before a license renewal can be granted at the Indian Point Nuclear Plant (north of New York City) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must perform, among other considerations:
- A management plan for the spent fuel pools and other means of storage of spent fuel that will span the relicensing period.
- An evaluation of the leaks from the spent fuel pools, including the possible impacts to groundwater, and future actions to ensure that the leakage is stopped.
- An analysis of the impacts of intentional destructive acts (e.g., terrorism). The requirement to consider such acts is based on the Ninth District Court's decision in San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (June 2006).
- The inclusion and analysis of all new seismological data on the project area gathered since the Indian Point Generating Station was constructed.
The Alliance forwarded the examples above to California's Attorney General and asked that our state's highest legal officer become involved in insuring our state is involved in concrete solutions before expanding nuclear power beyond current licenses for Diablo Canyon and San Onofre.
Economics:
Though it appears that an initiative to overturn California's nuclear safety laws will not qualify for the ballot in 2008, the assemblyman behind this initiative has now introduced a bill to require that the state issue licenses for new nuclear plants if 20% of the generation is used for desalination. Every dollar used towards this effort will delay California's unprecedented efforts to provide a truly renewable energy future for its citizens. Though the initiative is doomed, this Assemblyman is receiving positive press coverage and is chipping away at the safety laws that have prevented new nuclear plants in our state until there is a permanent solution for the safe storage of radioactive waste. www.powerforcalifornia.net
A host of musicians have joined our efforts to remove over $50 billion dollars in 100% loan guarantees for new reactors in the United States. Our country is facing an economic downturn and taxpayer dollars should not be used to prop up an aging nuclear industry which is after fifty years is still unable to deal with the stockpiles of its deadly byproduct now sitting on our nation’s waterways and oceans. If you have not already signed the petition, please go to: www.nukefree.org
Waste:
Hundreds of tons of high-level radioactive waste are now stored on our coast and the Department of Energy announced in October that nation's only proposed nuclear waste facility is facing major budget shortfalls. The Yucca Mountain project, which began in 1983, now requires up to three times it current funding levels to be completed and the opening date of 2017 will again have to be delayed. http://a4nr.org/library/waste/waste.yuccamtn/
According to the McClatchy news service report, at a congressional hearing held on Halloween, “New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday declared themselves flatly opposed to building a nuclear waste repository in Nevada, a clear indication that the 2008 presidential election could end a 25-year effort to build the controversial dump. Clinton delivered her opposition in person and Obama by letter as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held its first hearing on Yucca Mountain since Democrats took over Congress in January.” http://a4nr.org/library/waste/waste.yuccamtn/10.31.2007-redorbit/
There are a host of other issues such as: degradation to marine life from billions of gallons of cooling water flowing through reactors each day, failure of aging components, increasing retirements of experienced personal at reactors across the country, threats of earthquakes and coastal erosion at California's reactors.
In order to ensure all these issues are addressed at a state and national level the Alliance needs your commitment to help. We have operated since our inception on a shoestring budget, but in order to achieve our mission of limiting high-level radioactive waste on our coast and preventing the gutting of California's nuclear safety laws we need to expand. Volunteers are needed for research, canvassing, educational events, but most of all we need your financial support. A legacy of inadequately protected radioactive waste cannot be what this generation leaves to the future. Please send what you can today and help the Alliance to speak to your concerns before our state legislature and the federal government.
WE CAN'T DO THIS ALONE - DONATE NOW
In Peace
Rochelle
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
www.a4nr.org
(858) 337 2703
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