An article in the Colorado Independent today suggests that Sen. John McCain may be willing to support climate change legislation if it includes a revival of nuclear power. The paper says there are 3 critical Senate hearings this week on the legislation and Colorado's Democratic Senator Mark Udall is calling for a bigger role for nuclear in the nation's electricity generation because of its lack of carbon dioxide production. [right, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station]
Udall told the paper that “You can’t consider expanding nuclear power without uranium mining, but that does not mean supporting irresponsible mining. It’s important that the state — which is the delegated agency for permitting authority for uranium mining — ensures that uranium mining is done safely, responsibly and with the full input of the affected communities.”
They note that "85% of the uranium used for nuclear power production in the United States is currently imported from abroad, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration." Colorado, like Arizona, is debating new uranium mining but also a controversial new uranium mill in western Colorado.
Nuclear reactors take a decade to build, are heavy water users, release radioactive emissions (routinely and legally!) and bill us through rate hikes, "early cost recovery" schemes and federal taxes. The nuclear industry wants to endanger our lives and make us pay for it
ReplyDeleteWith increasing cancer clusters around nuclear plants, including childhood cancer.. and a history of toxic spills, leaks, and coverups, and with a cozy relationship between the industry and its supposed regulators, nuclear has proven to be much more dangerous and costly in practice than in theory.