photo courtesy of wolf.like.me on flickr
That’s right, break out the picket signs — your favorite apocalypse is on the reprise. Irvine Rep. Assemblyman Chuck DeVore has introduced legislation to repeal the 31-year ban on new nuclear power plants and launched a ballot initiative. On Sept. 12, the state’s Republican party unanimously voted to support the bill for more nuclear power, which is being touted as safe, clean, reliable, and affordable — all adjectives the industry has yet to merit.
It’s also being called “emissions-free,” a handy moniker for a power source in our globally-warmed future. It’s being promoted by pro-clearcutting, pro-GMO “environmentalists” that happen to pull paychecks from the nuclear industry.
Pro-nukes fans are now gathering the 433,000 signatures needed to put the bill on California’s June 2008 ballot.
A 1976 California state law banned new nuclear plants until a permanent storage facility for the radioactive waste was established. Meanwhile, said permanent facility – Nevada’s Yucca Mt. — suffered another setback on Sept. 4 when a federal judge ruled the state could suspend water permits for drilling at the site – further delaying a project that is already seven years overdue.
Spent-fuel nuclear waste is currently stored on the sites of nuclear power plants – which has raised concerns about safety from terrorist attacks. CA Attorney General Jerry Brown recently filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, arguing that its waste confidence ruling is inadequate – meaning, we don’t have much faith in your determination that the pools of water where used up nuclear fuel rods bob like swimming pool toys are safe.