nuclear-news

Nuclear lobby does want USA to tighten nuclear safety measures

Ros-Lehtinen’s legislation could also include provisions aimed at strengthening nonproliferation aspects of any future 123 agreement, for example, requiring that Washington seek pledges from partner nations not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel on their territory. Such activities can be useful for power needs but also introduce the potential to advance a covert nuclear weapons effort……..

U.S. Industry Advocate Takes on Lawmaker’s Anticipated Nuclear Trade Measure, Jan. 31, 2011, By Elaine M. Grossman, Global Security Newswire WASHINGTON — An advocate for the U.S. nuclear power industry said last week his group would oppose a powerful House chairwoman’s anticipated measure aimed at altering the terms of future nuclear trade agreements and how they undergo legislative review (see GSN, Nov. 3, 2010).”……….recent growth in interest among Middle Eastern countries in developing their civil nuclear power sector has sparked concern on Capitol Hill, particularly in light of Iran’s suspected effort to apply its atomic energy activities toward building a bomb.Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) is anticipated in coming weeks to offer legislation requiring that only those nuclear trade pacts that receive an affirmative vote by Congress can enter into force.

The measure would be aimed at strengthening lawmakers’ ability to put the brakes on any proposed agreement. As it stands, a nuclear trade pact can enter into force after 90 days of continuous legislative session unless both chambers pass resolutions to stop the measure — a process weighted in favor of such accords going forward and being implemented. Any successful challenge to such an accord would also presumably require Congress to override a presidential veto, a very tall order in most instances.

Ros-Lehtinen’s legislation could also include provisions aimed at strengthening nonproliferation aspects of any future 123 agreement, for example, requiring that Washington seek pledges from partner nations not to enrich uranium or reprocess spent fuel on their territory. Such activities can be useful for power needs but also introduce the potential to advance a covert nuclear weapons effort……..

The objective of Ros-Lehtinen’s new legislation “would be to have a strong and competitive U.S. industry, but not to the point that U.S. security is undermined,……….

Henry Sokolski, executive director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center said  “Obama  can be true to his nuclear threat reduction school or he can listen to these lobbyists — including their official sidekicks in the government. If the president heeds to their demands, though, he will have to … cave on the nonproliferation conditions he himself promoted as the new gold standard in the United Arab Emirates deal.”…

NTI: Global Security Newswire – U.S. Industry Advocate Takes on Lawmaker’s Anticipated Nuclear Trade Measure

February 2, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA