nuclear-news

Still time to push America’s EPA to protect water from nuclear industry

TELL THE EPA: PROTECT OUR WATER FROM NUKES AND COAL!, COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED THROUGH AUGUST 18, 2011 Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Michael Mariotte, 12 Aug 11, Thanks to years of inaction, hundreds of outdated power plants–mostly nuclear and coal–across the country use antiquated cooling water systems that scoop up massive amounts of water from local waterways and trap and crush aquatic life to death in the process.  Each year these power plants kill billions of fish from our lakes, streams, and coastal waters.

Decades ago, the Environmental Protection Agency was supposed to come up with new, national requirements to modernize power plant cooling systems and fix this problem.  But instead the agency is now caving to industry pressure and has proposed a new cooling water rule that takes a weak stance and punts decision making to the states on a case-by-case basis.  This approach hasn’t worked in the past and won’t work now.

Even worse, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has launched an all-out campaign through its Nuclear Advocacy Network to demand an even weaker approach from EPA. NEI claims that more than 7,000 people already have sent letters to the EPA from its side. We need to counter their efforts, and quickly.
Urge EPA to stand up for our waters and wildlife.  You can submit a  comment here urging EPA to adopt a strong standard for modernizing power plant cooling systems in its final rule.

August 13, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general