nuclear-news

Candidate for USA Congress will work to stop nuclear slush funds

In Congress, I will work to ensure that none of us will be forced to bear the burden of nuclear energy by seeking to slash federal funding that nuclear depends on for research and development. 

America’s Reckless Nuclear Policies Have Got to End Huffington Post,  Tulsi Gabbard Candidate for Hawaii’s Second Congressional District; Member of the Hawaii National Guard 03/20/2012  “…… Less than a year on from this [Fukushima] tragedy, giant corporations have used their influence to get approval for opening a new nuclear power plant right here in the United States.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently signed off on two reactors to be
built in Georgia even though their safety mechanisms have never been tested on an active nuclear plant.

Even more worrying is the NRC’s continued approval of licenses for aging nuclear reactors — dozens of outdated facilities continue to receive approval to operate for the next 20 years despite their age and careless placement. The Indian Point Nuclear Plant is located just
38 miles from New York City and sits on a seismic fault. Its license expires in a few years and its operator has applied for a 20 year extension from the NRC.
These decisions require more scrutiny and oversight, and as a
candidate for Congress for Hawaii’s Second District, I promise to
deliver both to the U.S. House of Representatives if elected.

We know all too well what the awful consequences of nuclear can be yet
policy makers in Washington, D.C. seem to think that it could never
happen to us. If elected, I’d relentlessly challenge that thinking in
public and private and be a tireless advocate of the truth about
nuclear power.

And the truth is pretty simple. Disaster at nuclear plants can happen
at any time through the unlikeliest of circumstances, costing billions
of dollars and surrendering huge swaths of land, and the communities
they contain, to nuclear oblivion.

On a visit to Europe in 2009, I made a point of visiting Chernobyl to
see how dangerous the use of nuclear energy can be firsthand. There,
decades later, I saw almost unimaginable devastation. The entire town
surrounding the plant completely deserted; the eerie silence a
reminder of the toll of nuclear power.

Sadly, the consequences from a nuclear disaster are not isolated to
the immediate areas surrounding failed plants.
Recently, my local evening news ran a story about people walking
Hawaii’s beaches and testing debris floating onto the shores for
radioactivity. If even one of those pieces turns up radioactive, even
if it’s a tiny amount, it will completely destroy Hawaii’s way of life
and the tourist industry so many of us rely upon for a living.

Situations like these are the result of irresponsible and
short-sighted policy making.

In Congress, I will work to ensure that none of us will be forced to
bear the burden of nuclear energy by seeking to slash federal funding
that nuclear depends on for research and development. The Department
of Energy’s 2013 budget has $800 million set aside for these projects
in addition to the billions the department has already committed to
spending as part of its loan-guarantee program to encourage the
construction of new nuclear plants…..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tulsi-gabbard/americas-reckless-nuclear_b_1358997.html

March 22, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized