Letter: Nuclear industry steers Congress

Friday, June 22, 2001 | 9:26 a.m.

The nuclear power lobby sues the EPA!

The reason for the suit is the EPA had the nerve to set any radiation standard on water. The nuclear power lobby would rather have no standards.

Do you realize the Amargosa River flows near Yucca Mountain, and if there is a nuclear accident due to cask deterioration, earthquake or other malfunction, a good deal of water downstream of Yucca Mountain may be poisoned?

The nuclear power lobby would disagree because they know that the Department of Energy pays little attention to plans for accidents, electrical or mechanical malfunctions at Yucca Mountain. The nuclear power industry was given favored treatment in 1954 when the Eisenhower administration and Congress gave the liability of toxic nuclear waste to the American people. That is right, we are legally responsible! In what other industry are we responsible for its garbage?

Ever since then, generous Congresses have given this industry subsidies and tax breaks, research and development funding and subsidized education. Congress also passed the Price-Anderson bill to limit liability in the event of a nuclear accident, while we have no insurance coverage.

Nuclear energy producers now want Congress to ignore sound science and unnecessarily ship toxic nuclear waste through 41 states to Yucca Mountain.

The 1987 legislation was a "NIMBY" bill that ignored other suitable sites.

FRANK PERNA