Push to re-regulate state's nuclear plants

A letter to the newspaper:
From Syracuse.com: Push to re-regulate state's nuclear plants
To the Editor:

It was about a year ago that a tsunami in Fukushima, Japan, caused a meltdown of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. On March 11 (the actual anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Japan), three speakers from the Alliance for a Green Economy provided an enlightening and frightening presentation. They were: Paul Gunter of Beyond Nuclear in Washington, D.C., Tim Judson of Citizens Awareness Network and Steve Penn, physics professor at Hobart William Smith.

The speakers pointed out that three of our own state's six nuclear power plants are only 36 miles from Syracuse and that there is a real danger here of a nuclear disaster similar to the one in Japan. Two of the plants are among the three oldest nuclear plants in the country. They have severe embrittlement problems, more waste stored in fuel pools above the plants than in Fukushima, and inadequate containment structures. There does not have to be a tsunami; anything that can knock out power can cause a Fukushima-type explosion.

Paul Gunter noted that our community life and livelihood depend on a false assumption that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates nuclear plants. All the speakers emphasized the NRC ties to the nuclear industry and that it puts the industry ahead of people. Vermont has taken back regulatory authority over its nuclear plant. We need to push for re-regulating plants in New York.

Nuclear power is a very dangerous and very expensive means of producing electricity. In addition to working for better regulation, we should support the use of much safer alternatives like wind, solar and geothermal energy as well as energy conservation.

Shelley Conture
Syracuse