By Staff
To the editor:
The Dowagiac Daily News and Niles Daily Star recently noted the appointment of Rep. Fred Upton to ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, replacing retiring Denny Hastert. Very powerful committee; very powerful position.
In the interview Upton noted his priorities for "common sense solutions" to our energy needs. Yet on Dec. 11, Upton voted "No" on a bill titled "Creating Long-Term Energy Alternatives for the Nation Act". Why? Because Fred's first priority is nuclear power. Upton loves nuclear power and nuclear power plants like Palisades and Cook. He thinks they're safe and we should have lots more of them. He has pushed for Federal Loan Guarantees to finance the construction of new plants and the continuation of the Price Anderson Act which insures against catastrophic accident because Wall Street won't touch it. If Upton has his way, US taxpayers will construct and insure private nuclear power plants; with major equipment coming from foreign companies, significantly benefiting foreign corporations.
The last nuclear power plant in the US was built in the 70s. There is a reason for that. Nuclear power is not cheap, and not safe. "Near miss" catastrophes are legend. We have over 60 years of radioactive waste stored all over the country, including buried in shifting sand on the shores of Lake Michigan and we don't have a clue about what to do with it. Yucca Mountain is not going to happen. There's talk about putting this stuff on barges, trains and trucks and taking it to South Carolina. Right. Not much potential for accident there. We must be informed. Ebay has copies of "We Almost Lost Detroit" that tells the story of nuclear power and the construction and meltdown of the Fermi plant in Michigan in a very readable way. www.nukewatch.com and www.beyondnuclear.org are websites dedicated to spreading the truth about this awesome, awful power.
We have wind, water and sun that are free, safe, and abundant. We have land to literally 'grow energy.' Let's put our minds and resources here and turn away from nuclear power, and nuclear catastrophe, while we still can.
Cassopolis
Member, SW MI Chapter WAND
(Women's Action for New Directions)