Nuclear Power and Radioactive Waste

Working Group Issue Statement:

"Northern Thunder opposes the promotion of nuclear power generation and the resultant long-term radioactive waste storage in Wisconsin.”

Working Group Co-Chairs:

Statement of Problem:

Pro-nuclear advocates have submitted AB555 to our state legislature, a bill which seriously weakens Wisconsin’s nuclear power permitting requirements. AB555 eliminates the need to identify solutions for long-term radioactive waste storage requirements and to show how the projects would be financially beneficial to Wisconsin’s ratepayers. Meanwhile, policy makers at both the state and federal levels are calling ever more vigorously for new and expanded construction of nuclear power facilities. For our state to actively advocate for this technology at a policy level only renews our vulnerability for selection as the nation’s next nuclear waste dump.

It has been demonstrated nationally and globally that nuclear energy is neither cheap nor reliable nor safe. Long-term solutions to the problems of waste storage and transport have not been found and existing nuclear power plants manifest increasing dangers from age, faulty design and human error. Increased concentrations of nuclear materials provides resources to terrorists and presents incalculable risks to our nation. The need to protect these facilities, the added necessity of national defense and the human costs throughout the uranium mining and processing and the need for virtual eternal storage and insurance protection are unseen costs subsidized by our tax dollars. Efficiency and conservation, as well as distributed and sustainable energy sources such as solar and wind and many other developing technologies, are proving ever more reliable as the least-cost options for Wisconsin’s utility ratepayers.

In the 1980s, the Federal Department of Energy identified Wisconsin’s Wolf River Batholith as a favored potential site for the nation’s perpetual radioactive waste storage repository. As the first choice, the Yucca Mountain, NV site continues to fail strict engineering criteria and the nation’s cumulative nuclear waste stockpiles are expected to exceed Yucca Mountain’s storage capacity. The Department of Energy will soon be forced to reconsider northeastern Wisconsin as a potential waste storage site to augment or replace Yucca Mountain. The transportation of waste to such a site would threaten all communities along the multiple transport routes, and the long-term storage of radioactive waste would provide a devastating threat to our natural resources (especially the Great Lakes) and tourism industry. It is time to nip these initiatives in the bud before big money power brokers gain a foothold in our state legislature and on the Public Service Commission.

Proposed Actions on Behalf of the Issue:

*Link with exiting coalitions already actively working on this issue and expanding their reach within our western Wisconsin communities
*Coordinate opposition to AB555 or other legislation that would weaken Wisconsin’s nuclear power siting protections
*Create a dedicated list serve for those sharing our common concern
*Provide a platform on the Northern Thunder website for documents relative to this issue with linkages to other active resource protection sites representing local, state-wide, national and international organizations.
*Increase communications between our membership and local and state-wide groups working toward eliminating the threat of nuclear power generation and radioactive waste storage.
*Advocate for increased support for alternative energy policies including efficiency, demand-side management, conservation, renewables and other distributed technologies less damaging to our environment and state economy.
*Draw attention to the unsustainable regulatory process presently exercised by the Public Service Commission and its failure to consider the overall environmental impacts and ratepayer costs in selecting energy alternatives.
*Promote a 25-year anniversary celebration of the defeat of the proposed Tyrone Nuclear Power Plant on the banks of the Chippewa River.

History of our involvement:

In the 1970s and 80’s, coalitions of groups presently working with Northern Thunder on other issues successfully fought a proposed nuclear power plant proposed for what is now a designated river wildlife refuge along the Chippewa River and temporarily removed Wisconsin from consideration as a National Radioactive Waste Management Crystalline Repository. Drawing on this experience and these resources, we will work to expand the networking capabilities of existing groups and coalitions dedicated to highlighting the realities of this threat and to educating Wisconsin residents about the risks inherent in nuclear power generation and the potential of a nuclear waste storage site in our state. We will act as a liaison between existing coalitions and other interested parties not as yet active in a coalition. We will seek to bring together these diverse stakeholders to create an efficient network that can respond in a truly state-wide manner to such issues as industry-funded misinformation campaigns, inadequate media coverage, and impending legislation and policy directives.

Groups that have already indicated a desire to work with us on this include:

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