NEI Nuclear Notes

From an interview in Salon : Do you believe nuclear power has a role to play in America's energy future? I understand the safety and security concerns with nuclear power and share many of them -- I live three miles away from a nuclear power plant. But nuclear power is an option to reduce global warming, which I don't believe we can afford to take off the menu of options, not when we rely on it for close to one-quarter of our power. However, the nuclear waste generated is an environmental hazard that I'm deeply concerned about. While the temporary solution of storing waste in dry casks may be safe, we must find a resolution to long-term concerns. We must invest in R&D to develop safe and secure ways for permanent disposal that will protect our environment, our water supply and our country's national security. We are not alone in this pursuit, and as president I will join forces with our allies around the world facing the same problem.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) is running for President, and he's keeping an open mind on nuclear energy. From the Brattleboro Reformer : Dodd addressed nuclear energy head-on during a question-and-answer session following the speech. "I will not take nuclear power off the table," he said. "If we're going to deal with global warming, we're going to have to deal with the grid." When asked specifically about Vermont Yankee's license renewal following the event, Dodd said he could not comment on a specific plant, but argued that nuclear energy may be necessary to adequately deal with global warming. "There aren't many options at this point," he said. "There are issues, obviously, with waste. The French are doing some interesting things with nuclear. There are things developing all the time. We're better managing today than we were 15 years ago with waste, with these heavy dry casts." Dodd lives a mile from Connecticut Yankee ...