Californians Circulate Petition Asking Gov. to Plan For End of Nukes
Governor Schwarzenegger, California can lead the nation, boost the economy and stop the production of high-level radioactive waste on our vulnerable earthquake active coast, by 2020.
To sign this letter please follow this link...
http://a4nr.org/actionLetters/actionlettercecworkshop/ActionLetter_confirmForm?subid=00159Hskpw
Your Address
November 11, 2008
Our state is in a position to be the first state in the nation to prohibit license renewals for aging nuclear plants. Nuclear plants which sit precariously on California's earthquake active and vulnerable coast.
While the Nuclear Regulatory Commission bars states from decision-making on the safety of nuclear plants, it cannot prohibit California from addressing issues of reliability, cost, and economic risk. California law does not allow new nuclear plants to be built until there is a safe and permanent solution to the storage of high-level radioactive waste.
The need for state action was highlighted in the recently passed energy bill which is an affront to the American public. It provides subsidies and tax-credits for new nuclear plants but fails to include adequate funding for renewable technology. It forces the United States to continue its dependence on foreign oil, while degrading our country's environment by continuing to drill and mine using outdated energy technologies. California's senators and a majority of congressional representatives stood firm in their determination to speak out against such a short-sighted federal energy policy.
I (we) support the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility's call for legislation that will stop the build up of high-level radioactive waste on our precious coast. I (we) ask our state and local elected officials to take the next logical step and create a forward-looking energy policy, to serve as an example for our nation. California has the chance to go from the laughing stock of the nation on energy issues to the leader.
Phasing out aging nuclear plants with sustainable and renewable technology will provide good jobs, new infrastructure, new property taxes, and new technology. The opportunities for California to benefit from a renewable energy boom are boundless. The state's long-term planning on energy will provide direct positive consequences to California's economy.
As ratepayers I (we) remember that the original estimated costs for San Onofre and Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plants were under $600 million each. The final price tags were over $5.7 billion each.
In 2004, Southern California Edison and PG&E filed applications to replace cracking steam generators at a cost of close to $2 billion to California ratepayers. Ironically both facilities are buying their replacement generators from foreign countries detracting from the economic benefit of this project. There is little doubt that ratepayers will be asked to pay for other aging component replacements and security enhancements. And no guarantee exists to limit the costs of continuing to operate nuclear reactors at a time when other sources of energy might provide cheaper, safer, and more efficient electricity.
I (we) ask our governor and our state legislators to consider all the opportunities of phasing out nuclear plants: new jobs, new technologies, and new property taxes while decreasing the state's deficit. Phasing nuclear plants out will assure an end to the production of high-level radioactive waste now sitting on our fragile earthquake active coast.
Four nuclear power reactors have been shutdown in California; four remain. Now is the time to begin planning for replacement of nuclear generation and its byproduct of high-level radioactive waste stored in our state. The four remaining nuclear plants produce 4,000 MW of energy that can be replaced easily with conservation, increasing the use of sustainable energy, and by developing new technologies. In this way California can phase out production of nuclear waste on our coast in 20 years or less.
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