Commissioners Say 'No' to Rezoning for Nuclear Plant

November 6, 2008
By Brittany Cooper

http://www.kmvt.com/news/local/34065529.html

Wednesday night marked the last of four public hearings for a
proposed rezone to build a nuclear power plant in front of the Elmore
County Planning and Zoning Commission.

Spokesmen for Alternative Energy Holdings, Inc., the applicant of the
plant, presented the rebuttal. They are requesting to rezone
approximately 1300 acres of land industrial.

Martin Johncox, company spokesman told those that attended the
meeting, "This plant would produce 1600 megawatts of power that would
be enough to power all the homes in Idaho 3 times over."

Mark Pecchenino gave the presentation for Alternative Energy
Holdings. He brought up comments from the opposition, including the
idea of whether nuclear power is safe.

Pecchenino said, "We've been using commercial nuclear power for more
than 50 years. We haven't had any deaths or anyone improperly exposed
to radiation during that time."

For some farmers, the idea of a proposed nuclear plant was a concern
in previous hearings.

Johncox says, "If you look at nuclear plants nationwide, we have 104
reactors in the United States and most of them are located in rural areas."

But when it came down to the decision of whether to recommend that
the land be rezoned, the answer was no.

Alan Sobtzak says the property does not comply with the 2004 County
Comprehensive Plan. "I do not recommend the rezoning of this application."

The commission voted 4-2 against the recommendation to rezone the
property from 'Ag. A' to heavy industrial.

Now the county commissioners will decide to hold public hearings
before coming to a decision about whether the property will be rezoned.
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