Nuclear Loan Program Draws Objections

Congress is preparing to pass an omnibus appropriations bill over the objections of more than 500 organizations from across the country and around the world that oppose $20.5 billion in loan guarantees for nuclear energy contained within the bill.

These organizations, as well as a growing number of individuals, have signed a statement  explicitly rejecting the use of nuclear power as a means of addressing the climate crisis.

The signers include many of the world’s largest and most influential environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth International, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Rainforest Action Network and many others, along with major peace groups like Code Pink, Peace Action, and Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and hundreds of grassroots environmental, sustainable energy, religious, peace and other groups and businesses large and small from 46 states and 38 countries on six continents. 

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Monday announced that an agreement has been reached with the House of Representatives to allow the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program to continue.  

The FY2008 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, included within the FY2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, contains a two-year approval of the loan guarantee program. Domenici played a central role in negotiating the bill and is a strong supporter of nuclear energy.  

The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to provide $38.5 billion in loan guarantees, with a specific requirement that $20.5 billion be provided for nuclear energy, ($18.5 billion for nuclear reactors, $2 billion for uranium enrichment), $10 billion for renewable energy and energy efficiency, $8 billion for clean coal technology.

Michael Mariotte is executive director of Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), which has been collecting the signatures of individuals and groups opposed to nuclear energy. 

"We keep hearing from nuclear industry lobbyists that environmentalists are ‘re-examining’ nuclear power," Mariotte said. "That re-examination is long over, and it is clear that nuclear power is not helpful at addressing the climate crisis. Indeed, because of its high costs, long construction times, and its own considerable carbon footprint, its use would actually make matters much worse by diverting the resources necessary to take genuinely effective steps to end carbon emissions."

"Moreover," Mariotte added, "nuclear power has not successfully addressed any of the problems that caused the failure of its first generation: safety, radioactive waste disposal and the poor economics that led to soaring electric bills, bond defaults and utility bankruptcy. Add to that the newer problem of security, and nuclear power can’t win any rational argument over renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies."

 

The statement, which currently has signatures from 515 organizations, states: "We do not support construction of new nuclear reactors as a means of addressing the climate crisis. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power."

Opponents of nuclear energy do have something to cheer about as a result of appropriations negotiations. U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada announced today that he was successful in cutting an additional $54.5 million from the budget for the Yucca Mountain Project, a proposed terminal storage facility for spent nuclear reactor fuel. 

According to a statement released by Reid’s office, this cut, combined with the previous $50 million Reid was able to cut earlier this year, brings this year’s total Yucca Mountain budget cut to $104.5 million below the President’s request and last year’s level.

“While the Department of Energy continues to move forward with a flawed license application on a scientifically and environmentally unsound project, I am proud that I was successful in cutting $104.5 million from Yucca’s Budget,” said Reid.  “It is clear that the Yucca Mountain Project is a dying beast and I hope that this cut in funding will help drive the final nail into its coffin.”

Congress is expected to approve the FY2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill this week.