When McCain was in Racine last week he proposed construction of 45 nuclear powered electricity generating plants by the year 2030.
More nuclear plants would, of course, increase the amount of nuclear waste that would need to be transported across the country. The Wisconsin Sierra Club today called attention to a YouTube video that surfaced earlier this year which shows John McCain "clearly saying, while shaking his head ‘no’" that he would not be comfortable with nuclear waste traveling through Phoenix, Arizona, on its way to the Yucca Mountain, Nevada, nuclear waste storage site. (The question and answer begins at 1:14 of the video.)But, the Sierra Club points out that increased use of nuclear power would require the bulk of Wisconsin nuclear waste (approximately 222 casks, each holding between 2 and 15 tons of high level waste) to be transported through Milwaukee, including waste shipped via Lake Michigan into the Port of Milwaukee.
“Why does John McCain think it’s OK for hundreds of tons of dangerous nuclear waste to go through Wisconsin, but yet too dangerous to go through his own state?” said Rosemary Wehnes, the Sierra Club's Midwest Associate Rep.
The full Sierra Club statement is here.
Stands on nuclear power:
ReplyDeleteJohn McCain: Yes. (see post)
Barack Obama: Yes. "I'd be open to the idea of nuclear power as part of the energy mix." (YouTube debate.)
This is another issue where these two candidates agree. It is not their differences that push me away form them, but their similarities (nuclear power, pro-death penalty, would attack Pakistan and Iran, permanent bases in Iraq, etc.)
I'm supporting the Green Party candidate, Cynthia McKinney, an avid opponent of more nuclear power.