'Nuclear Pork' Cut Out of Final Recovery and Reinvestment Package

[bananas]

Source: Environment News Service

WASHINGTON, DC, February 12, 2009 (ENS) - The Senate-House conference committee has reconciled the chambers' different versions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, coming up with a $790 billion economic stimulus package. The final version will go to a vote in the House and Senate later this week.

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While other interests are concerned with issues such as the balance between tax cuts and spending, many environmental groups are relieved that a provision in the Senate's version that could have been used to fund new nuclear reactors has been cut from the final text.

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Last week, 243 environmental, consumer, and religious organizations and small businesses sent a joint letter to senators expressing their "dismay and anger over the inclusion by the Senate Appropriations Committee of a provision in the economic stimulus bill to provide up to $50 billion in additional taxpayer loan guarantees that could be used for construction of new nuclear reactors and 'clean coal' plants."

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"This toxic nuclear pork had no place in a bill designed to put Americans back to work and salvage our economy. Our legislators are to be applauded for getting their priorities right and saying no to yet another blatant attempt to prop up an industry that has never stood on its own financial feet," said Kamps.

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Read more: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-12-094.asp

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More details at Climate Progress:

Stimulus deal reached. Here’s what’s green in it.

A final deal was reached on a $789 billion stimulus plan (see NYT here). One of the best pieces of news is that the $50 billion in fraudulent budget gimmickry on behalf of the nuclear industry was axed, as I posted last night.

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[thereismore]

1. I am glad. Nuclear is not green by any means. nt

[glitch]

9. Actually I wish it was. But it's not so we need to move on. BRAVO! to the committee

for eliminating this boondoggle!

[Ian David]

2. I have no objection to more nuke plants, if we first repeal The Price-Anderson Act

Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act (commonly called the Price-Anderson Act) is a United States federal law, first passed in 1957 and since renewed several times, which governs liability-related issues for all non-military nuclear facilities constructed in the United States before 2026. The main purpose of the Act is to partially indemnify the nuclear industry against liability claims arising from nuclear incidents while still ensuring compensation coverage for the general public. The Act establishes a no fault insurance-type system in which the first $10 billion is industry-funded as described in the Act (any claims above the $10 billion would be covered by the federal government). At the time of the Act's passing, it was considered necessary as an incentive for the private production of nuclear power — this was because investors were unwilling to accept the then-unquantified risks of nuclear energy without some limitation on their liability.

The Act has been criticized by a number of groups, including many consumer protection groups. In 1978, the Act survived a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court case Duke Power Co. v. Carolina Environmental Study Group (see below). The Act was last renewed in 2005 for a 20-year period.

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price-Anderson_Nuclear_Industries_Indemnity_Act

Yet even with Price-Anderson, no American nuclear power plant has ever turned a profit.

[lsewpershad]

5. Totally agree

[tekisui]

7. knr!~ Nuclear is not the answer.

[terisan]

3. Congratulations to those who fought it. I am feeling less cynical today!

[Common Sense Party]

4. Damn short-sighted politicians.

"Toxic nuclear pork." Give me a break.

[bananas]

6. Read "How did $50B high-risk, job-killing nuclear loans get in the stimulus? Fraudulent budget gimmi

Great article at Climate Progress explains what was wrong with this:

http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/11/nuclear-loan-guarantee-program-stimulus/">How did $50B high-risk, job-killing nuclear loans get in the stimulus? Fraudulent budget gimmickry.

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But here is where it gets particularly farcical: The loans only got snuck into the bill by budget gimmickry that replicates the high-leverage, fraudulent risk analysis that got us into the subprime mortgage and credit default swap mess. Some leading nuclear energy experts explained this to me Tuesday, and I will do my best to explain it to you.

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[Peace Patriot]

8. Excellent news! Thanks to everyone who got this deleted from the Jobs bill!

Nuclear power has not only not paid its way, it has produced enormous pollution (and cost) problems as to storing nuclear waste products, and also presents the on-going danger of another Chernoybyl.

It is not worth it.

New forms of energy are now being developed--totally clean, totally green, totally safe. If only we had not WASTED BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on nuclear plants, over the decades, clean energy would be coming on line much quicker now. The nuclear industry has been a very regressive influence, in more ways that I can count, not the least of which is "mutually assured destruction" (the nuclear arms race), big bloated military budgets, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons all over the world, posing the threat of armageddon.

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Why didn't Obama's team call this the "Jobs bill"? That would have prevented any confusion with the bank bailout, and saved them a lot of early problems with people not understanding what it was. They should hire me for P.R.!

[tburnsten]

10. I really think we need nuclear power now more than ever

Our reactors are aging, a new, modernized and more efficient reactor or three could be pretty helpful right now. develop some more effective ways to clean up and detox nuclear power by-products, reduce our need for things like coal, I think it would be a good idea to build a few new plants. After all, the french supply about 80% of their power with nuclear plants, and they seem to be having no troubles.

[JVS]

11. That's a shame. New energy sources are needed badly and the stimulus is the perfect vehicle to...

fund such a thing.

[FarCenter]

12. Sweden decided to resume their nuclear program

They can't afford to import oil and gas, as well as emit greenhouse gases.

Germany is the only other country with a moratorium now.

The oil and gas industry propagandists won't be able to hold nuclear back forever.