"There should be no greater prioirity on nuclear security than safeguarding highly enriched uranium, the Natural Resource Defense Council said in the run-up to the Nuclear Security Summit.
The NRDC said the nuclear material is difficult to detect, yet relatively easy for terrorists to use in making a crude nuclear device with the potential for devastation. Here's statement from Thomas Cochran, senior staff scientist at NRDC:"
"The White House is widely reported to be proposing additional billions of dollars in loan guarantees for the nuclear power industry. That would be a mistake, according to experts at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Following is the statement of Christopher Paine, Director of the Nuclear Program at NRDC:
"A massive increase in taxpayer subsidies for nuclear power would be a mistake.
"Energy sources should compete for public dollars based on how well they provide the clean, efficient and affordable power we need. On that basis, nuclear power has a long way to go. It remains a high-cost, subsidy-dependent, radioactive-waste generating, water-depleting, non-renewable energy source that still carries with it the low probability of a high-consequence accident."