Despite the fact that its proposed new reactor projects are beset by ongoing major safety risks, schedule delays, cost overruns, and other economic and radiological
pitfalls, the nuclear power industry continues to seek massive taxpayer
bailouts, not only in the U.S. but even overseas. The environmental movement has
responded by urging the Japanese government not to risk its own taxpayers’ funds
on the risky South Texas Project twin reactor expansion. A coalition of more
than 170 organizations, including Beyond Nuclear, recently sent a letter to the Japanese prime minister, and issued an
accompanying media release. (Last August, Beyond Nuclear’s Kevin Kamps,
along with Japanese allies from Green Action, Citizens Nuclear Information
Center, Friends of the Earth, and other groups met with the Japanese Bank for
International Cooperation (JBIC) and the federal Ministry of Economy, Trade, and
Industry (METI) to deliver just such a message.) The nuclear industry's
attempted money grab in the U.S. has now shifted -- yet again -- to
the U.S. Senate, which is considering funding measures for the current and next
fiscal year. Right now is a critical time to stave off this latest attempt to
risk additional billions of taxpayer dollars on proposed new atomic boondoggles.
Call your two U.S. Senators via the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202)
224-3121 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, or look up their fax numbers and
websites for writing in via their webforms, or to find their in-state
offices nearest you. Urge them to not only reject additional nuclear power loan
guarantees, but also to roll back the entire nuclear loan guarantee program, as
57% of Americans polled by the Wall Street Journal/NBC
have indicated ("When it comes to reducing spending, the most popular targets
were subsidies to build nuclear power plants...")! After more than half a century of heavy subsidization by American
taxpayers and ratepayers, it's high time for the nuclear power industry to
stand on its own two feet in the marketplace, or go away for good!