[Peace] Proposed Nuclear Power Plant, Hearing 4-19

[Charlotte Green]

Proposed Nuclear Power Plant, Hearing April 19, 2005

Exelon has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) for a permit to build a second
nuclear power plant at Clinton.  The application is
for an Early Site Permit, which would give the company
20 years to “bank” the site for future construction. 
The NRC has written a draft Environmental Impact
Statement in which it recommends that the permit be
issued.  The NRC is holding a public hearing on April
19. 7-10 PM at the Warner Vespasian Public Library,
310 N. Quincy St., Clinton, IL.  

No New Nukes, an organization in Bloomington which
promotes sustainable energy resources and opposes the
new plant, urges folks in Champaign-Urbana to come and
speak at the hearing.  The following are some of the
reasons why No New Nukes opposes the plant.  1) There
are energy options for central Illinois that can be
built faster, more safely, and for a fraction of the
cost.  2.  Exelon wants to build a second reactor to
profit its shareholders--not to meet the energy needs
of citizens in Illinois.  3. Nuclear energy is
expensive to produce, especially when the hidden
government subsidies are factored into the cost.  4.
Exelon’s promises of tax benefits and jobs for
citizens in central Illinois should be examined
carefully in light of the corporation’s business
practices in other states.  5. There is nowhere to
safely store the waste generated by a nuclear reactor.
 6.  On-site, high-level, radioactive waste is cited
in government reports as a prime terrorist target.  7.
 New nuclear reactors produce greenhouse gases.  8. 
Low-level radiation exposure increases a person’s
chances for miscarriage, infant death, and cancer--for
workers in the plant and for those who live downwind
of the reactors.  Since Champaign-Urbana is downwind
from Clinton, it is especially important that our
voices be heard.

More information is available at the following
websites: 

www.nirs.org     Nuclear Information and Resource
Service.  Covers 			nuclear power, radioactive waste,
radiation, and 			sustainable energy

www.neis.org	Nuclear Energy Information Service. 
Covers nuclear power in Illinois

www.ucsusa.org	 Union of Concerned Scientists

www.nonewnukes.org		No New Nukes.  To find out what
plans are being made locally to oppose the plant

Urbana-Champaign residents are needed to speak up at
the hearing on April 19.  Speakers should try to be
informed, but they don’t need to be nuclear power
experts, and their speeches do not need to be long. 
The most important thing is to speak from the heart,
and your words will have power!  

The hearing will begin at 7 PM, but in order to get a
seat, it may be wise to arrive by 6:30 PM.  Those
wishing to make a public comment need to register
ahead of time.  1) Call 1-800-368-5642, ext. 3835, or
email ClintonEIS at nrc.gov by April 13.  2)If you don’t
register by April 13, sign up at the Clinton Library
on April 19, 15 minutes before the meeting begins. 
People who can’t attend the meeting can send written
comments to ClintonEIS at nrc.gov and refer to report:
NURUG-1815.  Public comments will be accepted until
May 25.

If you want to carpool to Clinton for the hearing or
April 19 or need more information, please contact
Charlotte Green, chgreen48 at yahoo.com.

Please tell others how important this is.  The Clinton
site is the furthest along in the regulatory approval
process of any site in the U.S.  Every step toward
approval of the Clinton site is a step toward the
gates being opened for a flood of new reactors.