The Obama administration suffers another set back at Yucca Mountain

Another set back happened for the Obama administration. After its moratorium was rejected by a Reagan-appointed judge to halt for six months deep oil drilling in the Gulf, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ruled on Tuesday, June 29, that the Energy Department could not withdraw its application to open a nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

In a 47-page decision, the three-member panel of administrative judges said the Energy Department lacked the authority to drop the petition because it would flout a law passed by Congress.

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of l982 requires that unless Congress directs otherwise, "the D.O.E. may not single-handedly derail the legislated decision-making process."

The Yucca site was tested and evaluated as being the ideal place to store nuclear waste. It was a political decision to place Yucca Mountain off-limits, and the American people are the losers.

One questions does surface whenever nuclear waste is cited as the reason not to construct new nuclear plants. Why isn't nuclear waste reprocessed like done in France? After reprocessing very little nuclear waste is left.

Did you know that in Illinois there are 6 operating nuclear facilities? All were build in the 1970's and are owned by Exelon Corporation. There is also a moratorium here in Illinois that forbids the building of new nuclear plants.

Which brings me to my issue of the day. Why is decommissioning being considered for the dual nuclear facility in Zion, IL, which was mothballed in 1998 even though both of its licenses were good until 2013?

Given there were no safety reasons to shut down Zion -- Exelon claimed it was economics -- Zion can and should be reopened! The equipment needing replacement in the plants could be done at a fraction of the cost required to build a new nuclear facility in this day and age. A few years ago Exelon estimated that start-up costs would be about $2 billion.

Since Illinois rate payers have already paid to build the Zion plant -- a $1 billion fund has also been set aside by Exelon to decommission Zion -- to waste Zion doesn't make sense.

Zion is capable of producing 2,100 megawatts of energy. This energy would be permanently removed from the energy market with the decommissioning of Zion.

This cannot be allowed to happen! Illinois needs this dual nuclear plant up in Zion, IL. Wind and Power are not viable sources of energy. They are just flavors of the day which would receive little consideration if not for generous government subsidies.

Become engaged like I am and demand that Zion's massive amount of energy is not forever wasted!