Here is new information from our friends at the Sierra Club of Oklahoma. I want to thank Bud Scott and Jody Harlan for their hard work to help us stay apprised of the developments as the legislation moves swiftly in and out of house, senate and committee!
***Danger! The nuclear fight is still on! Your grassroots lobbying efforts helped kill Senate Bill 831 in conference committee, but Senate Bill 1668 is still alive! SB 1668 would amend the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority Act to allow municipal power authorities to buy energy from nuclear facilities AND invest in nuclear facilities, both of which are prohibited under current state law. SB 1668 passed both chambers, but was a very controversial vote in the Senate, where it passed 27-19, but has caused ripples amongst the Republican caucus.
Now, SB 1668 is being considered by Governor Brad Henry, where he has 5 days to sign the legislation into law! PLEASE call the Governor's office at 405-521-2342 and ask him TO VETO SB 1668!!!! Governor Henry may veto the bill, but needs to hear from you first! We know the bill has supposedly been sent to the governor's office, but we have not heard of any further action yet.
If you need talking points, check out Jody Harlan's revised letter below and the attached talking points against nuclear energy or go to
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/column/article_7ced5f7b-59c0-5e9d-ba9a-444a7742d155.html for more ammunition on what's wrong with nuclear.
Thanks for your help with grassroots, environmental activism at its best!
Robert "Bud" Scott, Esq.
Chapter Director
Oklahoma Sierra Club
P.O. Box 60644
Oklahoma City, OK 73146
405.445.9435
bud.scott@sierraclub.org
oklahoma.sierraclub.org
Jody's letter:
Dear Senator:
The Deepwater Horizon accident and the resulting oil spill prove that accidents happen. When nuclear accidents happen, however, the radioactive waste gives off hazardous radiation for thousands of years. Low-level radiation generated by routine operation damages tissues, cells, DNA and other vital molecules causing genetic mutations, cancers, leukemia, birth defects, and reproductive, immune and endocrine system disorders, according to the Nuclear Information and Resource Service in Takoma Park, MD. www.nirs.org
Senator Cliff Branan (R-OKC), who opposes nuclear power, requested a revote on SB 1668. (This request failed and the bill is on its way to the governor as stated above) This bad nuclear power bill, which would amend the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority Act to allow municipal power authorities to buy energy from nuclear facilities AND invest in nuclear facilities, both of which are prohibited under current state law for several good reasons:
1) The average cost of constructing and permitting for one new generation nuclear facility is estimated between $5 and $12 billion. These development costs would be paid by Oklahoma ratepayers in advance. This estimation does not take into consideration the cost to taxpayers of existing subsidies provided for the nuclear industry by the federal government.
2) Nuclear reactors generate approximately 20 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel and additional low-level radioactive waste per year. No matter how safety conscious a facility claims to be, there is no permanent storage solution to housing this radioactive waste generated by producing nuclear energy. The waste can kill at high doses and cause cancer and birth
defects at low doses. Nuclear waste remains dangerous to humans for thousands of years.
3) The U.S. Department of Energy has failed to find storage sites for highly radioactive nuclear waste for more than 10 years. By 2020, taxpayers will have paid an estimated $12 billion in court judgments brought by nuclear utilities who have been forced to store the nuclear waste on their facility sites. They know it's dangerous! That's why they're suing! Yet in 2008, DOE signed agreements promising to permanently store nuclear waste from 21 reactors to be build in the future.
4) Since 9/11, nuclear energy facilities in the United States have been considered one of the most dangerous targets for domestic terrorist threats. The increased costs for security and waste management are not included in the estimate listed above.
Please say "no" to SB 1668 and "yes" to safe solar, wind and natural gas energy solutions. Our lives depend on it. Thank you.***
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