Voters Close Rancho Seco Plant: ‘The Nuclear Energy Quandary’

The Times has found it prudent to endorse the decision by the Sacramento electorate to close Rancho Seco. It further states that the nuclear industry may not have learned from the mistakes made at Rancho Seco.

But the suggestions you make are also lacking in evidence that you have fully understood the historical consequences of the shut-down vote. The Times assumes that the nuclear industry should now be in a position to rethink its haphazard enterprising and start to standardize plant design and construction.

Private utilities own over 90% of the nuclear power plants in this country. Plants in other countries with better performance records are primarily state operated. This leads to standardized designs and tougher controls.

The reason why other nations have been successful with nuclear power is because their governments have a vested interest in making sure plant performance is more than adequate, costs are contained, and safety concerns are met. Past and current Administrations in this country state support for nuclear power, but appoint members to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who only heed the corporate line.

The nuclear experiment in this country has failed for reasons that are inherent in the energy policy of this country for the past three decades. This policy allows industrial corporations to decide for the public what energy sources shall be exploited.

Voters in Sacramento decided that nuclear power would not be one of them. It is up to the federal government now to stop investing so much time and money in nuclear power, and put more effort into alternative energy sources that are less costly in terms of safety and dollars.

To argue that we should standardize nuclear power plants only amounts to one more excuse to continue nuclear power generation. To do what The Times suggests would mean a reinvestment in nuclear power in the tens of billions of dollars. It costs too much. Enough is enough.

CHARLES S. LINDERMAN

Regional Director, Campaign California