OPPOSE SB 5991 study nuclear power to replace electricity from fossil fuels.

Friends,We urge you to contact your representatives in the Washington State House to:

OPPOSE SB 5991.

Senate Bill  5991 specifies a study of nuclear power as a replacement for electricity generated from the combustion of fossil fuels.

OPPOSE:According to the digest, this bill “Creates a joint select task force on nuclear energy to study how the state can advance and support the generation of clean energy in the region through the use of nuclear power.” (Emphasis added.)

It is a bill aimed at promoting the nuclear industry, not at evenly weighing the pros and cons of nuclear power.  And although there certainly seem to be pros to nuclear power in a world threatened by climate change, one needs look no farther than the continuing crises in Chernobyl or Fukushima Daiichi, where workers are daily risking their lives attempting to defuse a ticking time bomb in the form of the badly damaged and unstable spent fuel storage building at Unit 4, to understand the very real dangers of creating ever more of these volatile wastes with no good plan for their (very) long-term disposal.  Radioactive waste from nuclear reactors remains dangerous for some 10,000 years—longer than human history.  Guaranteeing the safety of those wastes against all hazards (including terrorism) for all that time is impossible.The path to responsibly lowering fossil fuel consumption must be through improving efficiency, conservation measures, lifestyle adjustments, and the development of truly clean and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal.SB 5991 is now in the Senate Rules Committee.  Please contact your Washington State Senator.  More information on the bill is available at: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2013-14/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/Senate/5991%20SBR%20EET%2014.pdf.Thank you!FCWPP Local Responses to Global Challenges Working Group and FCWPP Legislative Committee Contacting your legislators: Legislators’ email addresses are in the form:  , so, for example, Rep. Frank Chopp is  .  Or you can leave a phone message for your legislators, using the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000.  To find the names of your current legislators, go to:   http://app.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/  and enter your street address. ________________________________________________________________ In addition to your direct involvement in advocacy, FCWPP needs your financial support to continue its work. Credit card contributions may be made online at https://qvwa.org, by clicking on the “Donate” button near the top of the page on the right. Directions for making contributions by check is also on the website. Because FCWPP is a lobbying organization, contributions are not tax deductible.