New rules open WIPP to more waste

TACKLE THE RED-HOT ISSUE OF NUCLEAR WASTE IN A DEBATE OVER THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE WIPP PROJECT...  More »

TACKLE THE RED-HOT ISSUE OF NUCLEAR WASTE IN A DEBATE OVER THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE WIPP PROJECT NEAR CARLSBAD. STUART DYSON IS LIVE AT THE STATE CAPITOL WHERE ANTI-NUKE FORCES LOST A BATTLE TODAY. ANTI-NUKERS ARE HOWLING AS LAWMAKERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTE TO ASK FOR A CHANGE IN FEDERAL RULES - ALLOWING WIPP TO HANDLE MORE KINDS OF NUCLEAR WASTE WITH HIGHER LEVELS OF RADIATION. WED'RE STILL TALKING LOW-LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE THAT WOULD BE STORED A HALF MILE UNDERGROUND IN THE SALT BEDS OF EDDY COUNTY. BUT IT WOULD STILL BE SOMEWHAT MORE RADIOACTIVE THAN THE STUFF THAT'S IN THERE NOW - AND THAT LED LEGISLATIVE ANTI- NUKERS TO CONJURE UP IMAGES OF THREE MILE ISLAND - CHERNOBYL - HIROSHIMA! ' We can blow up the world 42 times! How did this happen?'' There's no telling that a dictatorial government like Pakistan could contract with a company from the United States to bring some of their nuclear garbage to the WIPP site!' CARLSBAD DEMOCRAT JOHN HEATON ARGUED IT'S ACTUALLY JUST ALL- AMERICAN MEDICAL WASTE - RESEARCH WASTE - NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION WASTE - MUCH OF IT SITTING IN BARRELS ABOVEGROUND AT LOS ALAMOS LAB RIGHT NOW. A MAJORITY OF HOUSE MEMBERS SAW IT HEATON'S WAY. ' This is probably the safest place on the planet for this type of waste - and I think it's probably a better solution to move it someplace reasonably safe versus someplace that is not safe.' THE LEGISLATION NOW GOES TO THE STATE SENATE - IF THEY AGREE THE REQUESTED RULE CHANGE WILL GO TO THE U.S. DEPART,MENT OF ENERGY - AT CAPITOL SD EWN4 GOVERNOR  « Less