Is There An Echo in the Room?

In Greek mythology Echo a mountain nymph so annoyed Hera, queen of the gods, with her constant chattering that Hera punished her by taking away her power of speech leaving her with only the ability to repeat the last words spoken by someone else.

Another myth tells of Pan's, god of the woods, pursuit of Echo who escaped him. The angry Pan incited some shepherds to go mad and tear Echo apart, leaving nothing but her voice to echo through the mountains.

Source: Myth Encyclopedia - Echo

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So continuing along in the same theme of today's post let me echo the words of some nuclear power officials in case this newsy item was missed by the newscasters in your local areas.

This coming in over the wires from Vicksburg, Miss. -

" Entergy Nuclear officials say the license renewal for the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Plant in Claiborne County remains on track.

Grand Gulf's license expires in 2024, and an application to extend it an additional 20 years is expected to be finalized by September 2013."

Read more:Grand Gulf says license renewal on track - Ventura County Star

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I hope you take the time to read the full story. Here is just a recap, on June 8, 2012 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia threw out the Waste Confidence Rule that has been in use by the NRC since 1984 as the basis to license new nuclear reactors or relicense existing reactors for an additional 20 years.

The Waste Confidence Rule held that "highly radioactive fuel rods from reactors nationwide would be stored safely until a central repository was established".

In February of this year I posted a series on this blog (link to February Archives ) regarding the findings of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. 

Chapter 4 of the BRC Report leads off with this quote - "The central flaw of the U.S. nuclear waste management program to date has been its failure to develop permanent disposal capability."

Nothing has changed since that report, no miracle powder has been discovered that can be sprinkled on the piles of spent fuel we have now that will make it all disappear. The permanent storage of nuclear waste, i.e. spent fuel, has been a political hot potato (pun intended) for decades This is a fact that cannot be dismissed.

It's like nobody wants this shit in their backyard but they all want to ride the horse. Well it's time to get off the horse and shovel awhile.

I find the arrogance that emits from the nuclear energy companies deplorable, for too long they have done what they wanted, when they wanted. For them to say, "At this time, there is no reason to believe the court's June 8 decision will impact the current license renewal schedule for Grand Gulf" - is the epitome of the arrogance they operate under.

Now is the time for regular Americans to stand up for the handful of environmental groups that are working hard to secure a change in how nuclear waste and the renewal of operating licenses are handled.

Find one of these groups in your area and lend them some support; a simple email or letter that states 'we support your efforts' would be good or give them a donation so they can carry on their work. It doesn't have to be a huge amount, but it is time to get off our duffs and not just let the big boys do all the heavy lifting.

The following is a list of these petitioners: 

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League are joined by the following additional petitioners before the NRC:

Beyond Nuclear, Inc. (intervenor in Fermi COL proceeding, Calvert Cliffs COL proceeding, and Davis-Besse license renewal proceeding; potential intervenor in Grand Gulf COL and Grand Gulf license renewal proceedings);

Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Inc. and chapters ("BREDL") (intervenor in Bellefonte COL proceeding and North Anna COL proceeding; previously sought intervention in W.S. Lee COL proceeding);

Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Inc. (former intervenor in Turkey Point COL proceeding);

Citizens Environmental Alliance of Southwestern Ontario, Inc. (intervenor in Fermi COL proceeding and Davis-Besse license renewal proceeding);

Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination (intervenor in Fermi COL proceeding);

Don't Waste Michigan, Inc. (intervenor in Fermi COL proceeding and Davis-Besse license renewal proceeding);

Ecology Party of Florida (intervenor in Levy COL proceeding);

Eric Epstein (potential intervenor in Bell Bend COL proceeding);

Friends of the Earth, Inc. (potential intervenor in reactor licensing proceedings throughout U.S.);

Friends of the Coast, Inc. (intervenor in Seabrook license renewal proceeding);

Green Party of Ohio (intervenor in Davis-Besse license renewal proceeding);

Dan Kipnis (intervenor in Turkey Point proceeding);

National Parks Conservation Association, Inc. (intervenor in Turkey Point COL proceeding);

Mark Oncavage (intervenor in Turkey Point COL proceeding);

Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Inc. (Petitioner in Callaway license renewal proceeding; intervenor in suspended Callaway COL proceeding)

New England Coalition, Inc. (intervenor in Seabrook license renewal proceeding);

North Carolina Waste Reduction and Awareness Network, Inc. (admitted as an Intervenor in now-closed Shearon Harris COL proceeding);

Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Inc. (intervenor in Calvert Cliffs COL proceeding and Levy COL proceeding);

Public Citizen, Inc. (intervenor in South Texas COL proceeding; admitted as intervenor in now-closed Comanche Peak COL proceeding; potential intervenor in South Texas license renewal proceeding);

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Inc. (intervenor in Diablo Canyon license renewal proceeding);

Sierra Club, Inc. (Michigan Chapter) (intervenor in Fermi COL proceeding);

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Inc. (intervenor in Watts Bar Unit 2 OL proceeding, Turkey Point COL proceeding, Bellefonte COL proceeding; former intervenor in Bellefonte CP proceeding);

Southern Maryland CARES, Inc. (Citizens Alliance for Renewable Energy Solutions) (intervenor in Calvert Cliffs COL proceeding);

Sustainable Energy and Economic Development ("SEED") Coalition, Inc. (intervenor in South Texas COL proceeding; admitted as intervenor in now-closed Comanche Peak COL proceeding; potential intervenor in South Texas license renewal proceeding).