Critics Concerned Over Possible White House Plan to Resume Dangerous Plutonium Reprocessing

Interview with Ed Lyman, senior staff scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

In President Bush's State of the Union speech on Jan. 31, he declared that the U.S. is addicted to oil, and promoted another form of energy in four words: "clean, safe nuclear power." But opponents of nuclear power with serious concerns about the technology's toxic waste and high costs, say two words unmentioned in the speech are important to factor into the equation of whether nuclear power is going to get a second lease on life in the U.S. Those two words are "plutonium reprocessing."

Last year, the federal budget included $50 million to introduce a plan for "integrated spent fuel recycling facilities" -- in other words, plutonium reprocessing. It's been promoted both as a means of creating more nuclear fuel, and as a way of dealing with nuclear waste.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Ed Lyman, senior staff scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. He explains how the process works, why it was halted once before in the U.S., and why he's concerned about nuclear proliferation if plutonium reprocessing goes forward.

Contact the Union of Concerned Scientists by calling (202) 233-6133 or visit their website at www.ucsusa.org

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