Activists Stop Move by Department of Energy to Reclassify Nuclear Waste

Interview with Jeremy Maxand, executive director of Snake River Alliance, conducted by Melinda Tuhus

Currently, high-level nuclear waste -- almost a hundred million gallons of it -- is stored in three facilities around the country -- in Washington state, Utah and South Carolina. Some of this radioactive material is now leaking into the ground and threatens to contaminate one of the largest freshwater aquifers in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy has attempted to reclassify some of the waste as what they call "incidental" and wants to dispose of it using lax methods which do not comply with federal standards. Two environmental organizations and two Native American tribes have sued the Dept. of Energy to halt that plan. The plaintiffs won their case on July 3rd, when federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill, a Clinton appointee, ruled against the DOE's plan.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Jeremy Maxand, executive director of the Snake River Alliance, a nuclear watchdog group based in Idaho and one of the parties to the lawsuit. He describes the impact of the recent court ruling and the critical health and safety issues at stake in how nuclear waste is controlled and stored.

Snake River Alliance can be reached at (866) 891-0178 or visit their website at www.snakeriveralliance.org

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"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: www.btlonline.org
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