Bush backs nuclear power expansion

Calling nuclear power an over-regulated industry that needs a jump-start from Washington, US President George Bush yesterday pitched to expand nuclear power generation by dealing with radioactive waste, lessening regulations and reviving nuclear fuel processing.

The backdrop was the Limerick Generating Station, a nuclear plant operated by Excelon about 64kms from Philadelphia.

Bush argued that nuclear power is abundant, affordable, safe and clean.

“For the sake of economic security and national security, the US of America must aggressively move forward with the construction of nuclear power plants,” Bush said. ”Other countries are.”

Some environmentalists have abandoned their opposition to nuclear power, arguing it is needed to address climate change because reactors do not produce “greenhouse” gases as do fossil fuels. Other environmentalists are not convinced, citing worries about reactor waste and safety.

“The debate needs to fully address such vital issues as the exorbitant cost of building new nuclear facilities, the potential proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the disposal of radioactive wastes,” said Thomas Cochran, director of the Natural Resources Defence Council’s nuclear program.

There are 100 nuclear power plants scattered across 31 US states, but an order has not been placed for a new reactor since 1973. A broad energy bill Bush signed last summer provides incentives for building again, and Bush said interest is up eight-fold.

The American public is evenly divided on the question of building more nuclear plants, recent polling has found.

The Bush administration also wants Congress to accelerate a decade-long research program into reprocessing nuclear fuel, which advocates say would pose much less risk and reduce the amount of reactor waste that eventually would have to be buried.

The US abandoned nuclear fuel reprocessing in the 1970s because of proliferation concerns.

“Nuclear power helps us protect the environment and nuclear power is safe,” Bush said.