POSITION STATEMENT ON NUCLEAR POWER

Approved by the SF Bay Area PSR Steering Committee
October 17, 2000

Nuclear power is both unnecessary and unsafe. Nuclear reactors present a grave danger of meltdown and widespread contamination and the waste produced in the process of nuclear energy generation remains toxic for thousands of generations. No completely safe method of waste containment has been developed and the energy produced by nuclear power facilities can be supplanted by energy conservation and more sustainable alternatives. In addition, materials produced by nuclear reactors have been and can be used in the production of nuclear weapons leading to weapons proliferation and global destabilization.

Therefore, PSR opposes both domestic nuclear power and foreign export of the nuclear power technologies and supports the research, development and implementation of a comprehensive energy policy that relies on both energy conservation and sustainable energy technologies here and abroad. With regard to the disposal of nuclear waste, PSR:

• Opposes shallow land burial of nuclear wastes.

• Supports zero release technologies, which may include highly-engineered monitored, retrievable containment facilities located near the site of waste production.