Why Obama opposes building of nuclear power plants

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic Party Majority Leader in the United States Senate, is opposed to the safe disposal of American nuclear waste in Nevada. He prevents any movement in the Senate of any bill that would provide for that disposal. There is no other credible alternative for long-term nuclear waste disposal.

On June 24, Senator Obama opposed the building of new nuclear power plants because the nuclear waste disposal problem has not been solved. Here is a selection from the Reuter's article:

LAS VEGAS, June 24 (Reuters) - U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday criticized his rival John McCain's proposal to encourage the building of 45 new nuclear reactors by 2030.

Obama, a Democrat, said the Republican candidate lacked a plan for storage of the waste. It was among several energy-strategy ideas that Obama said were "not serious energy policies."

Obama was speaking in Nevada, a state where proposals to build a nuclear waste disposal site at Yucca Mountain have generated strong opposition....

He also took aim at McCain's plan to allow more offshore U.S. oil drilling.

"It doesn't make sense for America," Obama said. "In fact, it makes about as much sense as his proposal to build 45 new nuclear reactors without a plan to store the waste some place other than right here at Yucca Mountain," the Illinois senator said.

The U.S. Energy Department has applied for a license to operate a long-delayed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles (145 km) from Las Vegas.

Opposition in the U.S. Congress to the Yucca Mountain waste site is among the hurdles it faces. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, is among those who oppose it....

Howard