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Biggert’s Energy Plan Brings Nuclear Waste to Chicago Suburbs
Steve Alesch, Green Party candidate for Congress (IL-13), blasted opponent Rep. Judy Biggert’s new Apollo Energy Independence Act, calling it a political stunt that will jeopardize the health and well-being of millions of people in the 13th district. Rep. Biggert’s plan calls for more nuclear reactors across the United States, as well as a nuclear waste reprocessing facility in the Chicago Suburbs.
While Alesch did commend Rep. Biggert for recognizing that the nation needs a ‘Marshall Plan’ to solve the energy problem and the looming catastrophic effects of global climate change, the nation doesn’t need to invest in unsafe technologies like nuclear power, he said.
Instead, Alesch called for Congress to raise the fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks, expanding tax incentives for consumers for energy-efficient upgrades to buy solar panels for their homes, hybrid cars, etc. Alesch is opposed to squandering our strategic oil reserves in ANWR.
“We cannot afford to sign our strategic oil reserves over to energy companies like Exxon, who happen to be making record profits during this so-called crisis,” said Alesch. “Biggert’s plan is beyond foolish. It threatens our national security.”
“Let’s bring some common sense to the debate. Renewable energy from solar, wind, geothermal — this is the direction our nation ought to be heading,” said Alesch. “But before we get there, we need someone in Washington right now with the courage to act.”
“Biggert is promoting the forms of energy that we should be moving away from in the next 10 years,” said Alesch. “This is another example of how out-of-touch Biggert is with the reality of our energy crisis.”
While Biggert has proposed drilling for oil in environmentally sensitive areas, it is her proposed major expansion of nuclear energy in the Chicago Suburbs that should be particularly troubling to area residents.
“We’ve known for decades that nuclear facilities are liabilities and risks,” said Alesch. “They produce waste that is dangerous and costly to transport and store, can be targets of terrorist attacks, and they put surrounding communities at risk.”
It should be noted that Biggert is calling for a massive expansion of nuclear facilities across the U.S. while at the same time promoting a plan to build a nuclear reprocessing facility in the Chicago suburbs under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).
“In simple terms, GNEP is a plan to make suburban Chicago the world’s nuclear waste dump,” Alesch said. “Nuclear waste from all over the world will be transported and reprocessed right here in our neighborhood, endangering the lives and health of millions. Adding up health care costs and the environmental impact, who knows how much Biggert’s plan will cost us. Any jobs this will create will be vastly outweighed by the pain and suffering this facility will cause.”
MORE INFORMATION
Steve Alesch for Congress (IL-13)
www.votesteve.org
http://www.neis.org/Campaigns/GNEP/index.shtml
Steve Alesch Adopts Environmental Action Plan for First 100 Days in Office
http://www.votesteve.org/media/20080508.shtml
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