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From: Shinbrot.WBST@PARC-MAXC.ARPA@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Nuclear Fusion
Message-ID: <12111@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Sep-83 13:25:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12111
Posted: Wed Sep 28 13:25:00 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Oct-83 13:52:29 EDT
Lines: 32

I will take your advice and not be irritated by your comment that none
of your derogatory comments are aimed at anyone on this net.  I do,
however, find your remarks about waste-disposal being a non-issue to be
a wee bit infuriating.  I would like to remind you that people have been
opposing nuclear fission for some time now.  It was not yesterday that
we brought up the issue of nuclear waste disposal.  Therefore those of
us who have been involved in investigating problems and alternatives can
be excused for finding your remarks peculiar.  At what point, pray tell,
does the non-issue become relevent?  Just how much waste would you like
before you choose to become concerned?  We were calling for an end to
this domestic nuclear proliferation 10 and more years ago.  The uranium
presently driving nuclear plants was still in the ground then.  If we
had shut the plants down then, most of the waste would not be around.
Your suggestion, therefore, that we not worry about waste, that we not
worry about the few plants still a-building make me think that you are
less than impartial and rational on this issue.

As for the rest of your letter, I cannot imagine where you get your
information or what has gotten you so exercized.  Anyone on any side of
the nuclear issue will tell you that almost without exception, the
democratic process has nothing whatever to do with the licensing or
implementation of nuclear power plants.  The local governing bodies in
most municipalities, including yours I expect, institute an appointed
body of utility commissioner(s).  This body decides the rates and
economic recourses available to nuclear utilities.  The physical
constraints applying to the nuclear plants are established by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission - not an elected body.  The emergency
procedures pertaining to the nuclear plants are dictated by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency - not an elected body.  The  financial
decisions to go nuclear are made by banks and banking groups, which are
not elected.  So next time before you harp about phys ed majors play
acting as a hobby, THINK, willya???