This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I am disappointed in the state engineer's decision to award 53,600 acre-feet of water rights for a proposed nuclear power plant on the Green River ("Utah gives green light to nuclear power plant," Tribune, Jan. 21).
Nobody knows how much water there will actually be in the Green in the near future as we enter an era of climate uncertainty. Utah should act conservatively and not award rights to water that may not exist.
Nuclear power is not clean energy. There is no solution for long-term storage of nuclear waste, and after 20 years of arguing about disposal at Yucca Mountain, the nation is starting over from scratch.
Utahns who don't want to imperil their own physical and economic health will oppose nuclear power in our state. It is arrogance to think we can manage hazardous waste thousands of years into the future, especially in an active earthquake zone and after the tragedy in Japan.
The state engineer's action is a step backward for our great state. Everyone who feels this way, speak up and make your opinion heard. We can stop this.
Rachel White
Salt Lake City