ML20066F770

From kanterella
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Email from P. Townsend Status of Spent Fuel Reprocessing Rulemaking
ML20066F770
Person / Time
Site: West Valley Demonstration Project, P00M-032
Issue date: 03/04/2020
From: Townsend P
League of Women Voters, West Valley Citizen Task Force
To: Wendy Reed
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Reed W
References
Download: ML20066F770 (1)


Text

From: Pat Townsend To: Reed, Wendy Cc: Diane D"Arrigo; Barbara Warren; Kevin Kamps

Subject:

[External_Sender] rulemaking on reprocessing Date: Wednesday, March 04, 2020 4:24:36 PM

Dear Dr. Reed:

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today's meeting by phone. I attempted more than once to be recognized, but by the time I realized I really was going to have to try again and again rather than having my name called, the people who I have copied, as well as Marvin Resnikoff, had made most of my points and I did think it necessary to repeat them.

I am an environmental anthropologist and I represent the League of Women Voters on the West Valley Citizen Task Force. I oppose the NRC continuing rulemaking on nuclear fuel reprocessing. The only unique thing I would have said is that I live downwind and downstream from West Valley, the air I breathe and the water I drink, albeit diluted, still contain radionuclides generated by West Valley in 6 years of reprocessing from 1966 through 1972.

Those of us living in metropolitan Buffalo-Niagara Falls have not been as seriously threatened by the West Valley nuclear site as the Seneca living in the reservation along Cattaraugus Creek. From past American history, I suspect that any site of future reprocessing would also be selected to ensure environmental injustice.

Instead of sending the two million dollars that it would cost to continue the rulemaking to West Valley for cleanup (as several participants suggested, but where it would be a drop in the bucket) I urge you to continue research in methods of safe disposal, storage, and monitoring of spent nuclear fuel, being particularly attentive to what went wrong with previous (and present) reprocessing ventures here and abroad.

Again, thank you for encouraging the public to be heard.

Sincerely yours, Patricia K. Townsend, Ph. D.