Nuclear waste plan a threat to Idaho

I was appalled to read in the Oct. 4 Coeur d’Alene Press that the federal Department of Energy wants to build a $1.6 billion nuclear waste storage facility at the Idaho (Nuclear) Energy Lab.

Then on Oct. 6 it was reported that Idaho, via Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, was fining the DOE $3,600/day for failing to meet the Sept. 30 deadline for finding a safe way to stabilize some 900,000 gallons of nuclear waste for transportation out of Idaho.

Let’s back up the boat! Idaho Gov. Phil Batt in 1995 negotiated an agreement with the federal government that Idaho would receive more nuclear waste, under certain conditions, if all nuclear waste was removed from Idaho by 2035. This is a treaty between the state of Idaho and federal government. Based on history, the federal government’s track record on meeting its side of treaties is blatantly bad.

At this time the DOE has missed a deadline to have technology in place to stabilize some 900,000 gallons of nuclear waste. Now the DOE wants to build a multi-billion dollar facility to store more nuclear waste from warships in Idaho. Just how and when would these new shipments of nuclear waste be removed from Idaho?

It is apparent that the state of Idaho, through its elected officials, must now stand up to the federal government and make the DOE comply with the terms of the 1995 treaty. It can start with Idaho not accepting any more nuclear waste until the DOE has developed the technology that will stabilize the 900,000 gallons of nuclear waste stored above the Snake River Aquifer so at a future date it can be safely shipped out of Idaho.

As specified in the 1995 treaty, the federal government will remove all nuclear waste from Idaho by 2035. I would urge the Idaho Board of Education to add this nuclear waste removal treaty to the Idaho history class curriculum taught in the fourth grade throughout Idaho. It is this generation that will ultimately have the responsibility to hold the federal government’s feet to the fire for removing all nuclear waste from our great state of Idaho.

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Mark E. Weadick is a Coeur d’Alene resident.