Oregon PSR Board Member Andy Harris, MD was recently published in the Willamette Week! His letter to the editor "No Nukes is Good Nukes" was featured in the February 5th, 2025 edition of the newspaper.
In response to Nigel Jaquiss’ article on nuclear power Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility has many concerns:
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Nuclear energy is notorious for cost overruns and years of delays. The typical time for planning and construction of a nuclear plant is 10-15 years.
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Nuclear is by far the most expensive source of energy.
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A permanent repository for radioactive waste does not exist in the U.S.
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Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) are an unproven entity since none have been built in the U.S.
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SMRs are hardly small, typically measuring 76 ft in height and 15 ft in diameter.
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Uranium mining is usually done on Indigenous lands, exposing workers and communities downwind to ionizing radiation causing cancer.
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SMRs are touted as “clean energy” by the nuclear industry. The reality is that uranium mining, construction of reactors, transportation of equipment and fuel, and site prep all require large amounts of energy from dirty fossil fuels.
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A 1980 Oregon referendum banned construction of commercial nuclear reactors unless the U.S. has a high level nuclear waste repository, and only if it receives statewide voter approval.
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Nuclear reactors are at risk of malfunction and radiation leaks, such as disasters at Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and Fukushima.
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Radiation risks make nuclear reactors uninsurable except by national governments.
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Climate change cannot wait 10-15 years for the development and construction of new nuclear reactors. Time is running out on our climate as we have witnessed with wildfires, heat domes, severe storms, flooding, droughts, and rising sea levels.
Andy Harris, MD
Board of Directors, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility
Published in the Willamette Week, February 5th, 2025 edition. Read the LTE online here. Scroll down to the second LTE.