Beyond Nuclear joins coalition opposing "streamlining" of new reactor licensing

A coalition of environmental groups, including Beyond Nuclear, has written to U.S. Senators urging opposition to any further gutting of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing proceedings for new reactor proposals. In an opinion piece printed in the New York Times, Sen. John Kerry (Democrat-MA) -- co-sponsor of Sen. Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) climate bill, S. 1733 -- along with Sen. Lindsay Graham (Republican-SC), called for such "streamlining," along with other public support for expanding the nuclear power industry, as a supposed solution to the climate crisis. But nuclear power is too expensive and slow, and has not solved its "insurmountable risks" of nuclear weapons proliferation, accidents and attacks, radioactive waste, and "routine releases" of radioactivity and toxic chemicals at every step of the uranium fuel chain. (Environment America responded to the Kerry-Graham op-ed on at Huffington Post.)