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Greens Blast Energy Department's Plutonium 238 Plan Tuesday, August 2, 2005 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party members strongly criticized an announcement from the Department of Energy that production of plutonium 238 for batteries would be resumed at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls. The program is estimated to cost as much as $1.5 billion and produce 50,000 drums of radioactive waste. Plutonium 238 hasn't been produced since the Cold War. "The Idaho National Laboratory site is already heavily polluted by large quantities of nuclear waste stored carelessly over earlier decades," said Robert McMinn, spokesperson for the Idaho Green Party. "Groundwater has been contaminated by previous leaks, and further production and storage of waste will magnify the danger to nearby cities and recreational areas, including Idaho Falls, Big Lost River and the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming." Greens warned that plutonium 238 is highly radioactive and that a single particle can cause lung cancer. An explosion or deliberate release would spread particles randomly through the atmosphere with no advance warning or protection for civilians. "Many people in Idaho suffered severe health problems from fallout from the Nevada nuclear tests conducted in the 1950s and 60s -- fallout that settled on our crops and contaminated milk from our dairy cows," said Matthew Denney, Idaho Green delegate to the United States. "We are not inclined to believe the government's claims of safety. Any calculation of the cost of this project must include evacuation, clean-up, and hospitalizations for cancer." Numerous accidents involving nuclear power devices include a navigation satellite powered by plutonium 238 which broke up over the Indian Ocean in 1964, releasing radioactive particles throughout the atmosphere. The New Horizons space mission to Pluto scheduled for January 2006 will use plutonium 238 to power a generator. "There is an increased chance of release of nuclear material from plutonium power devices, especially during deep space missions where so many things can go wrong," said Jody Grage Haug, Washington State Green and co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "The probability of an accident resulting in a release of plutonium during the New Horizons mission is estimated at 1 in 300, according to NASA. Are we willing to risk our health and the health of our children and grandchildren with such terrible odds?" Energy Department officials claim the batteries will be used for "national security applications," excluding weapons, missile defense systems and military satellites, and experts suspect that they will be used for espionage purposes. Since the program is classified, there is no indication or oversight over how the batteries will be used. "The U.S. military will convert the batteries to military use once a ready supply of plutonium 238 is available," said Kevin Bayhouse, Secretary of the Idaho Green Party. "If used in wartime, explosion or theft of the batteries will contaminate people and battlefields, causing health problems potentially even more serious than depleted uranium shells and bombs." MORE INFORMATION
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