Nuclear waste could go through Missouri

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Thousands of shipments of nuclear waste could pass through Missouri and Kansas under a recommendation made by federal officials Thursday.

If affirmed by President Bush, the shipments of highly radioactive waste, possibly as many as one or two a day, would be expected through this region to Yucca Mountain in Nevada, where it would be permanently buried.

"This is a real threat to the state of Missouri," said Kay Drey, a longtime anti-nuclear activist in St. Louis.

Missouri officials have expressed concerns about shipments traveling on crumbling Interstate 70, as one recent shipment did, or through population centers.

If shipments became frequent, the state would need to examine how it could pay for inspecting and accompanying the shipments, said Dru Buntin, interstate issues coordinator at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Missouri has insisted on checking the shipments for radiation leaks and on providing Missouri State Highway Patrol escorts.

One shipment passed through the state last year. State officials insisted it be delayed so it wouldn't pass through St. Louis during rush hour or by Kauffman Stadium during a Royals game in Kansas City, Buntin said.

"We weren't very reassured by how that shipment was handled," Buntin said.

About 70,000 tons of radioactive waste are expected to flow to Yucca Mountain for about 20 years after it opens in 2010. The site would remain radioactive for 10,000 years.

But waste shipments could begin before 2010, with waste stored in temporary sites until the permanent site opens.

Safe so far

The U.S. Energy Department, which transports the waste, has touted its safety record. Of about 2,000 shipments in the United States over several years, eight have involved accidents that released small amounts of radioactivity.

The wastes are shipped in casks that the Energy Department says can withstand extremely high temperatures and tremendous trauma. But anti-nuclear groups have questioned the testing of the casks.

The specter of Sept. 11 also hangs over nuclear shipments.

"There really is a serious potential for terrorist attack" of shipments, said Drey. "It really is not insignificant. A missile could destroy one of those casks."

Abraham cited national security as a key reason for approving Yucca Mountain.

"We must advance our nonproliferation goals by providing a secure place to dispose of any spent fuel and other waste products that result from decommissioning unneeded nuclear weapons," he said.

What's more, Abraham stated, storing the waste in one site should be more secure than keeping it in 131 sites in 39 states.

Nuclear waste now is stored at Wolf Creek Generating Station, near Burlington, Kan., about 100 miles southwest of Kansas City. The plant is operated by Western Resources Inc. and Kansas City Power & Light Co. Nuclear waste also is kept at Callaway Nuclear Generating Station, owned by AmerenUE, near Reform, Mo.

Bush is expected to accept Abraham's recommendation on Yucca Mountain. Nevada officials can veto Bush's decision, but then Congress could override the state's veto.

Nevada officials reacted angrily to Thursday's announcement and promised to fight it.