Letter: SB 1418 But They're Just Little Nukes

I was taken aback by the statements made by the sponsors of Arizona SB 1418. Republican Frank Carroll publicly declared, “I don’t buy into being overly cautious because that’s not necessary here.” Similarly, Republican House Majority Leader Michael Carbone suggested that storing spent fuel rods in swimming pools is acceptable because, “They’re getting to the point where they’ve taken everything out of it, there’s nothing hazardous about it any more.” Spent nuclear fuel rods become more radioactive and less thermally useful as they fission in a reactor. Spent uranium fuel rods remain extremely dangerous to human health and the environment for hundreds of thousands of years. Carroll and Barbone's statements raise serious concerns about the public safety implications of SB 1418. It is imperative that elected officials receive some basic education on nuclear safety and the long-term consequences of nuclear waste management. Arizona voters should be very concerned about the lack of qualifications of SB 1418's supporters.