skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for the first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Uranium Enrichment Plans for ID – Opponents Scarce at Public Hearings

play audio
Play

Monday, December 15, 2008   

Boise, ID – Billions of dollars in cash and hundreds of jobs are the promises with Areva's plans to build a uranium enrichment plant near Idaho Falls. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has started public hearings on the project, and so far, support has been strong, especially in light of the current economic downturn in the state.

However, nuke watchdog Andrea Shipley with the Snake River Alliance says the project goes beyond jobs and cash. She says uranium enrichment creates a dangerous waste that has to be specially treated for safe storage, and that piece has been overlooked in the state's longing for economic development.

"There are no de-conversion plants up and running in the United States right now. So, it's kind of like building an outhouse without digging a hole first."

Areva is confident that conversion facilities will be available by the time the plant opens, which could be five years down the road. And Idaho Sen. Larry Craig has said Areva's choice of Eastern Idaho for the plant will likely mean other big, international companies will follow.

Shipley agrees there is money for Idaho related to energy development, but she says there's more money available in the areas of conservation, wind, solar and geothermal production. She's hoping the state puts a "green economic" plan in place soon to take advantage of the opportunities.

"When the new administration says, 'there's money available to states,' we are ready to act, and we are ready to reap the economic benefits: more jobs and rural development."

Areva is based in France, and uranium processed in Idaho would be used for commercial nuclear power plants.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021