Opinion

Nuclear Option Not A Good Fit For Leavenworth County 

 I am concerned that basing a Nuclear Reactor facility in Leavenworth County may not be a good fit for our communities. The proposal which is being brought forward by TerraPower a corporation backed by Bill Gates would place a reactor facility in Leavenworth County. 

This proposal is not alone in Kansas as it seems Governor Kelly's Department of Commerce has made a determination that small nuclear reactors scattered across the plains is the solution to our energy future.  

It's time to put the brakes on and consider real facts about why nuclear power has stalled in this country and what the risks are for our communities. 

The first problem with the current push to go nuclear is the perception by the public that they have no say in the decision. It seems as if overnight our government officials are arriving for ribbon cuttings and dedications without any level of openness and transparency about the real risks of the unproven reliability of some of these technologies. 

Should we not have a state developed policy on how many nuclear reactors will be enough and what the rules will be in Kansas before moving forward? 

The second issue is that there is currently no national high-level nuclear waste disposal facility in this country after the failure to adopt the Yucca Mountain facility. Scientists have also found that even in cement casks some of these materials are extremely dangerous to transport on our highways and railroads. 

The result has been that every nuclear reactor facility in our nation has become a high-level waste site. I suspect the same will be true right here in Leavenworth County or in nearby DeSoto. Any reactor constructed will likely become a waste site because currently there is no where to go with the waste-no one wants it. 

I am not opposed to nuclear power but let's not fool ourselves or our neighbors about the risks. If we want another reactor in Kansas build one adjacent to the current Wolf Creek facility where they are already storing large quantities of high-level waste. Let's not create waste sites across our state. 

The current proposal is flawed and is not a good fit for our county because it is rushed and doesn't take into account the experimental nature of the new technology and it by default would create a high-level nuclear waste site in the middle of Leavenworth County. 

I will not be signing any letter of interest to move forward with this project. 

Mike Stieben 

Leavenworth County Commissioner 

913-775-2772

Henry McClure  
785.383.9994
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