Ralph Hutchison, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, TN

Statesman Journal
Salem, Oregon

September 3, 2008

It might be too much to expect objectivity from a professor emeritus of nuclear engineering when it comes to discussing nuclear power, but one could hope at least for intellectual honesty.

One would be disappointed, though, by John Ringle's August 21, 2008 piece in the Statesman Journal. Here's what Dr. Ringle forgot to mention.

Once his scheme for reprocessing spent fuel and its "valuable plutonium and uranium," is finished here's what we have: more plutonium and uranium. If you only think in terms of economic value — hooray! But if you are concerned about nuclear proliferation, you will realize that establishing a plutonium economy will lead to more plutonium under less control moving around the globe.

Plutonium and uranium, of course, are the ingredients of thermonuclear weapons of mass destruction — and of dirty bombs. Doubtless Dr. Ringle knows, but didn't mention, that a piece of plutonium the size of a pencil eraser could wipe out every woman, man and child in Corvallis if it were dispersed in air.

That's the problem with reprocessing spent fuel. Always has been and always will be. That hasn't changed.

What has changed is the realization that these materials on the open market is an unacceptably dangerous proposition — that's largely what's behind the effort by Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, James Webb and other hawks to get serious about abolishing our nuclear arsenal.


"Caveat emptor" — let the buyer beware — is the only fitting headline for Dr. Ringle's piece. Those who buy his argument are buying a world of trouble for our children and grandchildren. Literally.

— Ralph Hutchison, coordinator, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, Oak Ridge, Tenn.