Letter to Editor Decries Ohio Mandate for Another Nuclear Operation

Why didn't they go door to door and ask the community what kind of jobs they want for the area?

A woman in the crowd hold up a sign that reads. "Pray for Ohio's leaders to do the right thing." "No Nukes" "Cleanup Piketon." Courtesy: Portsmouth Public Library

(PORTSMOUTH, Ohio) - To: The Editor,

Date: June 21, 2009

Re: Nuclear Power Plant

Greetings Editor,

How can our representatives, Strickland, Voinovich and Schmidt just, out of the blue, mandate another nuclear operation for our area when previous nuclear endeavors here have been so devastating?

How? When these representatives know good and well that area residents and workers from prior nuclear operations here are deathly ill from toxic chemical and radiation exposures! The Feds have designated Scioto County as having one of the highest cancer rates in the nation, and they even have a categorized list of illnesses caused from THE FORMER PORTSMOUTH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT !

The DOE and OEPA have admitted to their own advisory board for cleanup, of whom this new nuclear plan is also a surprise, that plutonium, toxic chemicals and radiation are still present in our area's environment at dangerous levels.

I'm totally disgusted with the circus our media and representatives performed to promote this new nuke plant. Stacking a last minute meeting with contractors and union people, and calling it a "public/government partnership" was so insulting! Why didn't they go door to door and ask the community what kind of jobs they want for the area?

Where are the clean-up jobs and safe energy solutions that we have been promised?

Vina K. Colley,
Former Sick Worker,
Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant
Email: vcolley@earthlink.net