[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

California Republican Assemblymember Chuck Devore and other proponents of a ballot measure to repeal California's 1976 nuclear safeguards act -- which prohibits new reactors until there is a permanent solution to the problem of disposal of high level radioactive waste -- yesterday quietly withdrew their proposed initiative from circulation. Apparently having trouble getting sufficient signatures to qualify, and enough financial backing and public support to pass, they pulled the plug on the effort.

Dan Hirsch, President of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, one of the initiative's opponents, hailed the withdrawal as being of "national significance," and as indicative that the national movement to build new nuclear plants may be running out of steam.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

It's proving to be a bumpy year for opponents of nuclear waste and public taxpayer boondoggles. Here's our latest scoop.

First the good news: It appears that a proposed pro-nuclear power initiative, sponsored by Assemblymember Chuck DeVore, and opposed by PCL, is not going to make it to the California ballot. Momentum seems to have died for the DeVore initiative, which would have eliminated the "nuclear safeguards" that currently protect California residents.

Now the bad: Nuclear power advocates aren't giving up the fight. They're just "putting up their nukes" in a different arena. On September 26th, Assemblymember DeVore introduced ABX2 5 into the current Special Session on water policy, to permit the construction of a new nuclear power plant if twenty percent of the power is used for desalination facilities. We predict that this bill is going nowhere, just like the proposed initiative.