S.C. Governor Sends Troopers to Borders to Stop Government Shipments of Plutonium

Atlanta Journal Constitution ^ | 6/15/02 | Associated Press

[DoveTurnedHawk]

Gov. Jim Hodges ordered state troopers and other authorities to South Carolina's borders Friday to stop government shipments of plutonium that could begin arriving from Colorado as early as this weekend.

[snip]

But Hodges has said he fears the government will end up leaving the plutonium permanently in South Carolina, making the state a tempting target for terrorists.

Hodges, a Democrat who is up for re-election in the fall, has been threatening for weeks to use state troopers to block roads into the Savananna River Site and has vowed to lie down in the road if necessary to stop the plutonium-carrying trucks.

[Rome2000]

But Hodges has said he fears the government will end up leaving the plutonium permanently in South Carolina, making the state a tempting target for terrorists.

The only thing this jackass fears is that the SCOTUS will tell him to get the hell out of the way before he's up for reelection.

[Rome2000]

First, if he was a conservative republican would they still be upset with him?

LOL!!!

Conservative Republicans put the interests of the nation ahead of their own political ambitions.

Thats the very difference between the Jackass party and the GOP.

You'll see what I mean in November 2002.

[stylin_geek]

Please see my post #71 for my thoughts on Mr. Hodges opposing transport of nuclear material in to the State of SC. You say you do not disagree with a report about the melting of Alaska. I grew up in a small fishing town, and over the years, it appears the commercial fisheries have dwindled. So, I guess this makes me an expert on the subject of commercial fishing?

As for the hysteria surrounding plutonium, have you ever considered the hazardous material known as gasoline? Yet, I would imagine you have absolutely no problem running to the corner quick stop to buy some. How about mixing some bleach with ammonia? Are you aware of the consequences of that action? Or, farmers spraying fields with Anhydrous Ammonia. What happens if a tank of Anhydrous tips over? Since everything I have just mentioned is extremely hazardous, should we let govenors call out state troopers because trains or trucks are carrying this stuff in to their state? Should we make sure that all businesses handling this stuff tell the government exactly how long it will be in the State?

[TiaS]

I th-e-e-e-e-e-nk so . . . .

[Mike the lurker]

"First, I think we should make a move to resupply Fort Sumter and wait for South Carolina's response to that.

Oh, wait... wrong century."

I still think it's a great idea :)

[proud to be breathing]

I have worked ( and at times lived) in Alaska for 30 years, as a commercial fisherman, so yes I feel I have some relevant experience in those areas. I've caught salmon, herring, atka mackeral, cod, pollock, crab, sole and halibut over that time. I now work for a tech firm, but retain partial ownership in two vessels, so I am keenly aware of all aspects of Alaskan commercial fishing, and Alaska in general. The NYtimes article recapsulates what has been talked about, studied and published in the AK press for years. There are no dissenters in Alaska to the opinion that things are heating up quite nicely, thank you. Witness Senator Stevens. As for plutonium, yes, in its inert state, it is relativly harmless, but there are a number of other issues here. The most prevalant form of plutonium in waste has a half life of 24,000 years. Gasoline evaporates before your eyes. The next is , as conservatives, I always thought that we valued states rights. I can only imagine your response would be the same if the pres shipping this was Clinton, and the gov opposing him was, oh say, GWB in Texas.

[HardStarboard]

Thoughts - why yes: why don't we give the plutonium to Jose Padilla so the #&%&(%@#$^ Democrats will believe that he was seriously intending to make a dirty bomb and that Bush and Ashcroft aren't using his arrest for political purposes.

[doosee]

Specifically which State or Federal laws were abrogated or ignored by the federal Government in either nuclear fuels reprocessing, transport, or disposal?

On Feb. 15, DOE decided to eliminate the immobilization component of the program and proceed exclusively with the MOX technology. This proposed change intensified negotiations, which resulted in a proposed agreement. Under that agreement, DOE made a commitment to South Carolina to construct the proposed MOX facility and offered "a commitment to maintain a pathway out of South Carolina for any plutonium brought into the State, including firm dates by which such material would be removed from the State if DOE, for any reason, were to be unable to secure the funding necessary to build the MOX facility."

Gov. Hodges refused to sign the agreement unless DOE made it legally enforceable, either by waiving the federal government's sovereign immunity to allow a future lawsuit or in the settlement of a lawsuit that South Carolina was ready to bring against DOE now with a consent decree containing the settlement terms.

On April 19, DOE dramatically altered its plans for disposition of surplus plutonium by announcing that SRS would be the consolidated site for long-term storage. Moreover, the MOX disposition plan was put on hold pending review "pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)."

Originally, all surplus plutonium entering South Carolina was going to exit either by immobilization or conversion to MOX. Then immobilization was abandoned in favor of exclusive reliance on MOX. Now DOE plans long-term storage at SRS, a site that it previously concluded was unsuitable for long-term storage. DOE's policy change on April 19 forced Gov. Hodges' hand and resulted in the filing of this lawsuit.

This is an excerpt from a letter from a Univ. SC Professor that points out how the DOE has engaged in deception with the State of SC. I also found it interesting that by my pointing out prior adjudication by the federal judge Cameron Currie, you interpret that as being derisive. She, to me anyway, has a socialist left wing agenda to pursue.

[rmvh]

It's the way democracy (with a small D) works, but unfortunately its not how a federal republic was intended to work, which is what we are supposed to be.

What is your personal interpretation of the intent of the founding fathers which differs from what exists, and which is not otherwise specified in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution?

[rmvh]

Question to you was...."Specifically which State or Federal laws were abrogated or ignored by the federal Government in either nuclear fuels reprocessing, transport, or disposal......"when reviewing final court decisions"

If the people don't like what is happening they can sue through their state governments....which has been done. Yet there has been no final adjudication which has shown that the Feds have been guilty of anything on this specific subject.

Just because a few nutcases don't like the federal program on nuclear fuel waste handling does not prove any laws have been broken as the moron in Columbia charges....This is all being done to arouse the bewildered, the devious, and the uninformed so that the pathetic creature in the Statehouse can be re-elected.

[stylin_geek]

Before we go to far on the global warming issue, I am not claiming that it is not happening. However, I do not believe that man is responsible, and that if it is actually happening, it is a natural ocurrence. As for gasoline evaporating, if it is so harmless, because it dissipates so rapidly, then why were gas stations required to replace their underground tanks? You know, the ones that were leaking and threatening to contaminate underground water supplies? Also, it appears you are not looking at my prior posts. Political grandstanding is political grandstanding. If it were GW Bush, confronting Clinton, I would have the same reaction. Also, please do not go down the road of "half-life hysteria." You might as well be a shill for Green Peace or the Sierra Club if you are going to talk in those terms.

[pepsionice]

I have this swell idea. Make an offer to any state....$10 billion dollars per year for the state that accepts the waste storage site. And the icing on the cake....every resident of the state gets a one-time federal tax credit of $1000. Watch how fast everyone rushes up to sign for the storage site.

[2nd_Amendment_Defender]

Cogema leads the world in uranium production, MOX fuel fabrication and spent fuel recycling, and it is the world's second largest uranium enricher after the Department of Energy.

If recycling spent fuel rods is true than we have a renewable fuel source through nuclear fission power plants. That is great for our society. Too bad the idiots in Chernobyl made nuclear power plants look so bad.

[drmatt]

Yep, sodium, which is very volatile when exposed to air or water. Called the Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR). The French made the most progress with this concept, building a prototype (Phoenix) and a full-scale reactor Super Phoenix). They abandoned their LMFBR program after many operational problems. The Japanese have built one LMFBR (Monju, I think), but it also has had problems, including an accident with a sodium leak.

[drmatt]

The Germans have made the most progress with development of coated particle fuel. Based on the German experience, this fuel can operate safely at 1300 C for extended periods during normal operation and can withstand a complete loss of cooling accident, where fuel temperatures reach 1600 C for short periods of time. This fuel design also allows for very high burnup in a single pass. Because of the fuel's high temperature capability, the MHR operates at a much higher thermal efficiency than water-cooled reactors (48% vs. 32%).

[l8pilot]

Let's get the Yankees to dump the stuff in Boston or New York City. If it's harmless, it won't hurt them.

[One of the family]

If we go along with our president-dont see the real facts.This tenp.work program changes nothing-it sends no illegal HOME.In fact what its doing is-saying - we give up,now please let us make you legal-once these stupid Americans forget your here its all yours.That way we could give you things real Americans only wish they could get.Need a loan-go down to Wells Fart-go,need food stamps,its yours-need well fair,its yours and now its all legal.What a deal-see you are.Where do I go to get in this program.

[Paul_Denton]

Agree. Actually use that still perfectly good (with reprocessing of course) fuel instead of letting it go to waste.

[FFIGHTER]

South Carolina should secede from the Union.

[One of the family]

If you go along with our president-you dont see the real facts.This tenp.work program changes nothing-it sends no illegal HOME.In fact what its doing is-saying - we give up,now please let us make you legal-once these stupid Americans forget your here- its all yours.That way we can give you- things real Americans -only wish they could get.Need a loan-go down to Wells Fargo,need food stamps,its yours-need well fair,its yours and now its all legal.What a deal-see you are special.Where do I go to get in this program.Mexico