CHICAGO– A House Public Utilities committee meeting held today was the scene of the opening rounds of the next “nuclear war” in Illinois.

Committee members heard testimony and voted on HB1079, introduced by Rep. Mark Walker (D. 53rd, Arlington Heights) that would repeal a decades-old moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power reactors in Illinois, pending a final disposal solution for the dangerous high-level radioactive wastes (HLRW) that reactors produce.

The Committee voted 18 to 3 to advance the bill to the full House for consideration. Read more

The House Public Utilities Committee has re-scheduled its hearing dealing with HB1079. NEW witness slips are required and will be needed, even if you filed one last week. Last week, opponents outnumbered proponents 8 to 1.  This week, the proponents are on the march.  We need to act fast and aggressively.  Filing as an “opponent”  is recommended by the Illinois Environmental Council and others. Read more

Rep. Mark Walker (D. 53rd, Arlington Heights) has once again introduced HB1079, an attempt to repeal the Illinois nuclear power plant construction moratorium.

This moratorium was enacted and has insured that Illinois will not become the de facto radioactive waste dump for the nation, since Illinois nukes have generated the most high-level radioactive waste.

Make no mistake – this is the first step necessary for the nuclear industry to build their proposed “small modular nuclear reactors” (SMNRs), presumably at the sites of retiring coal plants and mines.  More nuclear reactors of any kind will mean – more radioactive waste, more bailouts, more rate hikes, continued accident threat, and LESS renewable energy and efficiency. Read more