Idaho Welcomes New Uranium Enrichment Plant

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ENS

Idaho Welcomes New Uranium Enrichment Plant
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho, August 1, 2008 - The French company AREVA plans to build a $2 billion uranium enrichment plant in eastern Idaho to serve the nuclear power industry, its first such facility in the United States.

Idaho state officials are jubilant, having courted the company with tax incentives.

Alluding to eastern Idaho's long experience with nuclear power through the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter said in a statement, "It's a great match that will result in secure jobs and a stronger economy."

Michael McMurphy, President of AREVA Inc., agreed. "While we had several attractive sites to choose from, we opted for Idaho Falls, which has strong ties to nuclear energy and which welcomed AREVA and its proposed enrichment facility," McMurphy said.

The Snake River Alliance, a nuclear watchdog and clean energy advocacy group, has opposed the construction of an enrichment plant since it learned about Areva's intentions in January. Although the alliance is based in Idaho, it is not the location that the group objects to.

"It wouldn't matter if Areva had chosen any of the other four sites it was considering for this plant; we would oppose it no matter where Areva planned to build," said Snake River Alliance Executive Director Andrea Shipley. "We oppose expanding uranium enrichment wherever it occurs. It is premised on expanding nuclear power, which is an expensive and dirty power source."


Read more: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2008/2008-08-01-091.asp

[PSPS]

1. "courted the company with tax incentives. "

In other words, more corporate welfare. What's french for "thanks, suckers"?

[Robeson]

7. merci, jobard...

...:shrug:

[olddad56]

2. Idaho is planning on making nuclear weapons, Lets bomb Idaho.

Oh, not close to Israel, never mind.

[roamer65]

10. To slightly quote Raygun...

"Today I have signed legislation outlawing Idaho forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.":crazy: :silly:

[Gman]

3. Idaho can do it, Iran cannot

go figure. It's OK for us to nuke someone in self defense or otherwise. But no one else has the right to protect themselves, especially against the US.

[Pavulon]

13. We are not covered by that section of the NPT

iran is. We have thousands of megatons of nuclear capacity, iran does not.

IF IF they are developing a weapon it is no defense against a first strike by any first world nuclear power, like the US or France..

[Deny and Shred]

4. I'm sure tax incentives were offered to American firms as well.

Despite years of mammoth profits, US energy firms still resist investing in plants and infrastructure, unless of course they're able to cherry pick - coal, offshore oil, shallow sands of Iraq, etc.
On the same day GM (stick with gas guzzlers in the 21st Century, kill the EV1) takes a $15 B write-down, a foreign firm takes the plunge on a huge investment in the US. Is it me, or does this say something about the sun possibly setting on that trademark American innovative spirit. It seems GM and domestic energy firms have spent their energies lobbying Congress to maximize profits on their current markets, not building better mousetraps for the future.
St. Ronnie believed in capital formation to spur new plants and innovation. So much for that idea.
In 2002/3 there were plenty of Americans actively calling for a boycott of all things French. I'm glad they aren't returning the favor.

[tomreedtoon]

5. I want potatoes that glow in the dark!

It'll make them easier to see when we have no more electrical power, and have to take them indoors from our cooking fires to eat them in sealed, dark rooms.

[Hugabear]

6. So when does Russia start bombing?

Hell, Idaho is only doing the same thing that Iran is.

[MattBaggins]

8. Did Senator Graig have anything to do with this?

If so will they name a bathroom after him?

[IDemo]

9. ->

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1487441/sen_larry_craig_reports_on_trip_to_areva_plants/index.html

Sen. Larry Craig Reports on Trip to AREVA Plants

Posted on: Monday, 21 July 2008, 03:00 CDT

By Hagadone, Zach

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, returned recently from a fact- finding trip to France, where he toured several AREVA nuclear facilities and met with the energy giant's CEO Anne Lauvergeon.

Craig, who is a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, has been a longtime, vocal booster of nuclear energy and was a major player in the effort to bring the AREVA's new $2 billion uranium enrichment facility to the Idaho Falls area.

[jmowreader]

11. I can't think of a better place to put it

If they've got to enrich uranium, and a French company has to do it (I wonder how much of the uranium is going to be shipped back to France; probably most of it), I can't think of a better place than to do it at Arco--which already has over fifty nuclear reactors.

[fla nocount]

12. Do the Mormon's in Utah know about this?

Will they take action on this themselves or will they force regional superpower...California, to stop this threat to God and man. What will happen to the stability of the region if Idaho can enrich it's own uranium?

Does anyone know how many centrifuges Idaho has?