Proceed with caution, and open minds, on nuclear energy
These days, nuclear energy seems to be all the rage. And by that I mean that nuclear energy has some people raging against the possibility of it coming to Wyoming. But some of our elected officials are taking the time to learn more about the topic.
Last week, members of the Campbell County Commission and the Gillette City Council got a chance to visit the Idaho National Laboratory to learn about nuclear power.
They have taken a good approach. They’re educating themselves on an issue that is relatively new to them so that when the time comes, they can make a decision based on facts and logic, rather than emotions.
I’ve been fascinated by nuclear power for a while now, and it’s exciting to see the conversation start to gain some momentum. From the TerraPower project in Kemmerer to the Radiant Nuclear project in Natrona County, nuclear is being talked about all over the state.
Nuclear waste is a huge issue. I don’t think anyone is denying that. Maybe one day there will be a solution. But for now, it’s the elephant in the room, one that causes many people to be skeptical of or outright opposed to nuclear energy.
Nobody wants nuclear waste here. Let’s get that out of the way.
Uranium already is being mined in Campbell County and other parts of northeastern Wyoming. The presidential administration has made moves to open things up for the nuclear industry. I would think that a community that voted nearly 90% for Trump would be more open to this.
People who would greatly resent being labeled as environmentalists all of a sudden care about what happens to the environment. I guess everyone becomes an environmentalist when it’s their own backyard, and when it deals with materials that could potentially cause massive problems years from now.
I don’t think there is anyone in Wyoming that wants to see the Cowboy State become the dumping ground for all of this nuclear waste. Whether you’re the most ardent supporter of fossil fuels or if you think all lands should be free from human activity, you don’t want that stuff here.
Nuclear energy is not going to completely replace the legacy industries in Campbell County, at least, not for a long time.
Gillette calls itself the Energy Capital of the Nation. Why can’t nuclear energy be part of that? Just because you have nuclear doesn’t mean you can’t also have coal, oil and gas.
It’s completely natural to fear something you don’t know. But we shouldn’t let that fear prevent us from exploring all our options. And nuclear energy is an option.
For now, we should approach it with open minds, as well as a healthy dose of skepticism. It’s a fine line to walk, but if we keep that balance, Campbell County will be the better for it.