Re: SNF Transportation

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 1/9/02 2:02:22 PM Mountain Standard Time, kg13@cornell.edu writes:



> Dear Dr. Weiner:
>
>
> The holidays caused my response to your letter of December 8 to be delayed.
>
>
> I have now had a chance to look at all the email messages between you 
>
> and David Lochbaum. The basic point is that UCS has never looked into 
>
> the spent fuel transportation issue, only into storage, and has not 
>
> taken any position on the former. For that reason, in responding to 
>
> Mr. Cohen, Mr. Lochbaum only dealt with his questions regarding 
>
> storage. By the same token, he could not respond to your request for 
>
> UCS opinions on various transportation issues.
>
>
> Mr. Lochbaum and I regret that your insistence led him to respond to 
>
> you in an undiplomatic manner.
>
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
>
> Kurt Gottfried


Dear Professor Gottfried:


Thank you for your response,  I wrote initially because some of Mr. Lochbaum's admirers in the anti-nuclear movement quote him frequently, and associated the "Mobile Chernobyl" statement with UCS, if not directly with Lochbaum himself.  It seems to me that if your organization is being cited as making a statement  (and a rather firm one) on an issue on which UCS has not taken a position, it would be of some concern to you.  


Moreover, I find it hard to believe that an incisive critic of nuclear power like UCS has never looked into spent nuclear fuel transportation at all and has never been asked about it.     If UCS refers all transportation questions to Marvin Resnikoff, then I might have expected my questions to be referred to him also.  


I'm also surprised that, as an academic of some standing, you excuse Lochbaum's uncalled for response because I was "insistent."  Compared to  the behavior of nuclear critics whom I have observed, I'd hardly call my two emails "insistence."


I do sincerely thank you for your response, but I am disappointed that you dismiss my question so readily.  I would think that my exchange with Lochbaum might have piqued your interest.  


Sincerely


Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com