Re:Nuclear Waste,Science, & Politics: Regaining Virginity?

["jjcohen" <jjcohen@prodigy.net>]

  Of course nuclear waste decisions are primarily driven by politics. And

why not?  The "scientific"

approach that has been applied over the past 50 years, at a cost of billions

of dollars has failed  to find an

 acceptable solution--- succeeding only to enrich those who have been

feeding at the research

funding trough. The message to a  scientifically naive public is the

problem must be extremely severe

to justify such an expenditure. Aversion to having such a deadly hazard

anywhere nearby is understandably

a frightening prospect.

    Given the history of this problem,  any  assurance by the scientific

community that the waste can be safely

handled is as difficult as regaining one's lost virginity. Maybe it is best

that the politicians deal with the problem.

 It is doubtful that they can do a worse job than the scientific community

has done.





----- Original Message -----

From: George J. Vargo <vargo@physicist.net>

To: 'Stabin, Michael' <michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu>; 'jjcohen'

<jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>; 'John Jacobus' <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>;

<franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>; <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 3:35 PM

Subject: RE: Stakeholders





One wonders if the outcome would be different if some of the money spent on

paper studies had been spent on a high-speed rail link between the LA area

and La$ Vega$.  Cynical?  You bet!





-----Original Message-----

From: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu] On Behalf Of Stabin, Michael

Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 5:21 PM

To: jjcohen; John Jacobus; franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT;

radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: RE: Stakeholders







>Definition of "Stakeholder":  Anyone who has an opinion



And opinions are like armpits - everyone has a couple and they usually

stink. Yucca is not politicized at the national level in this election. It

was more nationally political during Clinton's time, as he fought it in the

administration and the courts when he could. The governor of Nevada,

thinking mostly about keeping gambling tourism up, nothing really to do with

the health and welfare of the citizens, has politicized it. And it may be in

discussion with the state pols, I haven't heard until just now. It is a

shame when a truly dangerous situation, namely overloaded quantities of

spent fuel on power plant sites, is allowed to continue, instead of a

solution that is pretty well accepted as sound from an engineering and

scientific standpoint. This is truly political, I agree. But all of

radiation protection is not so political; most of where we sit today is

based on a century of maturation of our thinking, with purely political

concerns sometimes imposing an additional constraint.



Mike



Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

Vanderbilt University

1161 21st Avenue South

Nashville, TN 37232-2675

Phone (615) 343-0068

Fax   (615) 322-3764

Pager (615) 835-5153

e-mail     michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu

internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com





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