“While we support efforts to reduce carbon emissions, we have many questions surrounding Governor Gordon’s proposal to build a small nuclear reactor in Wyoming. This technology is still experimental and unproven; the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has yet to license a design, so this announcement appears to be premature. Additionally, we have concerns about the cost to build the facility, how much water will be needed for its operation, and how the waste will be safely stored.
“On the issue of uranium mining, we need to remember that these operations will not replace the revenue lost by coal’s decline. There are no royalties and very little severance tax generated from uranium mining, so communities will not realize a windfall from this endeavor.
“Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this latest claim of a ‘silver bullet’ to save Wyoming’s economy is that it once again diverts attention away from our very real crisis in revenue, jobs and community survival. Wyoming’s elected leaders have still not come forward with a real plan to address lost jobs, declining revenues and the dissolution of coal communities. This speculative feasibility study will not do that.”
- Marcia Westkott, Chair, Powder River Basin Resource Council
