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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 1978)
friday, September 8, 1978 daily nebraskan page 13 Nebraskans join national movement to ban nuclear power plants, arms k. i a Nehraskans are ininino nthor nrnnnp nnt! 1 i j B &luUp3 iidiiunwiue in a growing movment to ban nuclear power. So-called "no nuke" groups have been unsuccessful in lobbeying for national and local legislation that would outlaw nuclear power, but they have slowed plant con struction and tightened safety standards. "Those groups are getting together more and more It's kind of an unprecendented thing," said Bob Haberman, member of Nebraska Mobilization for Survival, an anti nuclear group based in Omaha. He cited "unprecedented risks with nuclear power," as the rationale behind "no nuke" groups. "Because alternatives exist, it's stupid to take the risks," he said. Solar energy, geothermal energy, and the using of waste heat from existing power plants are some alterna tives, Haberman said. Nuke costs rising He said some alternatives cost more, but added that "nuclear power costs are rising." Adding the cost of nuclear waste disposal to operation costs makes alterna tives more competitive, he said. "It's worth exploring some alternatives that are not competitive, or we may kick ourselves in the future," Haberman said. "They're (no nuke groups) trying to put us out of business," said Leo Lessor, station superintendent of the Cooper Nuclear Station in Brownville. "You know they're effective. Look what they've done at Seabrook." Work on a nuclear power plant in Seabrook, New Hampshire has been halted through axaurt order resulting from sit-ins at the plant. Lessor said that increased radiation danger associated with nuclear plants are probably only a millionth of one percent. "So what," he says, it (radiation danger) would be very small." Dangers are associated with other energy sources, he said. He cited coal dust as causing miner's black lung. In burning coal, small quantities of radiation are released "out the stack," he said. Risks everyday People take risks everyday in the food they eat and the cigarettes they smoke, he said. "People are exposed to increased radiation in airplanes, but f still fly." According to the Nebraskans for Peace coordinator, Betty Olson, radioactive dangers are "one of things that makes these so frightening." "Just one speck that you can't even see, if it gets into your lungs can cause cancer," Olson said. Reactors are inefficient, seldom operating at a high percentage of their capacity, she added. "Too many bugs have to be worked out. They can only be up for about thirty years and the cost of dismantling them is not figured in when pricing nuclear projects," she said. Lessor acknowledged that coal and oil are slightly more efficient than nuclear power, but said they differ by only a few percent. About 33 percent of the uranium used in nuclear reactors is actually converted to electricity, he said. Plant closes periodically The Cooper plant operates about 82 percent of the time. The plant is shut down periodically for refueling and maintenance, he said. As for radioactive dangers, Lessor said "the plant has been designed to handle a loss of coolant, the most dang erous possible malfunction." Reactors and nuclear waste dumping grounds are periodically monitored for radioactivity and corrective action is taken when radiation exceeds certain levels, he said. Both Nebraska Mobilization for Survival and Nebras kans for Peace are associated with the national Mobiliza tion for Survival group, a group dedicated to banning nuclear power and weapons, and ending the arms race. About ten Nebraskans will attend a national Mobiliza tion for Survival conference September 15 through 17 in Des Moines, la, Haberman said. Nebraska Mobilization for Survival is also a member of the Grea): Plains Federation, a group based out of Missouriaris for Safe Energy, Haberman said. Groupfe in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas are part of the federation according to Johnson, member of Missourians for Save Energy. Nebraskan opposed to nuclear power participated in the first national gathering of no nuke groups in Louis ville, Kentucky in August and staged a rally on the Nebra ska capitol steps earlier in the summer in connection with a rally held the same day outside the Seabrook construct ion site. Eighth month of rising farm prices offset state's agricultural reductions Real output in Nebraska declined in May according to figures compiled by the UNL's bureau of Business Research. The Bureau Index of Physical Production for the state fell 0.3 percent to 140.9 in May. The downward revised index for April was 141.3. Writing in the September issue of Business in Neb raska, research associate William Gerdes noted that a decline in the agricultural portion of the index was responsible for the lower level of economic activity. Three of the four remaining areas registered gains for the month because of increases in construction (6.4 per cent) and manufacturing output (4.6 percent). Govern ment output in the state was 0.3 percent higher in May, but the Bureau's index for the distributive sector was down 0.2 percent. The May level was characteristic of the performance of the state economy in 1978. While the index of physical production for Nebraska dropped 5.2 percent between December and May, reductions in output were confined to the agricultural and distributive sectors, with activity in the construction, manufacturing and government sectors continuing to advance. Reductions in state agricultural output during the first five months of 1978 have not resulted in lower farm income. They were offset by rising farm prices, which increased for the eighth consecutive month in May. As a result, seasonally-adjusted Nebraska cash farm marketings in the December-to-May period were above their level for the last five months of 1977. Improved farm marketings appear to be having a favorable influence on retail sales in several rural areas of the state. Last year, Omaha and Lincoln were the only areas of the state showing gains in price-adjusted retail sales. For the first five months of 1978, retail sales were above 1977 levels in 12 of the state's 26 planning and 'Jevelopment regions, with significant increases occurring in the Panhandle and Southwest Nebraska. Construction has been a source of strength in the Nebraska economy in 1978, with the index for that sector nsing 12.3 percent between December and May. Most of he growth has occurred in nonresidenn? and non building construction, where activity level - were up 24.2 19.7 percent respectively from the preceding five months. Continued growth of Nebraska manufacturing employ ment, which totaled 93,500 on a seasonally-adjusted basis in May. Higher employment in this sector has contributed to the lower unemployment rate in the state. Only 2.9 per cent of the Nebraska labor force was unemployed during the month. The Bureau's city business indexes showed 21 of 25 cities registering increases relative in May, 1977. Alliance, where activity was up 22.7 percent, showed the largest gain. Other Nebraska cities with significant May-to-May growth were Broken Bow (12.3 percent), Sidney (10.4 percent), Grand Island (9.9 percent), Mc Cook (7.9 percent) and Kearney (7.7 percent). 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