Bill could end Kentucky's nuclear moratorium
05 February 2009
[Courier Journal, 5 February] The Natural Resources and Energy Committee of the Kentucky Senate has passed a bill that could lead to the lifting of a 25-year-old moratorium on the construction of nuclear power plants within the US state. In 1984, Kentucky introduced a law that said nuclear power plants could not be constructed until the federal government determines how to safely dispose of high-level radioactive waste. Senate Bill 13, introduced by Senator Bob Leeper, calls for the state's legislation to be amended so that nuclear power plants must have a plan for the storage of its waste rather than a means of permanent disposal. The bill, which was passed by the committee 7-1, would at least allow Kentucky to discuss nuclear power as an energy option. However, Leeper told the committee that the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) could be expected to block construction of a nuclear power plant until a long-term storage option is found.