Threaded through every U.S. decision in recent years to either relax environmental protection standards or not enforce more stringent safeguards is one theme: Spare industry of expensive environmental programs and worry about profits while ignoring the environment.
Americans know where that national policy has gotten us---greenhouse gases, global warming, accelerated meltdowns of glaciers and threats to human health.
So, it behooves the state of Idaho to be vigilant about the operations of a proposed nuclear enrichment plant west of Idaho Falls. The starry-eyed state Legislature's go-ahead on the plant was based almost entirely on sugar plum visions of building a $1 billion-plus facility and creating 250 permanent jobs in Bonneville County.
Idaho lawmakers were so blinded by the glamour of an international energy giant locating here they couldn't dole out tax breaks fast enough. They forgave taxes on hundreds of millions of dollars of buildings and personal property.
The plant owner, French-chartered international nuclear and energy mammoth Areva, is an impressive financial empire, with operations worldwide.
However, it also is the operator of two nuclear facilities in France that have leaked uranium products into two rivers and the environment this month. One spill "slightly contaminated" 100 workers. One leak may have been dripping deadly liquids from a ruptured pipe for years.
The French government is now investigating the quality of groundwater around all of that country's 59 reactors.
Boosters of the Areva plant in Idaho dismiss alarms, arguing that leaks in France should be of no concern here.
Twaddle.
Carelessness in France can result in carelessness in Idaho. Engineering slipups in France can occur just as easily in Idaho.
Areva in France is Areva in Idaho. The worry should be that Idaho government lacks the technological competence to watchdog Areva's operations. What also of the enforcement power to intervene when engineering plans or, later, operations are too risky to the huge underground aquifer in south Idaho?
It's worth mentioning that except for a moratorium on their construction, legislators showed zero interest in creating a state authority to decide where electric generating plants should be located.
Now that the Areva giant's failings in France have been disclosed, responsible Idaho legislators are obliged to question state agencies about their technical expertise and competence to deal eye-to-eye with Areva as watchdogs with teeth.
Waiting for an accident is worse than slamming the barn door. It would be criminal.
