Edwards at Odds with Clinton and Obama Over Nuclear Power

Edwards at Odds with Clinton and Obama Over Nuclear Power

In Tuesday night’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, the three candidates—Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama—clashed over the issue of nuclear power and what to do about Yucca Mountain, a national repository for nuclear waste that is opposed by many Nevada voters.

The dispute began when Clinton said that Edwards voted in support of the nuclear waste facility, while she had “consistently and persistently been against” it. She also claimed that one of Obama’s supporters—the Exelon Corporation—was involved in funding the project.

In response to Clinton’s remarks, Edwards implied that he had changed his decision based on new scientific information and forged documentation that had emerged regarding the waste dump. He added that, unlike Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, he is completely opposed to the building of more nuclear power plants—a point he so often makes when addressing voters on the campaign trail. Edwards said that Obama is “open to the possibility of additional power plants” and that Clinton has said she is “agnostic” on the subject.

Obama defended himself, saying that he has long been a critic of Yucca Mountain, yet added that the country should “create a menu of energy options” in handling the storage of nuclear waste and “see where the science and the technology and the entrepreneurship of the American people take us.”

The debate over nuclear power will undoubtedly influence Nevada voters, particularly those who are undecided, in the state’s caucuses on Saturday. Polls indicate that an overwhelming number of Nevadans, both Republicans and Democrats, strongly oppose federal plans to dump the nation’s nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain—and believe it to be a key issue in deciding which presidential candidate to caucus for.

I agree with Edwards even though it is hurting the environment we still have to put the waste some where.