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FROM THE CAMPAIGN FOR RATEPAYERS RIGHTS For Immediate Release
Contact: Bob Backus, 603-668-7272 Patrick Arnold, 443-848-8358 Bob Williams, 603-798-5919
CONSUMER GROUP EXPRESSES RENEWED CONCERN OVER THE SAFETY OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
CONCORD, September 26, 2007 – For twenty-five years, the Campaign for Ratepayers Rights (CRR) has been promoting responsible energy policies in New Hampshire, consistent with financial, environmental, safety and health concerns. The Campaign is particularly concerned over safety issues related to nuclear energy, especially following the recent collapse of a cooling tower at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear plant in Vernon, VT.
Though the organization promotes a healthy debate on issues relating to energy, many of the Campaign’s supporters believe that important facts about nuclear energy have been overlooked in recent years. “The safety factor of nuclear energy seems to have received less attention over the last decade,” notes Bob Williams, a CRR Board member.
Patrick Arnold, the Campaign’s Executive Director, posits a partial explanation. “Most people under age 30 haven’t learned about the safety problems that come with generating electricity using nuclear energy,” says Arnold. “Young people today don’t remember Three Mile Island or can barely remember Chernobyl.”
“The key is educating the public,” says Williams, and the Campaign is doing just that. In July, CRR hosted a roundtable discussion on nuclear energy in Concord with experts from BEYOND NUCLEAR, a national environmental organization based in Washington, DC. Two dozen citizens turned out to ask questions about the pros and cons of nuclear power as a viable source of energy.
The Campaign believes such events serve a vital role in the civic process. “These grassroots discussions are essential to increase awareness and understanding about important energy issues in New Hampshire,” says Bob Backus, a Manchester attorney and CRR President. According to Backus, the Campaign expects to have similar public discussions in the months ahead and is exploring ways to raise interest among young people in particular.
For more information on the Campaign’s upcoming events, visit http://www.ratepayersrights.org
ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN:
The Campaign for Ratepayers Rights is a New Hampshire nonprofit organization that has been defending the rights of the state’s utility customers since 1983. The Campaign has intervened in numerous proceedings before the Public Utilities Commission, has lobbied for legislation before the State Legislature, and has argued cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The Campaign continues to advocate for fair, reliable and sustainable energy policies that serve the best interests of New Hampshire’s citizens.
P.O. Box 563 Concord, NH 03302 |