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Show Nuclear Energy Program Not Slowed By Controversy, UN Meeting Told NEW" YORK- Are the '' "nukes" really in hot water? wat-er? Ever since a national fcnagazine kicked off the' nuclear controversy about 18 months ago with an emphatic em-phatic "yes" to that question, ques-tion, the nuclear industry has been trying to guage the impact of the opposition opposi-tion and to formulate a response. re-sponse. Even with 18 months' hindsight, a leading lead-ing utility executive told an international U. N. symposium sym-posium here this week, the answer is still hedged by paradoxes and imponderables, imponder-ables, but from a developmental develop-mental point of view the expansion of the nuclear nu-clear power industry he said, the answer clearly clear-ly is "no." The speaker was Harry G. Slater, senior vice president presi-dent of the Niagara Mohawk Mo-hawk Power Corp., a director direc-tor of the Atomic Industrial Indus-trial Forum and chairman of the Forum's Public Affairs Af-fairs and Information Committee, Com-mittee, which has been in the forefront of the industry's in-dustry's response to the critics. Slater addressed more than 400 scientists and industry representatives representa-tives at a week - long Symposium Sym-posium on the Environmental Environ-mental Aspects of Nuclear Power Stations, sponsored by the International Atomic Atom-ic Energy Agency in cooperation co-operation with the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. Although there are few indications that the environmental envi-ronmental controversy has retarded the growth of nuclear nu-clear power, Slayter cited, lamong other findings, a Forum survey of nuclear information specialists to illustrate that public opposition op-position has had a significant signifi-cant impact on the industry's indus-try's thinking and operations. opera-tions. Asked "To what extent ex-tent do you believe public pub-lic opposition and adverse public information are affecting af-fecting the industry?" 27 per cent replied "very seri- : ously", 44 per cent said "seriously", 28 per cent said "moderately", and only on-ly one replied "hardly at all". A strong majority of those polled thought the effect will become more pronounced in the next couple of years rather than less so. One of several paradoxes paradox-es surrounding the nuclear nucle-ar controversy, Slater said, is that "public and press criticism of nuclear power is a national problem that does not exist in most areas of the country." He ascribed this to the fact that most opposition has been voiced by national news media, national conservation con-servation organizations and national special -interest groups, whereas in most local areas the opposition oppo-sition has not been against nuclear power generally but against particular sites, be they nuclear, fossil-fired or hydroelectric. Another paradox, in Slater's Slat-er's view is that the AEC and nuclear industry have historically subjected their non-military projects to unusually thorough public scrutiny. "At times," he declared, "this openness seems to be self-defeating. It often means that the critics are given more press and public attention than they could receive without the nuclear community's com-munity's recognition of their charges." Slater added, ad-ded, however, that he is "convinced that in the long run this very philosophy philos-ophy will be one of the major ma-jor factors in the resolution resolu-tion of the nuclear controversy." contro-versy." And despite oppo- . sition, Slater said, development devel-opment of nuclear power continues "at an unprecedented unprece-dented pace," as witnessed by the fact that in five years the United States alone has gone from eight operating nuclear power reactors (including prototypes) proto-types) to more than 100 in operation, under construction construc-tion or on order. He estimated esti-mated the utility industry's indus-try's capital investment in nuclear energy at $15-bil-lion. On the major issues of the nuclear controversy, Slater had these comments: com-ments: Radiation standards "This seems to be an issue that a strong understanding under-standing effort could help end as a major point of contention,' because' much of the strong feeling has no connection with the real world of nuclear power pow-er plants." Thermal effects ef-fects "Perhaps the most critical public - information informa-tion problem involved in this subject is the pressing press-ing need to put thermal discharges into perspective. perspec-tive. In the press, in much conservationist literature, even in material from some government agencies, the words 'thermal pollution' pollu-tion' are inveriably linked with the phrase 'nuclear power', as if waste heat were unique to nuclear plants." Government indemnity for nuclear accidents "We must learn to educate the public to the fact that far from being a subsidy to the industry, this law Price - Anderson Act basically ba-sically assures the public's pub-lic's financial protection in the unlikely event of a large accident. Many critics cri-tics do not seem to understand under-stand the basic fact that not a dollar of government money has been expended because of Price - Anderson, Ander-son, and that in fact the Treasury Department has collected more than ?1-million ?1-million in fees that the utilities pay the government." govern-ment." National growth rate "Electricity is the most democratic of all products. " A single watt cannot be sold until a customer pushes push-es a button to turn on a light, or a television, or a factory ... So even as we deplore and work lo end the perilous population popula-tion growth, inefficient uses us-es of energy and indiscriminate indis-criminate industrialization we must educate members of the. public to the fact that if the nation's electricity elec-tricity demand is lessened, lessen-ed, it must be they who turn off the switches." |