March 18, 2011 08:02 PM UTC

Pueblo Nuclear Power Debate Rages On

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Pueblo Chieftain’s Peter Roper updates on the most unfortunately-timed hearings in recent memory, over a proposal to construct a nuclear power plant outside Pueblo–where, proponents strain to point out, there is a very low risk of earthquakes, and even lower risk of tsunamis.

They came to stop it Wednesday night – at least 500 people filling the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center ballroom to protest local attorney Don Banner’s plan to zone 24,000 acres in Pueblo County for a nuclear power plant.

So many came, in fact, that the Pueblo County commissioners listened to more than four hours of testimony before recessing the public hearing until tonight, when the final speakers will get their turn. Banner will also be given time to offer rebuttal of the criticism…

Wednesday’s hearing was the second night of the public hearing on Banner’s proposal and it was the opponents’ turn. Speaker after speaker gave the commissioners sharp-edged testimony on why the county should reject the plan, claiming nuclear power plants are unsafe and expensive and would brand the county as a “utility closet.” They pointed to the continuing news story in Japan where several reactors are failing.

According to today’s Chieftain, Pueblo County commissioners will take until April 25th to wade through the thousands of comments and reports they’ve received on the proposal before they decide. And, nobody has to say, hopefully there will be something else on CNN by then.