Part 2 of the series

06:47 PM MDT on Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Alyson Oüten
Idaho's NewsChannel 7

BOISE -- To some, it is the key to deep space exploration. To others, it is a cancer-causing controversy.

Either way you look at it, the government wants to start making radioactive plutonium, and Idaho is the top choice for a production sites.

In the second part of our in-depth report, NewsChannel 7 looks at both sides of this "heated" debate.

It is hot and highly radioactive, workers who handle this substance use specially designed equipment to avoid actual contact, which could cause cancer. This is plutonium 238.

"Plutonium is man-made, it's not a naturally occurring substance," said John Grossenbacher, INL Director. “It's a difficult material to handle."

The heat generated from radioactive decay is converted into a long-lasting energy source which powers nuclear space batteries used in unmanned missions to Mars and beyond!

PU 238 hasn't been made in America since the cold war, but with domestic stockpiles running low, the government wants to start up production again. This time at the Idaho National Laboratory.

But when you talk about producing radioactive plutonium that draws the ire of many environmentalists and nuclear watchdog groups who question the risk versus benefit.

"It’s a dangerous material, it threatens public health and the environment," said Ester Ceja.

Ester Ceja is with the Snake River Alliance, Idaho’s self-proclaimed nuclear watchdog, a group with numerous concerns about this proposal by the Department of Energy.

"The primary concern is nuclear waste. Until we can come up with a safe way to store and handle this waste where it doesn't pose such a long lasting impact on public health and the environment, nuclear energy shouldn't even be on the table," said Ceja.

"My response is - we're not going to do anything in this laboratory that hurts people or damages the environment," said Grossenbacher.

John Grossenbacher is the director of INL.

“This is our environment, too we live here. We care about I think just as deeply as anyone else," he said.

"They always try to make the public feel assured that everything is under control and that nothing terrible will happen. But, there is no guarantee," said Ceja.

Is there anything the Department of Energy or the INL could say to reassure you about this plutonium program?" asked NewsChannel 7.

"No. The DOE has a horrible track record. They have lied to the people in the U.S., they have contaminated us. We have hundreds of people suffering from a number of different cancers and diseases, in large part due to nuclear fallout," said Ceja.

Ceja is referring to incidents that occurred in the 1950s and 60s from nuclear testing to a failed satellite mission, which spread radioactivity around the globe.

They are historical events that Grossenbacher does not deny, but he's quick to point out that was then, this is now.

“It’s a different world now and to compare it to 30 years ago and say the same thing is going to happen - I think is unrealistic," said Grossenbacher. "To deny us the ability to learn over time to point at how things were done 30-40 years ago, and say because this happened then, you can't get any better, you can't improve. We can improve over time and we have."

Engineers say today's nuclear space batteries can withstand catastrophic impact and still pose virtually no risk of human exposure to plutonium. But the Snake River Alliance and others remain skeptical.

"Do we want to take the chance and say, for the sake of space exploration, I’ll put my health at risk, and future generations, and the environment? I would say no," said Ceja.

If you'd like to hear more about this proposed plutonium production, you can watch Alyson Oüten’s extended interview with the INL director online.

This includes his response to concerns about plutonium being used for secret national security missions. Click on the video link on this page.