Questions with nuclear plant

Dear editor:

The promoters for the proposed nuclear power plant have used the promise of jobs and money to strike an emotional chord in a down economy.

But who are these people really and can they deliver the goods or are they just salesmen preying on people's needs?

The filing for AEHI with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) just four months ago states the following: "AEHI and its subsidiaries are start-up development-stage businesses.

The company does not have any history of earnings" and "There is no assurance that AEHI will ever operate profitably" and "AEHI was formed in 2006 for the purpose of developing a proposed nuclear biofuels complex in Idaho. AEHI has never had any revenues."

The SEC document makes clear that CEO Gillespie and AEHI do not intend to own and manage this proposed nuclear power reactor, just develop the site: "Management believes that it is likely that any reactor at the site will be owned and operated by a consortium or joint venture that would include nuclear reactor suppliers and reactor customers (i.e. electric utilities) with AEHI participating as the site and project developers." Again bringing home the point that Idaho and Elmore County land is being auctioned off potentially to out of state utility companies for the energy needs of out of state localities like Las Vegas and Los Angeles area.

Why would Elmore County ever be willing to give up control over its land and water to this group of developers? For the promise of jobs -- not the assurance -- just the promise.

And yet the farm in question probably employs hundreds directly and indirectly related to harvest help, irrigation needs, trucking of crops, storage facilities, food processors, seed companies, field and fertilizer managers. . . the list goes on. Though AEHI has promised "high paying jobs" we have nothing to guarantee that these jobs will go to local people.

In fact, testimony at the rezone meeting asserted that likely the good jobs would either go to people out of state or out of country with advanced skills and degrees.

Many in the retail, commercial or real estate business hope to benefit from the influx of the construction crews and then the plant employees looking for homes and goods and services.

But there is an excellent freeway entry almost right at this site and Boise is a mere 45 minutes away offering all sorts of amenities and entertainment. Again there is no guarantee that the people who work in this nuclear plant would want to live near it.

With all the excitement about jobs and money, forgotten is the possibility that though the economy will fluctuate and the job market will get better, the nuclear waste will be stored on site in perpetuity.

This toxic waste will be something the children of Elmore County citizens, and their children, will have to live with for a long time.

Storing waste on that piece of property is a terrible risk. The soil and rock are porous and the ground slopes directly to the river. Any leak of toxic materials will run off.

Diana Hooley