"This proposal is a safety risk to all Americans along the transportation routes to the proposed facility," he wrote. "Transporting casks cross-country creates the possibility of a potentially catastrophic radioactivity release due to an accident or terrorist attack."

The letter says that nuclear waste could be a primary terrorist target and that handling and transportation of nuclear waste increases the likelihood of accidents.

"Transportation routes proposed by rail, road and barge could pass through as many as 44 states and the District of Columbia, putting the waste within half a mile of 50 million people," he said. "Transportation of such high volumes of nuclear waste would put virtually every part of the country at risk."

Kucinich also said dry casks like the ones that would be used in Skull Valley are an unproven technology and have had problems with hairline fractures, explosions due to chemical reactions and welding failures.

"There is no good reason to construct this facility, but there are many reasons to oppose it. PFS' proposal is dangerous to Americans, violates the rights of the Skull Valley band of Goshutes and is not in our national interest," he wrote.

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