Could Utah uranium save climate?

An executive for a Utah mineral exploration company told Congress Tuesday that the best way to fight global warming (from carbon fuels like oil and coal) and protect federal lands at the same time is to promote nuclear energy — and allow more uranium mining in places such as Utah.

Eugene D. Spiering, vice president of Exploration for Kanab-based Quaterra Corp., delivered that message to a hearing on what role public lands should play in combating climate change before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

"If the U.S. wants to use public lands to fight global warming without the disturbance of enormous land areas and thousands of miles of scenic vistas, the only effective and cost-efficient manner is to encourage and promote uranium mining and the production of nuclear energy on federal lands," he said.

For example, he said the Palo Verde nuclear reactor near Phoenix generates by itself about 4 percent of all electricity used in the United States. He said it takes 4.5 square miles of land and uses wastewater from Phoenix for cooling. He said all of its high-level radioactive waste is stored on-site.

In comparison, "To produce an equivalent amount of energy by wind generators would require a disturbance of 760 square miles and solar panels would require 190 square miles," Spiering said.

He added that for the United States to generate 20 percent of its electrical power by wind energy, "the facilities would cover a surface area of 20,000 square miles, an area slightly less than the entire state of West Virginia."

Spiering said he understands the public is wary of nuclear energy because of what he said is "misinformation cited in newspapers and editorials by a few activists." But he said most of the rest of the world trusts nuclear energy and is turning more to it. France, for example, produces 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear plants.

Spiering said, "Federal lands could have a dramatic role in combating climate change while decreasing our nation's dependency on foreign energy supplies if and only if these lands are managed to encourage and promote uranium mining and the production of nuclear energy."

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