Kansas City nuke plant passes, faces environmental scrutiny

by Joshua J. McElwee on Feb. 10, 2010

Local Kansas City, Mo. paper The Pitch reports today that one of the nation's most productive nuclear weapons manufacturing sites is operating with expired permits for hazardous waste and water discharges.

The Kansas City Plant, which manufactures mechanical and electrical non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons, has recently come under media scrutiny for claims of lethal contamination to employees and neighbors.

Last week the Environmental Protection Agency published a fact sheet regarding some 785 toxic chemicals known to be used at the plant and U.S. Senator Kit Bond called for a federal investigation of health concerns.

These revelations come one week after the Kansas City, Mo. City Council gave final approval for plans to relocate the manufacturing facility to a larger site farther away from the downtown area.

The lone council-member to vote against the plant, Ed Ford, highlighted the environmental concerns before the council voted on Feb. 4.

Speaking to the council and an audience of interested residents, Ford said the council should ask two questions about city ordinances: Are they good for the children? Will they contribute to a sustainable Kansas City?

“I was happy to see those questions weren’t asked on this ordinance because I’d hate to see how logic might have been twisted,” Ford commented.

this piece plus John Dear's

Submitted by Georgann T. Brophy (not verified) on Feb. 10, 2010.

this piece plus John Dear's current one about the new bomb factory fill me with inexpressible sorrow. we thought this President would make a real change in nuclear policy and yet we see a continuation of old Bush administration efforts to build new and better weapons of mass destruction. I am too old to picket but not too old to cry.

Post new comment

NCR Comment code:

  1. Be respectful. Do not attack the writer. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  2. Use appropriate language. Avoid vulgarities and slurs.
  3. Keep to the point. Deliberate digressions don't aid the discussion.

For more detailed guidelines, visit our User Guidelines page.

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
(if you have one; if not, leave this blank)
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <font> <swf> <swf list>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • You may use <swf file="song.mp3"> to display Flash files inline

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This is to prove you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.