When Cape Cod turns into a radioactive dead zone millions will mutter how did we allow this to happen.

The spent fuel rods did not catch fire as a result of the Fukushima accident. This was initially misreported. The water level was later confirmed not to have dropped below the fuel. See pp. 12, 35-37 http://www.nei.org/resourcesandstats/documentlibrary/safetyandsecurity/reports/special-report-on-the-nuclear-accident-at-the-fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-power-station

No surprise that Congressman Markey is upset that the Pilgrim plant had its license renewed -a plant that supplies ten percent of the nation's nuclear power. In 1987, Rep. Edward Markey sponsored a bill that would have effectively shut down the nation's entire nuclear power industry. Fortunately, his colleagues in the House of Representatives killed it by a 261-160 margin. Nuclear energy is the most important source of clean power for avoiding airborne emissions resulting from burning oil, natural gas and coal. Even the Clinton administration concluded that the largest contributor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. is our fleet of nuclear plants. The late Senator Paul Tsongas pointed out our blindness to the benefits of nuclear power when he said, "We denounce nuclear power. But, no nuclear power means one certain result - massive reliance on coal. Any environmentalist who can accept massive coal-burning is not an environmentalist by my standards." But for those who are trying to get out of poverty and achieve economic parity, abundant energy at a reasonable cost, is a life necessity. They can't afford a too little, too late, zero growth energy policy which, with the population projected to double over the next 50 years, can lead to a national emergency. No doubt OPEC appreciates Markey's stance and the enironentalists at his next fund raiser -probably at Martha's Vineyard.

Concluding the longest-ever review of a US nuclear power plant's request for a new license, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Friday it had decided to allow the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth to produce energy for another 20 years.