Pueblo holds second nuclear power plant town hall

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - County and City officials gathered Wednesday for a town hall to discuss the pros and cons of constructing a nuclear power plant in Pueblo.

Around 100 people showed up, both in favor and against the proposition. Residents expressed concern about the long-term health impacts of the power plant and the possibility of creating more high-wage jobs in the area.

"When I left to return to Pueblo, I found limited opportunities for meaningful employment in my field," Nicole Longeden, a Pueblo resident who holds an engineering degree, said. "Bringing a nuclear facility to Pueblo could change that narrative."   

Many of those in favor were with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a labor union. Those who spoke from that union favored the idea of 7,000 jobs being added to the Pueblo workforce for the plant's construction and 300 long-term positions to manage the plant.

Those against the plant's construction voiced concerns about the environmental and health concerns related to the plant's construction. According to environmental activist Jamie Valdez with Mothers Out Front, nuclear plants often use a lot of water to cool down used reactors from the plant and can create long-term health effects due to the radioactive material.

"Nuclear energy comes with a lot of hazards, not the least of which is the radioactive waste that it produces," Valdez said.

He went on to detail the amount of water many nuclear plants use to cool radioactive reactors in the power plant, which brought concern for him given Colorado's history of droughts.

"We would be bringing in another potential health and environmental hazard into our community to generate electricity that doesn't even serve our community," Valdez said.

There will be one more town hall held in the coming months, with more information covering the impact of the cost of power to Pueblo residents.