Despite claims, nuclear energy is not truly ‘clean’ [letter]

No matter how it is rebranded, nuclear power is not "clean" energy. The mining and processing of uranium is energy-intensive, produces greenhouse gases and environmental destruction and exposes workers to radiation.

The waste from nuclear power is highly radioactive and will remain so for longer than humankind has been on Earth. There is no way to fully guarantee safe storage of waste, much less for that long. But waste is being and will be stored at Three Mile Island. And the federal government pays Constellation Energy to store it there.

Every nuclear power plant routinely releases small amounts of radioactive emissions into the air, water and soil as part of its everyday routine operations.

Some studies have found increased cancer rates in adults and children living around nuclear plants, and that these cancer rates drop after a plant shuts down.

We should not be restarting Three Mile Island so that Microsoft can take that electricity to power its artificial intelligence operations and still claim to be "carbon free." Saving our planet is more complex than its "carbon free" sound bite.

AI is already swallowing more electricity than is sustainable for our planet. We should not have to sacrifice the health and safety of our community and the planet for all generations to come for the plague of nuclear power to power AI.

Instead, we should be looking for ways to decrease our power consumption and walk more lightly on Earth. Nuclear power for AI takes us in the wrong direction. Keep TMI closed.

Amy Donohue

Lower Chanceford Township, York County