Ward Valley

Re State Assemblywoman Debra Bowen’s March 25 letter: Had Bowen read the National Academy of Sciences’ 1995 report on Ward Valley, she would have learned that a respected scientific panel unanimously concluded that the site would pose no threat to Colorado River water quality. This is true for even long-lived wastes, let alone tritium, which has a half-life of only 12.3 years and will naturally decay long before the Colorado River could possibly be affected.

As chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, Bowen has a responsibility to get the facts before adopting the bogus technical arguments of nonscientists. Hopefully, her homework will be completed before the Legislature passes a misdirected bill which could needlessly increase the cost of biomedical research throughout California.

CAROL S. MARCUS PhD, MD

Professor of Radiological Sciences

UCLA