A better plan than a devil’s bargain

If the Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant is reopened nearly all of the electricity it produces will be consumed by new data centers. Combined they will consume enormous quantities of water.

White the project will spur economic development, many construction jobs will wither when construction is completed. During its approximately 35 years of operation the nuclear plant will continually add poisonous waste to an existing football sized storage area near the plant. It will remain toxic for upward of 10,000 years. Engineers assure that it’s safe, but this assumes that, over the next 500 human generations, there will be no human errors, freak storms, or unanticipated calamities that would unleash radiation on people. The project is a devil's bargain.

Data centers and other massive monolithic structures already built or under construction south of Cedar Rapids offer a visionary opportunity to make our region more attractive to potential newcomers while allowing safer sustainable economic growth.

People move to a new town seeking a high quality of life and amenities such as cultural richness, natural beauty, safety and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Radioactive waste and the massive buildings south of Cedar Rapids add nothing to our quality of life. We can do better.

Imagine a big park enveloping these enormous warehouses and data centers. Massive structures would be surrounded by reconstructed wetlands, prairies and oak groves stitched together by trails that would welcome bicyclists, hikers, and birders. The big wealthy companies that take our water, space and tax gifts would gain good will by helping create and fund a wondrous area where industry, natural beauty and outdoor recreation cooperatively coexist.

It seems an oversight that new monstrous buildings were allowed to be built without requiring that their multi acre roofs be covered with solar collectors. These corporate beneficiaries of our water, electricity and tax breaks should be community assets that generate solar energy without gobbling water or generating poisonous waste.

I would like to see Cedar Rapids be designated Iowa’s first National Park City, following the example of Chattanooga. This international recognition is given to communities worldwide who demonstrate visionary projects that create a healthy economy and high quality of life springing from vision and cooperation.

Creatively developing land south of Cedar Rapids would enhance the chances of becoming a National Park City, while making our community safer and more livable. Restarting a tired old nuclear plant for short term gain would be a detraction.

Rich Patterson has a background in environmental science and forestry. He co-owns Winding Pathways, a consulting business that encourages people to “Create Wondrous Yards.”