Three Harvard Scientists Lead Call to Stop Nuclear Reactors

Three Harvard professors are among the sponsors of a declaration calling on Congress and President Ford to effect a "drastic reduction" in nuclear power plant construction and to suspend the export of nuclear reactors.

John T. Edsall '23, professor of Biology emeritus, George B. Kistiakowsky, professor of Chemistry emeritus. Nobel Laureate James D. Watson, professor of Biology and over 2000 scientists and engineers, including several others on the Harvard Faculty, have signed the declaration, which was prepared by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Cambridge-based group that has worked extensively on the question of reactor safety.

Brighter Than a Thousand Suns

The declaration is scheduled for release tomorrow, the thirtieth anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Kistiakowsky said yesterday that the declaration, which warns that a "major mishap" is likely due to the unproven effectiveness of reactor safety systems, is an effort to "balance the irrational drive for nuclear power plans on the part of the administration and the industry."

The declaration also cites the continuing lack of a proven method for the ultimate disposal of radioactive waste as basis for recommending that plant construction be curtailed.

The writers of the declaration see the proliferation of nuclear plants as a major threat to American liberties and international safety because they say safeguard procedures are inadequate to prevent terrorist theft of commercial reactor-produced plutonium.

They fear the controls necessary to prevent sabotage of the growing number of nuclear plants may make the country "a police state."

"I'm convinced that we'll have a national police with overriding powers for arrest and snooping," Kistiakowsky said, adding that "nuclear power just isn't worth it."

Kistiakowsky cited a study by Norman C. Rasmussen, professor of Nuclear Engineering at MIT, as an instance of the received his theory well, and were "very interested" in acupuncture.

Dr. William Wallace, director of the Health Careers summer program, arranged the lecture, but declined yesterday to comment on the authenticity of Lee's acupuncture theory