NUCLEAR ENERGY—SAFER THAN SEX. That claim, emblazoned on T shirts, was one of the few light slogans on display in the streets of Manchester, N.H., last week. The otherwise earnest and orderly demonstration was the response of pronuclear forces to the 2,000 youthful environmentalists who last May staged a well-publicized occupation of the site designated for the long-delayed Seabrook nuclear power plant on the New Hampshire coast. More than half were arrested and held in custody, but the police had nothing to do but direct traffic when their opponents came to town. Pointedly minding their manners, the 3,000 marchers demanded that work promptly be resumed on the 2.3 million-kilowatt facility, which is rapidly becoming a leading symbol in the national debate over nuclear power.
Hailing themselves as “the silent majority,” the demonstrators included blue-collar workers—utility employees, electricians, plumbers—and their families from throughout the Northeast. Some had spent up to twelve hours in chartered buses to attend the rally. They were greeted by New Hampshire’s Governor Meldrim Thomson Jr., who called them “beautiful” compared with “what I saw the first of May.” The protest, organized by a pro-Seabrook group named the New Hampshire Voice of Energy, may be only the first in behalf of the facility. Vowed Daniel Tenchara, a 41-year-old pipefitter from Westport, Mass.: “A lot of the fellas are unemployed because these projects are tied up in the courts. You’re going to see a lot of us out marching on Sundays.”
The hardhats may have company. The anti-Seabrook Clamshell Alliance, which led the May invasion of the plant site, is already planning future marches. Other environmental groups continue to oppose the facility in the courts and before the federal regulatory agencies that must approve construction. Last month Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Douglas Costle cleared one hurdle by overturning a regional official’s ruling that the water-discharge system was unacceptable. Promises Clamshell Spokesman Harvey Wasserman: “We’re not going to let the plant be built. Our survival depends upon it.” Those who last week took to the streets of Manchester could make the same emotional plea.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- L.A. Fires Show Reality of 1.5°C of Warming
- How Canada Fell Out of Love With Trudeau
- Trump Is Treating the Globe Like a Monopoly Board
- Bad Bunny On Heartbreak and New Album
- 10 Boundaries Therapists Want You to Set in the New Year
- The Motivational Trick That Makes You Exercise Harder
- Nicole Kidman Is a Pure Pleasure to Watch in Babygirl
- Column: Jimmy Carter’s Global Legacy Was Moral Clarity
Contact us at letters@time.com