A nuclear waste

Regarding the article "Waste Disposal Core of Nuclear Power Shutdowns," Sept. 17: The owners of the Shoreham and Rancho Seco nuclear power plants have no choice but to pay the costs of decommissioning. The only source of funds is their ratepayers. This waste of ratepayers' money is a shame; they could have used it for schools, health, public transportation, or housing. Both of these plants were licensed and safe to operate.The vote at Rancho Seco was deliberately contrived to be confusing, and now the Sacramento Municipal Utility District must find capacity equivalent to almost 1 1/2 Rancho Secos before the end of this decade while a viable plant sits idle. A. David Rossin, Los Altos Hills, Calif. Letters are welcome. Only a selection can be published, subject to condensation, and none acknowledged. Please address them to "Readers Write," One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.