STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Some other news now. Utah wants to be a leader in nuclear power. It's home to uranium mines and the country's only mill producing fuel for nuclear plants. The state even bought ad space promoting nuclear energy on billboards. So were the claims on the billboards true? Sean Higgins with member station KUER reports.
SEAN HIGGINS, BYLINE: The billboards started popping up a few months ago. They say things like nuclear power plants emit less radiation than bananas or are cleaner than a candle. The state spent $1.8 million on the advertising campaign. Republican Governor Spencer Cox wants to double Utah's energy production by 2034. Here he is in March.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SPENCER COX: And as I've said many times, if you are serious about energy abundance, you have to be serious about nuclear energy.
HIGGINS: Utah was named as a finalist to host a massive federal nuclear power hub in July. Last week, three environmental groups filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against those pro-nuclear ads. They say they are, quote, "false, deceptive and misleading" about the potential dangers of nuclear power. Lexi Tuddenham is executive director of one of the groups, the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah.
LEXI TUDDENHAM: It's really important to understand that oversimplifying - overdistilling these messages in a way that does not actually embrace the entire scope of this incredibly complicated issue does not respect the intelligence and the needs of our public for true engagement.
HIGGINS: Tuddenham says equating a nuclear power plant to a piece of fruit millions eat every day is dishonest. Cox called the complaint a publicity stunt and questioned the motivations of those challenging the ads.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
COX: I'm really troubled that the people who tell us to follow the science appear to only want us to follow the science that fits their narrative.
HIGGINS: In a statement, the Utah Office of Energy Development did not specifically address the complaint but said nuclear energy could play an important role in the future. A representative of the office said they would not comment further due to the possibility of a future investigation. Cox's efforts to produce nuclear energy in Utah comes after people here have had decades of mixed experiences with the industry. About 10,000 Uthans have filed for compensation for health problems after mining or processing uranium or being exposed to radiation from nuclear-weapons testing.
For NPR News, I'm Sean Higgins in Salt Lake City.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.