THE SIERRA CLUB OPPOSES ROCKY FLATS

The Sierra Club said in federal court Tuesday that the Rocky Flats nuclear facility, which makes triggers for nuclear weapons, should remain closed as long as it is in violation of federal environmental laws.Production of the triggers was suspended in November 1989 by the Energy Department until various chronic safety problems, including plutonium contamination, could be cleaned up. At the time it was believed the plant could reopen in several months. The lawsuit alleges that the plant has stored hazardous wastes illegally for years. The plant uses highly toxic radioactive plutonium to produce "triggers" for nuclear weapons. The Sierra Club originally filed its lawsuit in February 1989, before the shutdown, charging that the plant was in violation of environmental laws. Since the shutdown, it has amended its lawsuit, asking that plutonium processing not be resumed until hazardous waste laws are complied with.