State House considers bill to allow planning for nuke attack

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A bill introduced in the state Legislature would allow emergency management personnel in the state to once again make plans to evacuate cities ahead of a possible nuclear attack.

Critics argue that lifting the ban would only help bolster an illusion that nuclear war is winnable.

The Spokesman-Review says the bill was before the House Public Safety Committee on Monday. It would lift a 1984 ban on creating plans to evacuate people in advance of a possible nuclear attack.

Before 1984, some communities had extensive nuclear readiness and survival plans.

The Spokane plan called for evacuating citizens to Pullman. Critics pointed out that the Pullman plan called for evacuating its citizens to Spokane.

One plan for evacuating Seattle consisted of loading residents onto Metro buses and driving them to Yakima.