I was pleased to see "Curbing the global nuclear threat," by John Bennion and Jake Garn (Opinion, May 25). This important issue sometimes loses prominence to imminent, but no more urgent crises. I single out their suggestion to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
The treaty has been signed by 178 states and ratified by 144. The United States is a signatory, but the Senate has not ratified the treaty.
Since simply obtaining a design for nuclear weapons has, historically, been insufficient for the development of a nuclear weapon, a comprehensive ban on testing would curtail their proliferation.
To be effective, a test ban requires monitoring. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization has begun this effort with 337 monitoring stations worldwide, using seismic technologies to detect sound waves in the earth, infrasound to detect waves in the air, and hydroacoustic technologies to detect waves in the water. Radionuclide stations analyze particles in the air. This information is available to the treaty's signatories and makes concealment of nuclear testing highly improbable.
Our senators should actively support ratification.

Gail Blattenberger
Salt Lake City