You can catch the presentations on December 1 and 2 at the Mountain of Waste 70 Years High conference in Chicago on live stream! We hope you can tune in over this important weekend which marks 70 years since the Fermi team created the first self-sustaining chain reaction at the University of Chicago. The conference is being held at the same site. All Saturday presentations are now archived on the live stream site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DeWz2Xj8jH0UN Anand Grover, the United Nations Special Rapporteur reports on Fukushima, some highlights:
-potassium iodine was not handled properly.
-government did not evacuate properly or communicate radiation doses and implications to the public.
-government neglected hotspots and used 20msv/year limit implying this was safe which is not.
-radiation monitoring stations did not adequately reflect exposure data. Therefore all validated data, alot being collected by private individuals, should be made public.
-provide holistic and comprehensive treatment for ALL radiation effected zones and include wider health consequences than the current health survey.
-err on side of caution and monitor health outcomes for an extensive period of time.
-allow individuals access to their health data and that of their children.
-initiate long-term monitoring of sub-contract workers at the ruined plants.
-evacuation centers did not provide adequate facilities for women with children and the disabled and elderly. Separation of families due to inadequate evacuation procedures has caused unnecessary anguish.
-government needs to strengthened food contamination monitoring.
-adopt an action plan with clear timeline to reduce contamination to 1msv per year.
-restore subsidies to all evacuees so they can make proper decisions about whether to return or leave.
-government ensure that TEPCO is held financially accountable and that taxpayers are not.
-ensure participation of effected people, particularly vulnerable groups during all parts of decision-making process, including health services and decontamination. This is not currently being done.
-implement the “act on protection and support for children, and other victims of the Tepco disaster” which was enacted in June, 2012. This act provides a framework for those affected by the disaster and provides opportunity to enlist affected people in decision-making.
The position of UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health was created in this century. This interim report on the Fukushima disaster appears to represent the first time an investigation has linked health impacts of industrial radiation from a nuclear catastrophe to human rights -- in this case the right to health for both children and adults. A final report will be issued in June of 2013. Stay tuned to Beyond Nuclear for updates. See the UN press release. NECN.com
As reported by Eesha Williams in the Valley Post, six women, who are members of the "Shut It Down!" affinity group, will face trial, beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, November 27th in downtown Brattleboro, VT, for their non-violent civil disobedience arrests at Entergy Nuclear's Vermont Yankee atomic reactor. If convicted of the misdemeanor trespassing charges, they could be sentenced to a year in jail, and a $500 fine, Williams reports.
The six defendants are: Hattie Nestel (age 73) of Athol, Massachusetts; Paki Wieland (age 68), Nancy First (age 82), and Frances Crowe (age 93) of Northampton, MA; Betsy Corner (age 64) of Colrain, MA; and Ellen Graves (age 69) of West Springfield, MA.
The "Shut It Down!" affinity group has been arrested nearly two dozen times at the VY reactor, or in related actions, as at other Entergy Nuclear offices. More.
And, with a rally at the State House on Sat., Nov. 17th, and state-wide public testimony to the State of Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) on Mon., Nov. 19th, the people of the Green Mountain State made clear their ongoing, strong opposition to any grant of a renewed Certificate of Public Good (CPG) to Entergy Nuclear for the continued operation of the Vermont Yankee atomic reactor. The grassroots efforts were organized by such groups as the SAGE Alliance, Citizens Awareness Network (CAN), and the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance (VYDA). More.
Many thanks to all our friends, colleagues and supporters as we near the end of another great year. Without you, we cannot work toward a world Beyond Nuclear! Please help us to continue - and expand - our work by downloading this fundraising flier and forwarding it to your friends. And please consider donating to Beyond Nuclear online today. Your gift is tax-deductible and will contribute to our efforts to shut down nuclear power, abolish nuclear weapons and promote a rapid transition to a renewable energy economy! Thank you!
You can catch the presentations on December 1 and 2 at the Mountain of Waste 70 Years High conference in Chicago on live stream! We hope you can tune in over this important weekend which marks 70 years since the Fermi team created the first self-sustaining chain reaction at the University of Chicago. The conference is being held at the same site. All Saturday presentations are now archived on the live stream site.
November 30, 2012
