Nuclear Weapons
Beyond Nuclear advocates for the elimination of all nuclear weapons and argues that removing them can only make us safer, not more vulnerable. The expansion of commercial nuclear power across the globe only increases the chance that more nuclear weapons will be built and is counterproductive to disarmament. We also cover nuclear weapons issues on our international site, Beyond Nuclear International.
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As reported by the New York Times. Note that the Nevada National Security Site (formerly known as the Nevada Test Site) is located near the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste dump in Nevada.
As reported by Paul Roupe at Courthouse News.
The one metric ton of plutonium is weapons-grade. The targeted storage site is the so-called Nevada National Security Site, formerly called the Nevada Test Site.
Full-scale nuclear weapons were detonated at the NTS between 1951 and 1992 (including more than a decade of above-ground testing; one-third of underground tests nonetheless leaked to the atmosphere), resulting in countless cases of disease and death downwind.
The NNSS is located in Newe Sogobia, Western Shoshone Indian land, as acknowledged by the "peace and friendship" Treaty of Ruby Valley, signed by the U.S. government in 1863.
Press release, as posted at Sen. Merkley's (D-OR) website.
“President Trump’s reckless decision to pull the U.S. out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty alienates us from our allies and risks returning us to the Cold War postures of yesterday,” said Merkley. “A new nuclear arms race would be costly to our treasury and dangerous for the world. Today, we are coming together to send a message: Congress must not fund new ground-launched or ballistic missiles that will fuel a dangerous arms race across the globe. Instead, President Trump should convene U.S. allies at the G-20 Summit later this week to develop a unified approach to resolve Russia’s violation of the Treaty.”
Action alert from Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment):
Tell Congress to Hold the LYNE
Stop Trump’s “More Usable” Warheads
The Trump Administration is pushing ahead with the development of a new, dangerous and more usable nuclear warhead. With your help, we can stop it!
As described in the President’s Nuclear Posture Review and fiscal 2019 budget, the new nuke will be a submarine-launched “low yield” variant to sit atop Trident D5 missiles. According to Trump it will make a U.S. strike more “credible.” In actuality, it lowers the threshold for nuclear use and makes nuclear war more likely.
Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), John Garamendi (D-CA), and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), along with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), have responded by introducing a bicameral bill, the Hold the LYNE – Low Yield Nuclear Explosive – Act. This crucial piece of legislation, if passed, would prohibit any funds from being used for the research, development, production or deployment of this new warhead.
Here is where you come in. October was Hold the LYNE month (but your action is still needed in November!) to increase the number of co-sponsors on the bill in the House of Representatives. Your immediate phone calls, emails and letters are needed to accomplish this. Further, your member of Congress will be holding local “town halls” and other meetings this month - you can attend and publicly request his/her co-sponsorship. Or, ask any congressional candidate of your choice to commit to co-sponsoring the bill if elected.
The bill’s formal title is H.R. 6840, the Hold the LYNE Act. Here are three ways you can support this crucial legislation and prevent nuclear war before it starts:
1. Make a phone call to your member of Congress. If you already have a relationship with a particular staff person, call that person. Or, you can use the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Here is a sample script:
“Hello. My name is xxx, and I am a constituent from (be sure to say your city). I’m calling to urge Rep. xxx to co-sponsor H.R. 6840, the Hold the LYNE Act to prohibit funding for a dangerous, low yield, submarine-launched warhead that will reduce the threshold for nuclear use and make nuclear war more likely. Rep. Adam Smith and Rep. Ted Lieu recently sent out a “Dear Colleague” letter inviting (your Rep.) to co-sponsor H.R. 6840. Additionally, I would like to be kept informed about whether Rep. xxx becomes a co-sponsor of the Hold the LYNE Act. It is very important to me. Thank you.”
(Note: You can see a copy of the Dear Colleague letter that was sent to every congressional office at the end of this action alert.)
2. Send an email or letter to your member of Congress. You can email a staff person you know. Or, go to www.house.gov or directly to your Representative’s website. Each office has instructions for writing a letter. Postal mail takes longer, so email if you can. You may use the same script as above, or write something like this:
“Dear Rep. xxx: I write as a constituent to ask you to co-sponsor H.R. 6840, the Hold the LYNE Act. This is a crucial piece of legislation that will prohibit the research, development, production or deployment of a new, low-yield, submarine-launched nuclear warhead that will sit atop Trident D5 missiles. This warhead would lower the threshold for nuclear use and make an all-out nuclear exchange more likely. As the only country to have used these horrific weapons in war, the United States should be leading the world toward their elimination, not developing new variants that make future nuclear use more likely. Recently, your office received a Dear Colleague letter from Representatives Adam Smith and Ted Lieu inviting co-sponsorship. Please add your name to H.R. 6840, the Hold the LYNE Act, today. And, keep me informed of your decision. Sincerely, (Your name and postal address as well as email).”
3. Attend a public “town hall” or other event with your member of Congress (or a candidate). First, get called on. Then, brevity will be key. Be prepared with a short clear message. State your name and that you are a constituent from (say your city). Say you would like to ask him/her to co-sponsor the Hold the LYNE Act to prohibit a new low-yield submarine-launched nuclear warhead. Say this issue is important to you. Come prepared to hand your Representative and/or the staff person in attendance a copy of the bill and a copy of the Dear Colleague letter inviting co-sponsors. Be sure to give your contact information to the staff person and say you would like to be kept informed.
4. Bonus action. If you have a bit more time, consider using the information in this alert and the click-ins below to write a Letter to the Editor of your favorite newspaper. Or, write an article for your neighborhood bulletin. Or, take another action…
CLICK HERE for a copy of H.R. 6840, the Hold the LYNE Act.
CLICK HERE for a copy of the Dear Colleague letter inviting members of Congress to co-sponsor the bill.
CLICK HERE for a list of co-sponsors as of 10-5-18 (you can get updates at congress.gov). If your member of Congress is already on the bill, call to say “thank you.”
Also see Kay's pamphlets about the West Lake Landfill, "The Safety of St. Louis Drinking Water Depends on You!!" and "Remove the Radioactive Wastes NOW!!".
As Kay points out, the Manhattan Project radioactive wastes at the West Lake Landfill are among the very oldest of the Atomic Age, and all these decades later, we don't even know what to do with the first cupful! And as is so often the case, as shown in the tragic photo accompanying her op-ed above, as well as a Beyond Nuclear pamphlet, and palm card, it is children (and women, pregnant women and the fetus in the womb, and other highly vulnerable populations, including the elderly, immune-compromised, etc.) who very often bear the worst brunt of the radioactive health hazards.
As reflected in the op-ed above, as well as her cameo in the powerful documentary film "Atomic Homefront," Kay is the institutional memory of such nuclear watch-dogging as at West Lake Landfill. Her vigilance has persisted for 45 years.
January 27, 2019