Why the Scariest Nuclear Threat May Be Coming from Inside the White House

As reported by Michael Lewis in Vanity Fair.

The article begins:

Donald Trump’s secretary of energy, Rick Perry, once campaigned to abolish the $30 billion agency that he now runs, which oversees everything from our nuclear arsenal to the electrical grid. The department’s budget is now on the chopping block. But does anyone in the White House really understand what the Department of Energy actually does? And what a horrible risk it would be to ignore its extraordinary, life-or-death responsibilities?

It includes an extensive section on the mismanagement of radioactive waste cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State.

Nuke waste dump/Mobile Chernobyl bill heads to U.S. House floor -- Urge your U.S. Rep. to block it!

Despite a 50-group environmental coalition in opposition, H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017, as amended, passed the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee by a vote of 49 to 4 (see the text of the bill, as well as the four amendments now attached to it, here).

All Republican members, and all but four Democrats (Schakowsky of IL, Ben Lujan of NM, Loebsack of IA, and Engel of NY) who were present, voted in favor of reviving the cancelled Yucca Mountain, NV high-level radioactive waste dump, and legalizing private de facto permanent parking lot dumps, targeted at TX and NM.

If enacted, the legislation could pave the way for unprecedented numbers of irradiated nuclear fuel truck and train, as well as barge, shipments to begin moving in just a few years, through most states, many major cities, and most U.S. congressional districts, risking Mobile Chernobyls, Floating Fukushimas, and Dirty Bombs on Wheels.

If any of the four Dems above, who voted right, is your U.S. Rep., please thank them by calling their office via the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 225-3121.

If your U.S. Rep. is on the committee and voted wrong, express your disapproval and urge they change their vote.

Now that the bill is moving to the U.S. House floor, likely in the near future, everyone should contact their own U.S. Rep., and urge opposition to this very dangerous bill.

See Beyond Nuclear's press statement about H.R. 3053, for ideas on points to communicate to your U.S. Rep.

You can look up your U.S. Rep.'s full contact info. at this website, by typing in your ZIP code in the upper right, clicking GO, and following the internet links.

Update on July 12, 2017 by admin

NIRS: Save the Date: Don't Waste America Telebriefing--Thursday, July 13th!

Learn more about H.R. 3053 and related matters! (For those who can't attend the telebriefing in real time, a recording will be made available.)

NIRS: Save the Date: Don't Waste America Telebriefing--Thursday, July 13th!

Announcement from our friends and colleagues at Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS):

Save the Date: Don't Waste America Telebriefing--Thursday, July 13th!

Dear Friend,

Please join us for our live national telebriefing, Don't Waste America!, on Thursday, July 13th, 8pm-9:30pm (EDT)/7:00pm (CDT)/6:00 pm (MDT)/5:00 pm (PDT).

Don't Waste America is a national campaign focused on preventing decades of massive and dangerous high-level radioactive waste transport across the United States, which would occur if efforts to revive the scientifically-indefensible Yucca Mountain, Nevada waste dump are accomplished, or if a Centralized or Consolidated “Interim” Storage (CIS) site for high-level radioactive waste is created.

With the close of five nuclear reactors since 2013, and nine others scheduled to close by 2020, we celebrate the decreased generation of high-level waste at these reactor sites. When fission stops, public health improves! However, it is vital that the solution chosen to isolate and store the generated waste at these closed and/or closing reactor sites, and the waste that continues to be generated at the 99 other nuclear reactor sites that are still operating, is scientifically and morally sound.

Click here to register for the telebriefing and receive all of the details!

The campaign has four main components:  End Yucca, Stop Nuclear Waste Transport, Consolidated Interim Storage, and Hardened On-Site Storage.

• Ian Zabarte (Principal Man, Western Bands Shoshone Nation Newe Sogobia) will present End Yucca!
• Diane D’Arrigo (Director, Radioactive Waste Project of NIRS) will present Stop CIS!
• Deb Katz (Citizen Awareness Network) will present Implement HOSS!
• Mary Olson (Director, NIRS Southeast) will moderate and reflect on how waste transport intersects with the above.

This national conversation is appropriate for newcomers and seasoned activists alike! We will reserve plenty of time for your questions and short comments after the presentations.

This telebriefing is free, but registration is required. Your confirmation email will include the dial-in number. 

We will begin promptly at 8:00pm (EDT)/7:00pm (CDT)/6:00 pm (MST)/5:00 pm (PST). We hope you will join in!

If you cannot attend, but would like to receive the link to the recorded telebriefing, please register. We will send a link to the recorded telebriefing to all registered participants. 

Thanks for all you do!

Mary Olson

Director, NIRS Southeast Office

Join us for our national Don't Waste America! telebriefing

REGISTER NOW! »