U.S. Congressman Conyers honors Beyond Nuclear at Fukushima commemoration

U.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), ranking member of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and one of the longest serving Members of Congress in U.S. historyU.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (pictured, left), one of the longest serving members of Congress in U.S. history, and ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, honored Beyond Nuclear not only with his presence, but also his kind words, at a March 11th Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe commemorative event held in Livonia, Michigan, near the Fermi 2 atomic reactor, the world's largest Fukushima Daiichi twin design reactor, a General Electric Boiling Water Reactor with a Mark I containment.

The event, "Will Fermi 3 Radiation 'Into Eternity?'," featured a screening of the documentary film Into Eternity, about Finland's proposed high-level radioactive waste dumpsite. Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps followed the film with a presentation on the radioactive waste and atomic reactor risks plaguing the Detroit area, as well as the Great Lakes region beyond.

Congressman Conyers spoke first during the discussion afterwards, stating that this powerful event marked a turning point for anti-nuclear activism in the area. He said the event was one of the most important he had attended in some time, and that he would look into conducting congressional hearings on such important subject matter in the near future.

The event was organized by BetterWorld Happenings, founded by Keith Gunter, a Beyond Nuclear launch partner. About 80 people attended, including a number of long-time veteran anti-nuclear campaigners in Michigan representing Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination, Peace Action of Michigan, Don't Waste Michigan, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Southeast Michigan Group, Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, and other organizations.

Lack of permission for dry cask storage of high-level radioactive waste generated after March 21st may be Vermont Yankee's last gasp

Typical dry cask storage with its "state of the art security system" (aka a chain link fence)Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) has posted an analysis on its website ("The Worm Turns") on how Entergy Nuclear may have planted the seed of its own destruction when it filed a lawsuit against the State of Vermont, seeking to block Vermont's efforts to shut down Vermont Yankee (VY) atomic reactor at the end of its 40 year license on March 21, 2012.

The federal district judge in Brattleboro did rule that the State of Vermont's legislature cannot intervene agaisnt VY's operations, a ruling that Vermont has appealed to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York City. But the district court ruling did not bar the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) from denying a Certificate of Public Good (CPG), which would also shut down the reactor. This has suddenly thrown Entergy Nuclear into a panic. It has "cross appealed" Vermont's filing with the 2nd Circuit, and incredibly, it has moved that the district judge "correct mistakes" in his January ruling -- namely, allowing the PSB to retain its authority to grant or deny a CPG, as it sees fit!

Specificially, the PSB must approve the dry cask storage of any irradiated nuclear fuel on the banks of the Connecticut River at VY. The PSB has asked some tough questions to Entergy about its plans -- or lack thereof -- for dry cask storage of irradiated nuclear fuel generated after March 21, 2012. Could this be the way that VY is finally forced to shut down, the desire of the vast majority of Vermont residents? Let's hope so. Ironically, the PSB will hear the parties on Friday, March 9th, in the very same building where Vermont's Act 160 was passed in the first place, the Vermont State House.