ALLIANCE LEADS SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO SAVE CALIFORNIA'S NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS LAW
A Message from Rochelle
April was a very busy month for the Alliance and May promises to be even more exciting. We had several actions and appreciate all of you who joined us.
- On April 1st, we asked you to turn off your lights for 5 minutes to demonstrate that individuals can make an energy difference. We are still waiting to see if the efforts were measurable, but in the meantime, thanks to all who joined us.
- Over a 3-day period in Sacramento, we met with assembly members whose districts are smack in the middle of a proposed transport route for 40% of the nation's radioactive waste. Outreach Coordinator David Weisman put together maps of each district. By the time we left, all were interested in contacting the Department of Energy to demand hearings be set in California before the proposed route is adopted http://a4nr.org/library/transportation/yuccamtnroutes/view On April 18th, an announcement was released that this route may be cancelled as it would traverse tribal land in Nevada. We are awaiting final decision on the tribe's action before meeting with representatives still on our list. http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070419/NEWS07/704190342/1016/NEWS
- The highlight of the month was the 17th, when Assemblyman Devore attempted to convince the Natural Resources Committee to lift California's 1978 moratorium on the siting of new nuclear plants until there is a permanent solution for the safe storage of highly radioactive waste. http://a4nr.org/library/nuclearrenaissance/2007.02.22-devore/view The bill was defeated in a 6-3 partisan vote. The Alliance had contacted national and statewide organizations and individuals and flooded the Committee with letters of opposition. There were no letters of support. http://a4nr.org/library/nuclearrenaissance/2007.04.16-assmcomnatresources/view http://www.nuclear-free.com/english/devore.htm
- While the Alliance was elated that the bill was defeated, an announcement that the Fresno Nuclear supporters are planning to initiate a statewide initiative to lift the ban brought us back to earth. Assemblyman Devore announced during a recednt debate that next year he plans to introduce a bill to build a reprocessing plant in California and SCE stated they would like to build nukes in CA "someday". We plan to continue our path to educate communities on the costs/benefits and risks of our state's continued reliance on aging nuclear plants.
- Of great assistance in that strategy: We continue to work closely with the California Energy Commission as it prepares for its upcoming cradle-to-grave analysis of nuclear issues. Before the analysis begins, the CEC will hold a two-day workshop, June 25 and June 28th. The Alliance has been invited to be a participant.
- The Alliance was invited by the students at Fresno State and the Chemists for Peace a UC Berkeley to debate the issues of nuclear power. Both forums were well attended and brought both new and “younger” faces to the table.
- As May begins, the will be joining Dan Hirsch of Committee to Bridge the Gap in debating Assemblyman Devore and a representative from San Onofre on Friday the 4th in San Clemente. The debate is sponsored by KPCC and the NPR affiliate in Pasadena and hosted by Patt Morrison. The program will be live-broadcast -http://www.scpr.org/programs/pattmorrison/index.shtml
Letters to Senators Boxer http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/ and Feinstein http://feinstein.senate.gov/contact.html , as well as Speaker Pelosi http://www.house.gov/pelosi/contact/contact.html and your local Congressperson http://www.house.gov/writerep/ to vote “no” on continued subsidies for new nuclear plants are still needed – please call write or fax today.
Stay tuned as we don't anticipate many dull moments over the next year, and we invite you all to join us whenever and wherever you can.
In Peace Rochelle
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
www.a4nr.org
(858) 337 2703
Upcoming Events
Important events for the Alliance
-
EPIC to Host Lectures on Carbon Free Energy in California
The Energy Policy Initiatives Center is hosting the next talk in its Climate Change Lecure Series. The event, entitled California's Carbon Free Energy Future: Options and Opportunities, will explore the policies and technologies that can help California meets its future energy needs while at the same time reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more
Breaking News
Here's the latest news
-
Conclusions - CEC Draft Report Sept 2008
Read more -
Earthquakes May Endanger New York More Than Thought; Nuclear Power Plant Seen As Particular Risk
A study by a group of prominent seismologists suggests that a pattern of subtle but active faults makes the risk of earthquakes to the New York City area substantially greater than formerly believed. Among other things, they say that the controversial Indian Point nuclear power plants, 24 miles north of the city, sit astride the previously unidentified intersection of two active seismic zones.
Read more -
Progress Energy will ask for rate hike in Florida
Progress Energy Florida will ask the state to approve a 31 percent customer rate hike partly to help pay for two new nuclear power plants. The company said Friday the increase will amount to an extra $34.27 monthly for a user of 1,000 kilowatt hours. If approved by the state Public Service Commission later this year, the hike will take effect in January.
Read more -
Nuclear Shortcuts Exposed In U.S. Nuclear Fuel Facility
US regulators have ignored expert safety advice in an attempt to cut corners and fast track the completion of a $4 billion nuclear fuel facility currently under construction near Aiken, South Carolina.
Read more -
Areva faces 50 pct cost rise for Finnish nuclear reactor
French nuclear group Areva is facing a 50 percent rise to the cost of building the world's first next-generation pressurised water reactor in Finland, the business daily Les Echos reported Thursday. The cost of constructing the plant at Olkiluoto has risen from three billion to 4.5 billion euros (6.7 billion dollars), the paper reported citing an unidentified source.
Read more -
Nuclear plant workers evacuated
Human error is being blamed for a radiation spike at the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant that prompted the evacuation of about a dozen workers from the main reactor building for about two hours.
Read more -
LA Times Letter to the Editor
Read more -
FRANCE'S NUCLEAR CONUNDRUM - Atomic World Champ on the Ropes
France is proud of having the world's most developed nuclear energy infrastructure, but a series of incidents at the Tricastin nuclear power plant has shaken its self-confidence. Is public sentiment about nuclear power about to shift? The winegrowers have already made their move. No longer will they label their product Côteaux du Tricastin. Why? Because the name Tricastin is slowly beginning to stand for something far removed from fine wine.
Read more -
Efficiency, renewable energy are much cheaper than nukes
When Arjun Makhijani talks about generating electricity with nuclear power, he knows of what he speaks. His Ph.D. is from UC-Berkeley in nuclear engineering, and he has authored numerous books on energy, including the first evaluation conducted of energy efficiency potential in the U.S. economy. His most recent tome, “Carbon-Free and Nuclear-Free,” is a no-nonsense policy guide for ending our dependence on fossil fuels without incurring massive debt — and courting potential disaster — by expanding our nuclear-generation capacity.
Read more -
The Misconception of Nuclear Power
Read more -
WATER WORRIES GROW
On a hazy summer day, a pair of anglers fish on a man-made lake in PPL’s Susquehanna Riverlands wildlife habitat. Above them, the massive cooling towers of the Susquehanna nuclear plant billow white plumes of vapor, the byproduct of millions of gallons of water the two reactors consume daily from the river to cool the intense heat generated by nuclear fission
Read more -
42-Square-Mile Federal Uranium Program Challenged: Threatens Contamination of Public Land, Wildlife Habitat Communities, and Precious Western Water
A coalition of conservation groups filed suit in federal court today, challenging the Department of Energy’s decision to vastly expand its uranium mining program on 42 square miles of public land near the spectacular Dolores River Canyon, a tributary to the Colorado River in southwest Colorado.
Read more
Recent Articles
Recent articles of interest posted on the ANR website
-
ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT
(This is used on the home page as part of a content panel)
Read more -
DRAFT REPORT & PUBLIC MEETINGS - FALL 2008
Here you will find the draft report, conclusion and links to the public hearings and testimonies.
Read more -
Foreign Nuclear News and Information
The US is not the only country with nuclear power plants. Here you will find information from all over the world regarding nuclear power in places other than the US.
Read more -
Nuclear France - Myths and Fantasies (from Beyond Nuclear)
France gets nearly 80% of its electricity from its 58 reactors. However, such a heavy reliance on nuclear power brings with it many major, unsolved poblems, most especially that of radioactive waste. Despite assertions to the contrary, the French nuclear story is far from a gleaming example of nuclear success. The example, set by the French nuclear infrastructure - and best exemplified by its giant nuclear corporation, Areva, is not to be emulated.
Read more -
AB 1632 Assessment of California's Operating Nuclear Plants - Draft Report
Posted 9/12/08. (Acrobat PDF file, 326 pages, 3.7)
Read more -
Carbon Free Nuclear Free Website
Here is the link for the Carbon Free Nuclear Free Website
Read more
CODE PINK PRESENTS AUTHOR-ACTIVIST DIANE WILSON and SINGER LIZZIE WEST
Conclusions - CEC Draft Report Sept 2008