And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >From: "Save Ward Valley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Mike Means" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Native American leaders and environmental activists ask Gov.-elect Davis to stop Ward Valley >Date: Wed, 9 Dec 1998 17:56:12 -0800 >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 > >My apologies! I thought I had sent this out that Monday evening. I just >discovered that it did not go out. > > >Native American and Environmental Activists Ask California >Governor-Elect Gray Davis to Reject the Ward Valley Nuclear Dump > >by Philip M. Klasky > >(Sacramento, California) -- While the new members of the California state >legislature were being sworn in today, Native American leaders and >environmental activists delivered a letter signed by over 135 organizations >calling for Governor-elect Gray Davis to reject the proposal for a >controversial nuclear waste dump at Ward Valley, California. Signatories >included some of the nation's largest environmental organizations, >indigenous rights groups and environmental organizations from Canada, >Mexico, Europe and Asia. For the last eight years, Governor Pete Wilson has >made construction of the nuclear dump a centerpiece of his political agenda. > > >The nuclear power industry plans to bury radioactive wastes, mostly from >nuclear power plants, in shallow, unlined trenches, above an aquifer, twenty >miles from the Colorado River, in the midst of critical habitat for an >endangered species and on land considered sacred aboriginal territory for >the five lower Colorado River Indian tribes. > >The letter states that the dump project would threaten the Colorado River, >source of water for 22 million people in the United States and Mexico and >violate environmental justice mandates. The letter asks Davis to withdraw >the state of California's request for the land and bring to an end the >decade long fight over the dump project. > >Davis also received a letter from Reverend Jesse Jackson delivered by >representatives of the Rainbow Coalition stating that, "Indian peoples and >communities of color should not be the dumping ground for dangerous wastes >and reckless waste disposal projects." San Francisco Supervisor Gavin >Newsom wrote to Davis reminding him that the City and County of San >Francisco passed a resolution this last year opposing the dump project. Los >Angeles, Berkeley, Marin, Imperial and San Bernardino Counties have also >passed similar resolutions. > >As State Controller, Gray Davis opposed the dump project on both >environmental and economic grounds. Davis authored a report that found, >based on experience at other failed dump sites, that leakages at the Ward >Valley facility could cost California taxpayers as much as $500 million in >clean-up costs. > >Earlier this year, the top Democratic leadership of the state legislature >alleged that the method by which the Wilson administration has attempted to >obtain the federal land at Ward Valley is illegal. This claim coupled with >an historic 113 day occupation of the proposed dump site by Native American >and environmental activists halted a federal environmental review of the >proposal. > >During his recent election campaign, Davis expressed serious concerns about >the proposed dump contractor, US Ecology, who was licensed by the Wilson >administration to build the facility. Formerly known as Nuclear Engineering >Company, US Ecology has left a trail of leaking dumps and litigation across >the country. All four of their nuclear waste dumps, in Washington, >Kentucky, Illinois and Nevada, are leaking. Their Maxey Flats, Kentucky >facility was put on the EPA's Superfund list of most polluted sites after >plutonium and other radioactive wastes were discovered leaking from the >dump. Earlier this year, Nebraska turned away a US Ecology nuclear waste >dump proposal over concern about the company's track record >compounded by the firm's deteriorating financial condition. > >In her bid for re-election, Senator Barbara Boxer successfully campaigned on >her long-standing opposition to the Ward Valley dump. Public opinion polls >show that a majority of Californians oppose the dump project, although many >are unaware of the proposal. > >The Wilson administration has been an aggressive dump proponent. The state >of California, along with US Ecology, is currently suing the federal >government in federal district court in an attempt to force the government >to transfer the land at Ward Valley to the state and begin construction of >the dump. Davis has yet to indicate what he decide to do about the proposed >dump project once he assumes office in January 1999. > > > >Save Ward Valley >107 F Street >Needles, CA 92363 >ph. 760/326-6267 >fax 760/326-6268 > >www.shundahai.org/SWVAction.html >http://earthrunner.com/savewardvalley >www.ctaz.com/~swv1 >http://banwaste.envirolink.org >www.alphacdc.com/ien/wardvly4.html >www.greenaction.org > &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment ...http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ `"` `"` `"` `"` `"` `"`
