To: nuclearshutdown@yahoogroups.com
Subject: In the matter of Victor Gilinsky...
At 03:53 PM 7/15/2005 -0700, beckers@thegrid.net wrote (clip):
"Victor Gillinsky (sic) is a good guy."
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Let's talk about Dr. Victor Gilinsky:
In a 2000 report, he didn't think North Korea should receive nuclear power equipment from the U.S. until "North Korea is a trustworthy recipient." After that little matter is taken care of, why of course, it's okay.
He stated that "the very large size" of the nukes we were proposing to sell to North Korea "makes the project both uneconomic and unsafe." Smaller nukes, however, would have been entirely OKAY with Dr. Gilinsky.
He worked at the Atomic Energy Commission for several years starting in 1971, as assistant director for policy and program review. Nothing anti-nuke there, that's for sure. In fact, those were some of the strongest years for nuclear power development in America's history. And he obviously helped.
From 1973 to 1975 he was head of the RAND Physical Sciences Department. The RAND corporation has always been a pro-nuclear "think tank" as you may know, and a revolving door for those with militaristic thinking and world domination on their minds.
Then it was back to government, and a stint at the new NRC from 1975 to 1984 where he was "heavily involved in nuclear export issues" according to one brief biography. So I wonder how many of the rest of the world's ~335 nuclear power plants are courtesy Victor Gilinsky's efforts, don't you?
He was appointed to the NRC by President Gerald Ford and re-appointed by President Jimmy "nukes are our last resort -- and we're down to our last resorts!" Carter.
In testimony in 2002 regarding Yucca Mountain he proclaimed that onsite storage of nuclear waste allows for "ample opportunity" for the continued -- and even expanded -- use of nuclear power -- that Yucca Mountain is not needed for this reason. So we can EACH have mini-Yucca Mountains -- without the mountains -- at our nuclear power facilities.
His view of the near disaster at Davis-Besse in 2002 due to corrosion was that "a serious accident was barely averted." This in no way impacted his support for nuclear power. To call the potential loss of the state of Ohio and an increase in worldwide radiation levels merely a potentially "serious accident" IS an understatement. It was a catastrophe that was averted, and that by pure luck.
There ARE good people who were formerly nuclear industry insiders who have learned the truth and become whistleblowers, but Gilinsky doesn't appear to be one of them. In fact, it is an insult to those who actually have taken that extremely difficult route to suggest that Gilinsky is anything but a life-long shill for the nuclear industry.
The most positive statement I found by him is that he thinks that nuclear reactors and their fuel, especially those in "iffy" (he has a doctorate to use that term) countries, will "always need close IAEA oversight." I refer to my previous email for comments about the IAEA's ingrained bias towards nuclear power.
Now, you say Gilinsky is a good man, and attack me for questioning it. I say he supports nothing you've claimed to me you believe in, but if you know something about Dr. Gilinsky the rest of the world longs to hear, please share it with us.
Sincerely,
Russell Hoffman
Concerned Citizen
Carlsbad, CA
At 03:53 PM 7/15/2005 -0700, beckers@thegrid.net wrote (clip):
Russell
Victor Gillinsky is a good guy.
-----Original Message-----
From: "Russell D. Hoffman" <rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com>
Sent: Jul 15, 2005 2:47 PM
To: nuclearshutdown@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [nuclearshutdown] Who's on The List (7/14/05)
Hi Rochelle,
Are you saying that a former NRC Commissioner -- Victor Gilinsky -- is
representing (along with yourself) THE PEOPLE to the California Energy
Commission? That sounds like an outrage.
Sincerely,
Russell Hoffman
Carlsbad, CA
At 09:41 AM 7/15/2005 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi Peg,
>
>I am now the executive director of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsbility
>(
www.a4nr.org). Our mission is to create legislation to prohibit nuclear
>power plant relicenses on basis of economic risks in California. Of
>course, its not possible to ignore other nuclear issues, but lic. renewal
>prohibition is our focus.
>
>I would love to have Nancy's contact info and understand her frustration
>during election. On Aug 15/16 the California Energy Commission is holding
>workshops on nuclear topics-a first time discussion in over two decades
>with lots of varying opinions. I will let you know who from Nevada was
>invited. I will be one of the panelist. The only other I know for sure
>is Victor Gillinsky.
>
>Yes there is still a Mothers and I forwarded them the info on this new
>effort for nuclear shutdown.
>
>Thanks for keeping in touch.
>
>In Peace
>Rochelle
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Peggy Maze Johnson <pmj1@citizenalert.org>
>Sent: Jul 15, 2005 9:31 AM
>To: nuclearshutdown@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [nuclearshutdown] Who's on The List (7/14/05)
>
>Rochelle:
>Tell me -what is the Alliance? I heard that you were no longer with
>Mothers? Is there still a Mothers? You might be interested in knowing
>that Nancy Scott who worked for us here at Citizen Alert has
>relocated back to Southern California. She knows our issues and I
>think you ought to tap into her skills. She needs to get involved but
>ny attempt at getting her involved here with the Democrats turned
>into a fiasco - but, of course, since you were here during the
>campaign I'm sure you can understand her frustrations.
>Good luck.
>Peg
>--
>Peggy Maze Johnson
>Executive Director
>Citizen Alert
>P.O. Box 17173
>Las Vegas, NV 89114
>702.796.5662
>702.791.1992 (fax)
>pmj1@citizenalert.org
>
*************************************************
** THE ANIMATED SOFTWARE COMPANY
** Russell D. Hoffman, Owner and Chief Programmer
In Peace
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
PO 1328
San Luis Obispo, Ca 93406-1328
====================================================
To: nuclearshutdown@yahoogroups.com
Subject: What % of Americans would vote for a nuclear shutdown, especially if offered a cheaper renewable energy alternative?
July 15th, 2005
Dear Shutdown group,
I'm very pleased to have been invited onto this new list.
I certainly believe the only reasonable position anyone can advocate today is for an immediate shut-down of all nuclear power plants around the world. A wide variety of clean alternative energy sources exist -- that's not the problem. It's the tiny fraction of society which makes money by the bucketful while generating thousands of tons of nuclear waste (and "valuable" nuclear weapons raw material) which is the problem.
And those who regulate them.
But of course, I'm sure everyone on this list knows that. I believe society as a whole is largely against nuclear power, and usually, the more they know about it the more they oppose it.
I contacted my Congressman's office this morning and asked for an appointment to meet with him. Another Congressperson had forwarded a copy of my recent book (or "booklet" if you prefer) about my concerns regarding San Onofre Nuclear Waste Generating Station. My Congressman's office said, when I called, that they had received it "yesterday" (July 14th, 2005).
I had, foolishly I suppose, overlooked completely the idea of sending the book to him myself. Having decided I could only afford to send it only to a few people, I chose to send it to all the Democrats in the State legislature (both House and Senate) and all of California's Democratic Congressional Representatives, of which Randy "Duke" Cunningham is not one (R-50th CA). (I've yet to hear of an anti-nuke Republican elected official, although I'm sure there are millions of Republicans who do not believe the hype about nuclear power.) I also sent the book to selected Congresspeople from other states. (If anyone on this list would like copies to send to your state or federal legislators, or for yourself or others, please let me know.)
I am awaiting a call back from Cunningham's office for an appointment.
Next week Pamela Blockey O'Brien and I will be meeting with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission regarding her recent 2.206 petition, with which I am also affiliated and which is against:
"23 G.E. Mark 1 Boiling Water Reactors -- so-called Nuclear Lemons - namely: Browns Ferry I, II, III. Brunswick I and II. Cooper I. Dresden II and III. Duane Arnold. Edwin I. Hatch I and II. Fermi II. Hope Creek I. James A. Fitzpatrick. Monticello. Nine Mile Point I. OYSTER CREEK (the mother of all nuclear lemons). Peach Bottom II and III. Pilgrim I. Quad Cities I and II. Vermont Yankee. Collectively and individually, with Bases.
"9 Westinghouse Pressurized Water Reactors -- so called "Ice Conensers" - Namely: Catawba I and II. D.C. Cook I and II. McGuire I and II. Sequoyah I and II. Watts Bar I. Collectively and individually, with Bases.
"15 Special Circumstance Reactors, namely: Salem I and II. St. Lucie I and II. Turkey Point III and IV. San Onofre II and III. Crystal River III. Calvert Cliffs I and II. Farley I and II. Grand Gulf I. Three Mile Island I. With Bases.
"2 Nuclear Death Traps from Hell, namely: NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICES, Erwin, TN. UNITED STATES ENRICHMENT CORPORATIONS PADUCAH GASEOUS DIFFUSION PLANT, Ky, with Bases.
"Requesting SHUTDOWN. LICENSE REVOCATION. CLEAN UP OF SITE AND SURROUNDING AREA, WORKER COMPENSATION and far more as detailed herein, including removal of any and all deadly radioactive "spent" fuel as soon as humanly possible, as detailed herein."
Pamela Blockey O'Brien is a "Former Non-Governmental Organization Delegate to the United Nations Second Special Session on Disarmament, 1982."
The meeting with the NRC will be by phone and will NOT include representatives from the Utilities in question (apparently by their choice), although it will include NRC lawyers, and transcriptions will be made available to the public. (Hopefully we will also be given a chance to correct these transcriptions, which inevitably have many errors (the name Dr. John W. Gofman never seems to get transcribed correctly, for example.)
A copy of the 2.206 petition under 10 CFR Ch. 20 will presumably be made available, if it is not already, through the NRC's ADAMS system so good luck finding it. Pamela's cover letter for the petition reads:
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The nuclear weapons and nuclear power issue is the most important issue in the world, not only because they are inextricably interlinked, with materials and technologies required mainly the same, -- as are the establishments and science pushing both, -- but because they threaten all life on earth, damage the gene pool, contaminate the planet and contribute to global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer. The ozone layer destruction first started by high altitude nuclear weapons tests, for example.
You are receiving the enclosed Petition to the U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION, called a "2.206 Petition Under 10.CFR, Chapter 20" in the hope that you can help expose its contents and thereby save lives. It is an attempt to force the shutdown of some of the most bloody awful, environmentally ruinous, dangerous, vulnerable commercial nuclear power plants and nuclear production facilities in the nation. It must be understood, that nuclear power plants all produce PLUTONIUM in their fuel rods during operation, and far more besides. All these potential terrorist targets listed, are themselves terror inducing.
From nuclear plants located in mangrove swamps which threaten Miami and the Keys, to those which have no large containment dome over them, which could wipe a chunk of two or three states off the map, in terms of rendering them uninhabitable. From commercial reactors producing extra radioactive hydrogen (Tritium) for nuclear weapons use, which can not only meltdown, but explode, to one that threatens Washington DC. As well as a nuclear production facility that rivals some of the worst in the former East Bloc. All in here, with a common thread: children nearby. Our most precious children, whose health and lives are affected.
PLEASE read this through to the end. And as you read it, remember these things:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is partly funded by its licensees, the nuclear industry.
The ICRP (International Commission on Radiological Protection) allied with the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends the most awful radiation "standards" which are accepted worldwide. It is highly selective and controlled, self-appointing, self-electing, dominated by the nuclear establishment and the medical radiological societies, with physician participation limited to medical radiologists, according to Dr. Bertell, who states: "It is, in every sense of the term, a closed club and not a body of independent scientific experts." (No Immediate Danger, R. Bertell, p. 173).
The IAEA has virtually no oversight. Within the UN system it has fiscal independence. It's principal objectives, contrary to popular believe, are to shove nuclear power, and all things nuclear Except the Bomb, down the world's throat. It's all in its charter. Due to this, it is responsible in part for nuclear proliferation, as any nation with a power plant, with enough money and know-how, can ultimately get The Bomb. Via a 1959 agreement, the IAEA can also run interference with WHO. There should be Senate Hearings and investigations on the enclosed, and the above. In case of a nuclear catastrophe, FEMA takes over from NRC. They know far less -- even the late Dr. Carl Sagan made fun of FEMA, reprinting FEMAs admonition in the event of nuclear war: "If a weapon detonates nearby; a) extinguish fires, b) repair damage. (A Path Where No Man Thought, Dr. Carl Sagan & Dr. Richard Turco).
---------------------------------------------------------------
The entire 2.206 petition runs 63 pages (typed, single-spaced) -- an awesome accomplishment for anyone, but especially for a anyone as ill as she has been lately. It took her about nine months to complete the document.
We have been assured that the NRC officials we will speak to will have read her petition BEFORE we speak with them. (I'm preparing a series of questions I can use to help assure us of that fact.) I'm hoping that representatives from other federal agencies will also be on the line, of course, especially since the operation of many, if not all, of these nuclear facilities is a crime against humanity -- "murder," she wrote.
For those on this list whom I have not met yet, below are web sites I've created with additional information about nuclear power, its history, current status, methods of operation, etc. etc..
I'm hoping to be in Nevada August 4-7.
Warmest regards,
Russell Hoffman
Concerned Citizen
Carlsbad, CA
Please visit these web pages:
POISON FIRE USA: An animated history of major nuclear activities in the continental United States:
How does a nuclear power plant work? Animations of PWRs and BWRs:
Internet Glossary of Nuclear Terminology / "The Demon Hot Atom":
List of every nuclear power plant in America, with history, activist orgs,
specs, etc.:
SHUT SAN ONOFRE!:
STOP CASSINI web site:
NO NUKES IN SPACE: (FLASH animation):
or try:
List of ~300 books and videos about nuclear issues in my collection
(donations welcome!):
Learn about The Effects of Nuclear War here (written with Pamela Blockey-O'Brien):