April 25th, 2006
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has already proven itself to be a biased organization which sticks its collective head in the sand and, both collectively and individually, refuses to investigate the TRUE dangers of nuclear power, from low level radiation, from terrorism (including state-sponsored terrorism), from disgruntled-workers, from engineering failures, from gross negligence, from mother nature (including earthquakes, RUST, tsunamis from underground landslides nearby, etc.), and a thousand other FATAL FLAWS, including the FACT that there is no federal storage place for the waste and if there ever is, it will be over the objections of reasonable scientists and local citizens near the location and along the transportation routes. Yet for decades the state of California has hung its hat on the idea that the feds would take the "quap" away at some point.
Dry casks are terrorist targets, easily spotted and attacked from the air. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar or a fool. But in any event, there are LOTS of ways to destroy a nuclear power plant and LOTS of ways to get electricity which are clean, renewable, and not the subject of control by foreign powers for price or availability. It's not "Nuclear versus Fossil Fuels" yet the CPUC thinks those are the only commercially viable choices. If that is so, it is ONLY because the CPUC makes it so -- they have the power.
And they misunderstand the dangers of tritium, for example, believing the EPA limit of 20,000 picoCuries per liter of water is safe, when it is nothing of the sort. The limit should be hundreds of times lower (if even that) and the scientific literature already proves that -- IF the CPUC would only LOOK at the facts, instead of holding mind-numbing hearings where no fact need ever see the light of day.
The commissioners are not particularly well-versed in the issues, and get very professionally given, but utterly inaccurate and misleading, advice from federal agencies and the nuclear industry. They do not ask difficult questions of these "experts." No one is under oath. Everyone needs to be, because a lot of lying goes on at these hearings.
Oh sure, they say they looked at these issues. What that meant is the commission heard testimony -- like what might be given tomorrow -- from "both sides," and upon hearing it, ignored one side, or, if that side was too worn down by endless meetings where nothing is accomplished, only heard one side and didn't SEEK OUT the facts independently.
Which they are obliged to do even if no anti-nukers come forward, for their search must be for the FACTS.
And the pro-nukers have nothing but LIES to say to the CPUC. I have spent many hours listening to their lies, said before a microphone (but NOT under oath) in Sacramento, and Oceanside, and so on, up and down the coast.
So sure, go to the meeting, and see for yourself what comes of your effort. Some would say not to go is to give up, so hopefully some rookie activist who has not been beaten down 100 times by the system already, or some diehard activist who doesn't care that it won't work anyway, but just needs to feel like they've done SOMETHING once again, will attend, and speak TRUTH for the rest of us. To them I can only add: Good luck and thank you!
Ace Hoffman
Concerned Citizen
Carlsbad, CA
1) URL for in-depth look at tritium
2) Rochelle Becker to speak in Vista, CA this evening (April 25th, 2006)
3) CPUC meeting in Oakland TOMORROW, Wednesday April 26th, 2006
4) Also from the alliance (and on the same day as this "important" meeting in Oakland)
5) Nuclear Disasters we have almost known (but usually don't have a clue about)
6) Pro-nuclear "greens" really just a front for the Nuclear Energy Institute
7) Contact info for Ace
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1) URL for in-depth look at tritium:
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Why the EPA standard for Tritium is too high:
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2) Rochelle Becker, A4NR, to speak in Vista, CA about Chernobyl this evening:
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Lynn Hicks, of CREED (San Clemente, CA), tells me that Rochelle Becker will be speaking in Vista about Chernobyl today.
Time: 7:00 pm.
If you wish to attend, please call John Nilson at (760) 726-9638. Press are invited.
It is not known if Rochelle Becker will advocate for shutting down San Onofre immediately, as she should. If so, it would be a change from her previous position on the subject for the past 28 years.
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3) CPUC meeting in Oakland TOMORROW, Wednesday April 26th, 2006:
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At 12:45 AM 4/25/2006 -0700, CAPPcoord@yahoogroups.com wrote:
------- Forwarded message -------
Subject: Extremely impt CPUC meeting on nuke relicense this Wed
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 23:01:53 -0700
Hi, Rick.
The CPUC is meeting Wed (see attached) in Oakland and public participation
is greatly
needed to oppose an $19 million for an in house feasiblity study of
license renewal for
Diablo Canyon. All PG&E ratepayers would be paying to allow an additional
20 years
of high-level radiaoctive waste production and storage in San Luis Obispo
county's
seismically active coastal zone.
Hope you can help us get the message out to attend and speak out.
In Peace
Rochelle
In Peace
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director
Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility
PO 1328
San Luis Obispo, Ca 93406-1328
(Note: There are a lot of typos in this short CPUC meeting document (shown below, uncorrected), which strongly detracts from the idea that it's important. I'd double-check the time and location before attending. -- Ace)
HOW MUCH HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE IS CALIFORNIA WILLING TO
STORE ON OUR FRAGILE COAST?
PLEASLE SPEAK OUT NOW!
A LICENSE RENEWAL FOR DIABLO CANYON WOULD DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE ON OUR FRAGILE COAST
A CPUC PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE HELD TO DISCUSS
WHETHER IF PG&E RATEPAYERS SHOULD FUND FOR AN IN HOUSE STUDY OF
LICENSE RENEWAL.
A COST/BENEFIT STUDY OF RELIANCE ON AGING NUCLEAR
MUST BE ONLY BE ANALYZED BY AN AGENCY INDEPENDENT OF
PG&E!
PLEASE ATTEND
APRIL 26, 2006 2pm and 7pm
Elihu Harris State Building Auditorium
1515 Clay Street 1st floor
Oakland
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4) Also from the alliance (and on the same day as this "important" meeting in Oakland):
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From: "Tanja Winter" <twinter@san.rr.com>
To: "abc.action" <twinter@san.rr.com>
Subject: Reminder: April 26, "Chernobyl 20 Years Later"
Matters of Controversy ~ A Monthly Series
Wed. April 26, 2006 7pm
Chernobyl
Twenty Years Later:
A Public Health and Environmental Assessment
Special Guests:
Angelina M. Galiteva and Rochelle Becker
Two experts on nuclear power and sustainable energy will discuss what we can do now to insure that a Chernobyl or 3-Mile Island will not occur in San Diego.
On April 26, 1986 a fire at Ukraine's Chernobyl Nuclear Station resulted in massive radioactive contamination, the abandonment of seventeen villages, the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people and a ban on export of the region's agriculture. As California moves away from coal and petroleum-based electricity, the time is ripe to reflect on nuclear power, its promise?and its problems, and alternative energy for San Diego.
Angelina M. Galiteva currently serves as Chairperson of the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE), a Consultant specializing in strategic issues related to renewable energy. Ms. Galiteva is founder of New Energy Options, Inc. and past Executive Director-Strategic Planning, for the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Ms. Galiteva, has JD & Masters' of law degrees in International, Environmental and Energy Law.
Rochelle Becker, Executive Director of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility, has been active on nuclear safety issues in California for 28 years. As the past Mothers for Peace spokesperson and project director, Rochelle has testified before the California Public Utilities Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission to name a few and is the President of The Utility Reforms Network, a consumer watch group for state utility customers. Ms. Becker is a graduate of the U of San Francisco.
For more information: PeaceDemTF@aol.com or 858 459-4650
Location:
First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
4190 Front Street, Hillcrest, San Diego (opposite UCSD Medical Center)
*Wheelchair Accessible
Parking: Church parking lot - (limited) / Street parking (within 2 blocks)
Directions: From Washington St, Hillcrest: north on 1st St, 3 blocks / left on Arbor, 1 block. Church is on your left / UCSD Medical Center is on your right.
Cost: Donations requested.
Presented by: Peace and Democracy Action Group, First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Diego, CA
858-459-4650 Subscribe: PeaceDemTF@aol.com
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Networking for Social Justice
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"The good Earth -- we could have saved it,
but we were too damn cheap and lazy."
Kurt Vonnegut
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5) Nuclear Disasters we have almost known (but usually don't have a clue about:
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Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of the worst commercial nuclear
accident the world has ever seen: Chernobyl. But if you think it can't
happen here, or now, think again. In the last 20 years since Chernobyl,
nearly 200 "near-misses" have occurred at U.S. nuclear power plants. Has
one of these happened at a nuclear reactor near you?
We've just released a report
documents these near misses. Despite the claims of the nuclear industry,
an American Chernobyl is possible.
Earlier this year, President Bush announced plans to build a new
generation of nuclear power plants. The government is planning a nuclear
renaissance, and they're footing the bill with your tax dollars.
But is nuclear energy any safer today than it was 20 years ago? The
answer is a resounding NO.
Take Action >>
Sign our petition against nuclear energy
I've been campaigning against nuclear power for almost 20 years now, and
I can tell you that no matter what the nuclear industry says about
safety, there are fundamental problems with nuclear energy that will
never go away. Let me share a few examples with you:
* During one year of operation, a nuclear reactor produces as much
long-lived radioactive poison as that released by 1,000 Hiroshima
bombs. And there is still no way to safely dispose of it.
* Did you know that a nuclear accident in the United States could
cost as much as $15 billion and like Chernobyl, leave large areas
of land uninhabitable for generations?
* Radiation causes cancer. Government studies have repeatedly found
that there is no such thing as a safe dose of radiation.
Even today, the impact of the Chernobyl meltdown is still being felt.
Experts predict as many as 200,000 cancer cases related to the Chernobyl
accident and many believe that the number of cancer deaths could reach
as high as 93,000.
If we want to avoid nuclear disasters here at home, we have to avoid
nuclear energy. There are much safer, renewable energy sources available
today. Please, take a moment to reflect on the consequences of
Chernobyl, and another moment to prevent the same sort of tragedy from
occurring here at home.
Sincerely,
Jim Riccio
Nuclear Policy Analyst
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6) Pro-nuclear "greens" really just a front for the Nuclear Energy Institute:
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From Democracy Now
Nuclear Industry Sets Up New "Green" Pro-Nuclear Coalition
As the world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the Chernoble
nuclear disaster, pro-nuclear forces are pushing for the construction of
new nuclear plants. On Monday the newly formed Clean and Safe Energy
Coalition launched a campaign to advocate that Nuclear Energy Is America's
Clean and Safe Energy Solution. The coalition is being run by former EPA
head Christine Todd Whitman and Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore. From
its website the group portrays itself as a new environmental grassroots
group that supports nuclear energy. However the Cleveland Plain Dealer has
revealed the group is entirely funded by the Nuclear Energy Institute and
being run by the public relations company Hill and Knowlton.
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7) Contact info for Ace:
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