Re: 2nd followup letter from Bob Aldrich, California Energy Commission, to Russell Hoffman, Concerned Citizen (with response)

The contact person is Barbara Byron....You can reach her at:

Barbara Byron
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-39
Sacramento, CA 95825
BByron@energy.state.ca.us

September 18th, 2001

Mr. Aldrich,

Your protestations not withstanding (shown below), you made claims to me which were intended to pacify me and stop me from being concerned.  If you have passed my correspondence on to "the appropriate staff person at [your] agency", I wish to know the name of that person and what their experience in nuclear safety issues is, and their contact information.

This is an urgent matter, Mr. Aldrich.  This is not an "email letter-writing campaign", this is not a debate, and I have no wish to debate you.  This is a request by citizens to shut the nukes down NOW, before a terrorist attack on them, or a natural disaster, or a mechanical flaw, or an asteroid, or poor training, or something else, destroys them.

During the past eight years, while you were "information officer" for the California Energy Commission, San Onofre generated about a thousand tons of High Level Radioactive Waste.  Did you provide that information to ANYONE in that entire eight years?  That thousand tons is just sitting there, vulnerable.  Did you ensure that the California energy web site discusses the dangers of nuclear power and nuclear waste so that citizens can make a balanced decision?

I don't know what you did before writing to me, but your letter was a classic example of the government lying to the people.  If you want to apologize to me for something, apologize for that.  But I'd rather you forget about the apology and learn the facts.  Then my actions would not surprise you in the least, as there is a "clear and present danger" which YOU are in a position to do something about.

You can help Californians understand that this is much bigger than a few blackouts -- which is what you threatened us with, if we shut the nukes down.

You, Mr. Aldrich, lied to me about your knowledge level by making statements which you had no idea of the veracity of.  You lied about the importance of nuclear power to California, and about our available renewable energy choices.  Lies, lies, lies.  You have not -- as "information officer" -- even answered my direct questions, such as, how much money are you saying California invested in renewables?  What is the name of the state employee who is responsible for safety issues at nuclear power plants?  How many other people have you sent pacifying letters to in the past 8 years regarding nuclear power?

You owe me an apology, Mr. Aldrich, for accusing me of trying to get into an "email war" with you.  I am trying to find out the facts.  I am trying to find the state employees who have the answers.  Your uncooperative accusations and your original brush-off of my comments are "criminally ignorant" at best.

If you had simply told me that you were not the right person to answer my questions, and had given me the name of the person at the state level who you were passing my letters on to, I would not have any complaints about you.  But you have served the public incredibly poorly and for that, you should be fired.

Sincerely,

Russell Hoffman
Concerned Citizen
Carlsbad, CA

=========================================================

At 03:33 PM 9/18/01 , Bob Aldrich wrote:
To Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Bell, and Ms. Hunter:

May I try to clear up what obviously has degraded into a e-mail letter-writing campaign, in hopes of forestalling any more missives directed at me.

I am the Commission's webmaster.  It is part of my responsibility to answer e-mails sent by members of the public to our website's general e-mail address.  I answered Mr. Hoffman to the best of my ability, hoping that I was responding to his main concerns about power plant safety and directing him to the NRC for specifics.  Before becoming a state employee I was a reporter and news anchor for 10 years (including wining awards for investigative journalism) and have reported on nuclear issues (Diablo and San Onofre) for Pacifica radio ( KPFK) among others stations. Following that I was an information officer for the Energy Comission for eight years before being made the webmaster in 1994. So I have some basic knowledge of the nuclear issues but can better be considered a generalist regarding the state's energy system.

However, I am not involved in the nuclear energy at the Energy Commission.  Those who are have been made aware of Mr. Hoffman's e-mails and concerns.   My comments to Mr. Hoffman were general in nature and sent in response to the fears that many people may have following last week's horrendous attacks.  Mr. Hoffman responded with a multiple page e-mail,  followed by four more e-mails.

I asked him to take me off his list as I am not the appropriate person for him to comment. I have already passed his e-mails on to the appropriate staff person at our agency.

I do apologize to Mr. Hoffman for misunderstanding my original intentions...but I do not wish to debate him or get into e-mail wars with him regarding nuclear safety or other issues.  I would imagine that others may respond back to him regarding his specific questions.

Bob Aldrich

===============================================================

Dear Mr. Aldrich,
 
If you chose to shut yourself off from public comment, perhaps its time to get off public employment a well.
 
The materials sent to you, me and other by Mr. Hoffman are certainly credible and frightening and certainly should not be dismissed by any one in your position.
 
Sincerely, Jim Bell
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Russell D. Hoffman
To: Bob Aldrich ; graydavis@governor.ca.gov ; Barbara Boxer, Senator (CA, D)
Cc: president@whitehouse.gov ; Russell Wise, NRC ; Elmo Collins ; Pat Gwynn ; Clanon, Paul ; Ajello, Julian E. ; Wong, Zee Z. ; Clark, Richard W. ; NRC
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 11:53 AM
Subject: [CAPPcoord] Followup letter from Bob Aldrich, California Energy Commission,to Russell Hoffman, Concerned Citizen (with response)

To: Bob Aldrich, Webmaster, California Energy Commission
From: Russell Hoffman, Carlsbad, CA
Date: September 18th, 2001
Re: Your letter to me this morning

>>>>> At 11:09 AM 9/18/01 , boba <boba@energy.ca.gov> wrote:  >>>>>

Please take me off your e-mail list.  I do not wish to receive any more
information from you.  If you have additional questions regarding nuclear
issues in California, please write to the NRC.

Bob Aldrich
--
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Do your part to help during California's Electricity Crisis.
If you're away from your desk for more than 5-10 minutes,
set your computer and monitor to go to "sleep" or go into
"energy saver"  mode during the business day.  Turn your
computer, monitor and peripherals off when you leave at
the end of the day and over the weekend -- turn them off
at the surge protector power strip.

To learn more about what you can do go to:

http://www.flexyourpower.ca.gov


Bob Aldrich
Webmaster
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-654-4989

Commission Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov
Kids' Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/
Energy Center: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org

/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

<<<<< END OF BOB ALDRICH'S LETTER TO RUSSELL HOFFMAN, SEPT. 19TH, 2001 <<<<<

Mr. Aldrich,

Yesterday, as a representative of the California State Government, you
responded to my letter about the need to shut down the four operating
nuclear power reactors in California due to terrorism threats and other
concerns.

You told me, "I can assure you that the state and the operators or all
energy systems are doing what they can to protect the public health and
safety."

I responded with what I believe is overwhelming evidence that your response
to me was "hollow and meaningless".  I showed you statements by a nuclear
physicists, a 30-year former employee of the plant, and others, to prove my
case.

I also asked you to pass my concerns to someone in the California State
Government who could  answer my questions responsibly and knowledgeably.

This is a perfectly normal request from a California State citizen, and it
is your duty to act accordingly to resolve me concerns, especially my
concerns about your own letter to me from the previous day!

Your first letter to me gave my your own personal assurances that we are
safe.  I wish to know your background to make those assurances.  How many
other Californians have you given similar assurances to?  And I wish to
have someone in California's State Government explain to me how it is
possible that I am safe from nuclear disaster.  Instead you tell me to
contact the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  Why?  Our laws which ceded
jurisdiction to the Federal Government were absolutely clear on one
thing:  If the Feds did not operate the plants safely, we must take control
back.

Therefore, SOMEONE in the California State Government must be aware of what
is happening at the nuclear power plants operating within the
state.  Otherwise there is no way the State could know if it should execute
its written responsibilities to take back control if the plants are
improperly run (or if they are being run when they shouldn't be run at
all).  I wish you to pass ALL my correspondence with you to that person in
the California State Government who can answer my questions professionally
and factually.

Furthermore, I want an apology from you for your hollow assurances and
today's rude response.

Sincerely,

Russell Hoffman
Concerned Citizen
Carlsbad, CA

Attachment (1): Letter received from Laura Hunter, Environmental Health
Coalition, after "cc'ing" her my last letter to you.

===========================================================

Russell
Thanks a lot for sending these.  I will distribute them to many others.
Laura

Laura Hunter
Environmental Health Coalition
1717 Kettner, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 235-0281
FAX (619) 232-3670
email: LauraH@environmentalhealth.org
<mailto:LauraH@environmentalhealth.org>

============================================================




*************************************************
** THE ANIMATED SOFTWARE COMPANY
** Russell D. Hoffman, Owner and Chief Programmer
** Carlsbad CA
** Visit the world's most eclectic web site:
** http://www.animatedsoftware.com
*************************************************
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--

/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Do your part to help during California's Electricity Crisis.
If you're away from your desk for more than 5-10 minutes,
set your computer and monitor to go to "sleep" or go into
"energy saver"  mode during the business day.  Turn your
computer, monitor and peripherals off when you leave at
the end of the day and over the weekend -- turn them off
at the surge protector power strip.

To learn more about what you can do go to:

http://www.flexyourpower.ca.gov


Bob Aldrich
Webmaster
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-654-4989

Commission Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov
Kids' Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/
Energy Center: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org

/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
*************************************************
** THE ANIMATED SOFTWARE COMPANY
** Russell D. Hoffman, Owner and Chief Programmer
** Carlsbad CA
** Visit the world's most eclectic web site:
** http://www.animatedsoftware.com
*************************************************

-- 

/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Do your part to help during California's Electricity Crisis.
If you're away from your desk for more than 5-10 minutes,
set your computer and monitor to go to "sleep" or go into
"energy saver"  mode during the business day.  Turn your
computer, monitor and peripherals off when you leave at
the end of the day and over the weekend -- turn them off
at the surge protector power strip.

To learn more about what you can do go to:

http://www.flexyourpower.ca.gov


Bob Aldrich
Webmaster
California Energy Commission
1516 Ninth Street, MS-29
Sacramento, CA 95825
916-654-4989

Commission Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov
Kids' Website: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/
Energy Center: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org

/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

The Animated Software Company

rhoffman@animatedsoftware.com