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Re: WIPP shipment through Albq. NM
I hate to say this. But this is typical of any grass
roots movement. If DOE did a lot of things right we
would all be better off. However, this has to be done
on a much higher political level. Meaning some industry
group, pro-group or should I call it a "truth group"
needs to become the proxy. Its then become both an
outreach (education) and lobbying game. To do this the
scientist needs to team up with the door opener
(lobbyist) and the then "let the games begin". I have
been part of groups like this before on the Hill. When
done right they can become very effective.
Or pressure the US Treasury Department to place the
anti-groups on the domestic terrorist watch list (sic).
This is even more effect.
My two cents...
Gerry
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 11:06:41 -0500, RuthWeiner@AOL.COM
wrote:
>
> Sicne a response was requested:
>
> The group that came to the Albuquerque City Council
was
> organized -- I overheard them planning another meeting
> out in the hall -- and they had organized a letter
> writing campaign. This is NOT, and I repeat NOT, a
> "conspiracy," and I would never identify it as such.
> It is citizen activism -- I have planned
letter-writing
> campaigns and urged folks to go to meetings myself as
> a volunteer for Sierra Club, American Lung
Association,
> Trinity Section of American Nuclear Society, etc. I
> hope that ANS and Health Physics Society could become
> more active in this vein.
>
> Two problems occur, however: these organized anti-nuke
> protests almost always include paid anti-nuclear
> activist organizations -- people who draw a salary to
> attend these hearings and speak. The salaried
> activists also help with organization, preparing
> handouts, setting up press conferences, etc. Locally,
> the same groups show up consistently. Somehow, this
is
> not considered "conflict of interest" but if a Sandia
> employee, for example, shows up and even, as I do,
> CAREFULLY dissociates himself or herself from his or
> her employer and makes it very clear that the
> appearance is on the employee's own free time, it is
> labeled by the anti-nukes (not by Sandia or DOE!)to be
> "conflict of interest" and apparently this label is
> accepted by at least some policy makers, politicians,
> etc. In fact, if a person employed in any capacity by
> a national lab or a government agency expresses a
> pro-nuclear opinion in a public forum, he or she is
> immediately charged with conflict of interest and t!
> he individual's scientific objectivity called into
> question. This is apparently why Dr. Corradini felt
> obliged to resign as chair of the NWTRB, for example.
> Yet, State of Nevada Yucca Mountain opponents can
> express their opposition to Yucca Mountain, with
> impunity, "on the clock," just as our salaried local
> activists can support an anti-WIPP memorial. This is
> unquestionably a double standard.
>
> The second problem is a corollary to the first. Many
> people here feel that they cannot appear as private
> citizens because it would jeopardize their jobs. In
my
> experience, George Dials, former director of the
> Carlsbad Area Office, stands out as the one DOE person
> who (successfully) encouraged DOE and contractor folks
> to appear on their own time, after hours, at public
> hearings and express their opinions. If DOE and the
> labs encouraged this, and relieved people of the fear
> of losing their jobs, I imagine a lot more would
> participate.
>
> I might also point out that, in recent years, the
> anti-nuclear protesters have become increasingly
> strident, hostile, and outright nasty. My husband
went
> with me the other night because, frankly, I was
nervous
> about going alone. He has actually been physically
> attacked by a local anti-nuke, and we have had
> threatening phone calls. I am myself vilified in the
> press from time to time for no particular reason. Many
> people don't attend these hearings because of the
> hostile and discourteous atmosphere, and they don't
> want to put up with it.
>
> Finally, of course, many of the protesters have the
> time. They may not work full time, or not at all, or
> have a sufficiently flexible work schedule. Most
> government, national lab, and contractor employees
> can't do this, and even with flexible schedules,
rarely
> have the time. Unless it becomes one's primary
leisure
> time activity (I guess that is what it is for me,
> occasionally)there is just too little time for it.
>
> Ruth
>
>
> --
> Ruth F. Weiner
> ruthweiner@aol.com
> 505-856-5011
> (o)505-284-8406
>
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