Eagle Alliance Information

[Mike Baker <baker@groves.neep.wisc.edu>]

Here is a copy of part of the Eagle Alliances brochure for those that
requested some more information.  An email address to contact them is 
shown at the end.  Note that the president of the group is a former
ANS president.

If I recall correctly there membership dues are relatively small, something
like $25 per year, but they have recently formed (I think dues received 
before the end of the year entitles you to be a "charter member".)  I am 
sure if you contact them they will be happy to give you better information.
(One or two subscribers to RADSAFE may be on their board of directors if I
remember correctly.)

The first section of the brochure below is some educational info, the final
section contains their goals and contact information.

Mike Baker ... baker@groves.neep.wisc.edu

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DID YOU KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
BENEFITS US TODAY? 

Nuclear technology has become a major part of life in the US, with 
a multitude of beneficial uses for food, medicine, energy and other 
products.  The total impact of nuclear technology on the US economy 
was evaluated using economic models similar to those used by the US 
Government to predict the effects of military base closures. The 
results are remarkable:

JOBS
People working directly with nuclear technology in this country, 
along with the other workers who support and sustain them, represent 
4.1 million jobs.  These include plant workers, technicians, 
construction workers, engineers, operators, secretaries, doctors, 
teachers, and even postal workers.

DOLLARS
The direct and indirect dollar impact of nuclear technology on the 
nation's economy amounts to $330 billion each year. To place this 
figure into perspective, if it represented a Gross National Product 
(1991 figures), it would be ranked eleventh in the world!

        USA             5,695  BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
	Japan........   3,386
	Soviet Union	2,531
	Germany.........1,586
	China	        1,526
	France..........1,191
	Italy	        1,134
	UK..............1,102
	Canada	          563
	Spain.............522
	Brazil	          404
	US NUCLEAR        330


.................DIRECT BENEFITS TODAY.................

MEDICINE 

+ 13 million nuclear medical procedures every year
+ Nuclear diagnosis or therapy benefits 1 of every 3 US 
  hospital patients
+ Nuclear sterilization assures safety of surgical tools 
  and bandages
+ Nuclear tests used for FDA approval of over 8O% of all 
  new drugs
+ 10 of the last 15 Nobel Prizes in medicine and physiology 
  made possible by nuclear techniques

FOOD

+ "Picowave" treatment improves safety and shelf life for 
  spices. strawberries, potatoes, and other common foods
+ Safety of chicken improved (kills salmonella) 
+ Space and military rations preserved with nuclear sterilization
+ Kills dangerous e. Coli in red meat

ENERGY

+ Nuclear plants supply 20% of all electricity produced in US; 
  over 80% in some states
+ Sustainable domestic fuel source with no pollution
+ 40 year safety record unsurpassed by any other power source
+ Only industrial activity whose consumer price includes 
  environmental protection, waste disposal, and plant 
  decommissioning costs

OTHER

+ Nuclear sensors in smoke detectors
+ Improved agricultural products Isotope tracers detect 
  pipeline wear, leaks, etc.
+ Nuclear thickness gauges assure quality of sheet metal, 
  paper, etc.
+ Radiation toughened plastics 


..........................CONCERNS TO OVERCOME.....................

NUCLEAR MEDICINE

+ Over 95% of the isotopes currently used in nuclear medicine in 
the US must be imported. Certain critical isotopes come from a 
single 35 year old foreign nuclear reactor.

+ Without the construction of simple, safe, low level waste 
disposal facilities, valuable diagnosis and therapy procedures are 
not available.

+ No capability exists in the US, to produce the special 
radionuclides necessary to make advanced "silver bullets" in the 
fight against cancer.

+ Restrictive FDA rules prevent beneficial new procedures from 
reaching our medical teams.

NUCLEAR ENERGY

+ Peripheral costs and unclear policies have discouraged electric 
utilities from building any new nuclear power plants for more than 
fifteen years.

+ Indecision has brought work to construct nuclear waste repositories 
to a near halt

+ Today's energy policy is forcing our nation to utilize only about 
1% of the energy potential contained in nuclear fuel.

NUCLEAR EDUCATION

+ US leadership in domestic and international nuclear affairs has 
been essentially lost. It can be regained only with a new national 
resolve sufficient to attract renewed student interest.

+ The only factor maintaining many graduate programs is the influx 
of foreign students, who take the technology back to their own 
countries where it flourishes 


WHAT CAN BE DONE to sustain the growth of nuclear science and technology


PUBLIC SUPPORT 

+ Reliable polls show that the continued development of nuclear 
technology is supported by a broad cross section of the US public, 
but that our lawmakers do not recognize this support. Only informed 
and motivated citizens can correct this misperception.

+ Citizens in a democracy require adequate knowledge in order to 
govern effectively in a highly complex world. Schools (K 12) in the 
US need competent, unbiased curricula in nuclear science.

+ Teachers in the 21st century must have a basic understanding of
mathematics and science.

ACTION

+ Encourage local schools to include accurate information on nuclear
technology in their curricula.

+ Inspire scientists and engineers to freely communicate their vision 
of an energy sufficient, healthy world to their non technical friends 
and neighbors.

+ Assist the media in providing balanced and accurate reporting.

+ Demand that special interest and activist organizations be held
accountable for the truth and accuracy of their claims.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE  EAGLE   ALLIANCE
a bold new movement to revitalize  nuclear science & technology 
in America

VISION: A safe,  healthy and sustainable society realizing the full
potential of nuclear science and technology 

OBJECTIVES: The Eagle Alliance and its members will work  

.. TO SOLIDIFY PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

+ Keep nuclear technology issues on the agenda of public discussion

+ Obtain updated survey data regarding public support of nuclear technology 

+ Stress the importance of citizens  communicating with policy makers

.. TO PROMOTE STATE-LEVEL PROGRAMS TO RESPONSIBLY HANDLE AND DISPOSE OF
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE (LLW) MATERIAL

+ Support non invasive federal framework 
based upon actual risk that allows incentives for participating states.

+ Publicize the tie between responsible disposal of LLW and continued
availability of nuclear technologies, especially  medical

+ Educate citizens regarding the nature of LLW and disposal technologies.

.. TO STIMULATE NATIONAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS TO SYSTEMATICALLY ELIMINATE
EXCESS WEAPONS PLUTONIUM AND SAFELY DISPOSE OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE
(HLW) 

+ Research and publicize the true risks of delaying such programs versus the
risks of implementing them. 

+ Assure that educational curricula dealing with environmental science
include accurate treatments of HLW disposition.

+ Periodically publicize a progress report on all "national security"
programs, identifying officials in charge for ongoing communication. 

.. TO ACHIEVE A COHESIVE RISK-BASED REGULATORY REGIME FOR ALL NUCLEAR
TECHNOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES

+  Compile and disseminate information regarding benefits and cost savings
associated with risk based regulation.

 + Provide a forum for considering an up to-date model of the health effects
of radiation exposure.

.. TO REALIZE BROAD APPLICATION OF IRRADIATION TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE FOOD
SAFETY

+ Support accurate regulatory approach to irradiation (as a process, not an
additive ):

+ Identify and publicly support food suppliers  that offer irradiated products.
 
+ Support regulatory approval for  irradiated ground beef and pork to
improve safety ::

+ Assure that educational curricula in our schools contain accurate
information on  food irradiation.':

.. TO FOSTER WIDESPREAD AFFORDABLE AND EFFECTIVE NUCLEAR DIAGNOSIS AND
TREATMENT OF CANCER

+  Encourage a national program of accelerated research for a cancer cure,
highlighting nuclear methods

+ Stimulate intense and sustained interest by the news media in the
diagnosis and cure of cancer, using nuclear technology.

+ Encourage national health care policies that promote widespread and
affordable nuclear diagnostic procedures.

!!! SUPPORT EAGLE ALLIANCE !!!

With our corporate structure in place, and an active leadership core in
position,  Eagle Alliance is ready for action. 

President = Alan Waltar  
Secretary = James Toscas   
Treasurer = Stanley Hatcher

EAGLE ALLIANCE   
1111 19th Street NW
Suite 608
Washington DC 20036-3690   

eagle@tmn.com