Re: public education

[Andrew Karam <karam.1@osu.edu>]

Dear Dr. Weiner:

I should preface this by stating that I assisted in the preparation of some
of the fact sheets developed under this program.  In addition, I was in
frequent contact with the Ohio LLRW Facility Development Authority
throughout the short-lived Ohio siting process.

The decision to stop work on the LLRW site was made by the Midwest Compact
Commission, NOT by the State of Ohio.  The reasons they gave were the
continued access to Barnwell, the availability of Envirocare, and the
reductions in waste volume in recent years.  This was apparently initiated
by industry, not by the public, and was sprung on Ohio as a surprise.  The
citizens of Ohio were not solidly in favor of the project, but the Ohio
legislature and governor were still supportive of the project when funding
was pulled by the Compact.  This decision came as a nearly complete
surprise to the State of Ohio and the LLRW generators within the state.

These fact sheets were written to inform, not to advocate.  I would rather
have well-informed opposition than politicized hype.  I realize that
adequate information is not the cure-all to every political ill, but I do
believe that most people who care would rather make a well-informed
decision than a poorly-informed one.  The biggest problem with any
information and education campaign is to get the information into enough
hands.  In this case, however, no amount of information would have helped
because the decision was made outside of our state with no input (that I am
aware of) by anyone in Ohio.  

I would urge you not to judge the quality or effectiveness of the fact
sheets or the success of this program by the fate of Ohio's LLRW facility.  

Andy

The opinions expressed above are well-reasoned and insightful.  Needless to
say, they are not those of my employer. (with apologies to Michael Feldman)		

Andrew Karam, CHP  (karam.1@osu.edu)		(614) 292-1284 (phone)
The Ohio State University 				(614) 292-7002 (fax)
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