- Subject: Nuclear Free New England
- From: Michael Mariotte <nirsnet@igc.apc.org>
- Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 16:35:16 -0400
Dear Friends:
Attached is the statement of the Nuclear Free New England Campaign, which is
probably the most exciting sustained campaign I've been part of since
arriving at NIRS more than 13 years ago.
Months of non-stop work already have gone on behind the scenes, dozens of
organizers are already on the ground, and we have every reason to believe
this will be a huge success.
I'm sending this to you now for several reasons.
First, we hope you will send us your endorsement of this campaign and the
principles stated below. We would greatly appreciate actual letters, on your
letterhead (for funding purposes) mailed to NIRS at 1424 16th Street NW,
#404, Washington, DC 20036 (note to New England groups, your letters stating
your commitment to participate are especially important!), but we also will
take endorsements via e-mail to nirsnet@igc.org or by fax to 202-462-2183.
Second, we hope you will consider coming to some or all of the planned
events. We especially hope to have representatives from all regions of the
country (and the world!) at the Northeast Action Camp August 21-28 in
southern Vermont. Contact NIRS for more information about this.
Third, if this campaign is as successful as we believe it will be, we hope
to inspire you to take similar actions in your regions next year (and NIRS
itself hopes to begin a similar campaign in the Midwest, most likely
Illinois, in 1999). But to do it right, you should at least begin thinking
about it now.
The currently planned calendar of events:
May 23, March on Millstone, Waterford, CT. Info at can@shaysnet.com
June 27-28, New England Music Festival and direct action at Seabrook,
Hampton Beach, NH. Sponsored by Forces of Nature. Info at fonature@tiac.net
August 21-28, Northeast Action Camp in southern Vermont, including a large
legal rally August 22 (w/Bread & Puppet Theatre, other speakers and
performers tba), dozens of workshops, entertainment, networking, organizing,
fun throughout the week, direct action (nonviolence training required) at
Vermont Yankee
The rest of the year: more than 100 trained organizers will fan out across
New England to educate, organize and mobilize to create a Nuclear Free New
England by 2000!
Preregistration for the Action Camp is encouraged; if you think you want to
come, please contact Citizens Awareness Network at 413-339-5781 or
can@shaysnet.com
Step 1 is to please get your endorsements in as soon as possible. Step 2 is
to let us know if you want to come to New England. Step 3 is to understand
your power and begin organizing your own regions today.
We are bringing the lessons of Gorleben, Ahaus, Temelin, and the European
nuclear opposition to the United States. We are drawing on the experiences
of Seabrook, Diablo Canyon, Shoreham and so many more in our own country. We
are building a new movement of resistance to the atomic age. We WILL
succeed. Join us.
Michael Mariotte
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Debby Katz
Citizens Awareness Network
STATEMENT OF THE NUCLEAR FREE NEW ENGLAND CAMPAIGN
Nuclear power is unsafe and uneconomic. It unconscionably produces atomic
waste for which no scientifically-defensible nor publicly-acceptable
long-term storage solution has been devised. Nuclear reactors routinely
release poisonous radiation into the air and water, contaminating our region
and Earth. At every step of the nuclear fuel chain-including uranium mining,
milling, processing, enrichment, fuel fabrication, reactor operation and
radioactive waste storage-atomic power pollutes the environment and harms
people. Nuclear power is unnecessary: electricity can be used more
efficiently and be generated more cleanly, cheaply and sustainably.
Commercial atomic power and nuclear weapons are inextricably linked, from
the beginning of the nuclear fuel chain to the end. Transport of nuclear
materials endangers all in its path; effective security for that transport
requires use of police state techniques. The effects of the nuclear fuel
chain have fallen, and continue to fall, disproportionately on the poor, the
rural and people of color.
New England was once the region with the most reliance on nuclear power.
With the permanent shutdowns of Yankee Rowe, Connecticut Yankee and Maine
Yankee, it has become clear that New England neither needs nor wants atomic
reactors.
For all of these reasons and more, the Nuclear Free New England Campaign
will educate, organize, engage in legal and political work, and conduct
non-violent direct action to permanently close all commercial nuclear
reactors in New England by 2000, including Millstone-1, 2, & 3; Pilgrim,
Vermont Yankee, Seabrook, Nine Mile Point-1 & 2 and Fitzpatrick.
Specifically, the Nuclear Free New England campaign will:
1. Educate people throughout New England about the problems caused by the
region's nuclear power reactors and promote the readily available,
sustainable alternatives to them, and teach, inspire, and empower people to
actively oppose the region's nuclear industry.
2. Organize and mobilize the people of New England to effectively oppose
atomic power through all available non-violent means;
3. File lawsuits, petitions and other documents with relevant authorities,
including the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission; federal and state
courts, state and local regulatory agencies, and others, to oppose illegal
and unethical practices of the nuclear power industry and its regulators;
4. Petition federal, state and local legislatures and public officials to
protect the public from nuclear industry economic and ecological excesses;
5. Conduct non-violent direct actions to bear witness to nuclear industry
wrongdoing, to dramatize public discontent with nuclear power, and to
directly challenge continued operations of the atomic state.
6. As this campaign becomes successful in New England, we will take its
principles and practices to other regions of the United States of America,
in order to end nuclear power in our nation.
CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
NUCLEAR INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SERVICE 202-328-0002, nirsnet@igc.org
CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK 413-339-5781 & 860-345-2157, can@shaysnet.com