Any Hull -- comment on Re: DOE Letter on HFBR Environmental Impact Statement

["declark" <declark@gateway.net>]

Andy Hull, thanks for distribution of the DOE letter on HFBR Environmental
Impact Statement (see below), it's good to know about status of this matter.
However, my instant reaction, seeing that the letter was addressed "Dear
Stakeholder," was .. oh no!  here we go again.  That word "stakeholder" was
used several times.  I would really like to encourage you and all others in
our profession to try to persuade people not to use this (I think
inappropriate but certainly poorly chosen) term.  My dictionary (probably
out of date?) defines stakeholder as being "a person entrusted with the
stakes of bettors."  Now, I know we introduce new terms to the English
language every day, some of which are useful (actually facilitate
communication) and get to be widely adopted.  But this word should go!
During my time at IAEA, I had to try to explain the meaning of this term to
non-native-English-speaking persons on many occasions.  The reaction was
usually humorous (maybe due to my less than good explanation?), but it is
widely perceived to be an arcane term outside of clubby U.S. circles.  Sorry
to take up so much space on this issue, it just seems so inappropriate to
use this term at all, let alone repeatedly, repeatedly, ...  Regards, Don
Clark

Donald E. Clark
Senior Consultant
donclark@gte.net

P.S.  Clearly, these views are my own.  I like to substitute term such as
"affected parties" or "affected persons," etc.  I think that the language we
use does matter.  (Another pet peeve I have is with overuse of
abbreviations/initialisms/"acronyms" -- whoops, I have used them myself!)
Does anyone else agree with me?

<<<<<<<<<
-----Original Message-----
From: Andy Hull <hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Friday, February 12, 1999 8:37 AM
Subject: DOE Letter on HFBR Environmental Impact Statement


>>Return-path: <owner-brea-l@bnl.gov>
>>Envelope-to: hull@mail.sep.bnl.gov
>>Delivery-date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 10:50:31 -0500
>>Date: Fri, 12 Feb 1999 10:49:47 -0500 (EST)
>>Reply-To: brea-l@bnl.gov
>>Sender: owner-brea-l@bnl.gov
>>From: BNL Media & Communications <pubaf@bnl.gov>
>>To: broadcast@bnl.gov
>>Subject: DOE Letter on HFBR Environmental Impact Statement
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>>
>>The following is being sent to all BNLers with e-mail on behalf of  the
>>U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven Group. It is also being sent to
>>several thousand local Long Island residents. Please
>>share it with those in your area who do not have access to e-mail.
>>
>>******************************************************************
>>February 16, 1999
>>
>>Dear Stakeholder:
>>
>>SUBJECT:  HIGH FLUX BEAM REACTOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
>>
>>This is a follow-up to my letter of January 12, 1999 regarding the
schedule
>>of the environmental impact statement for the High Flux Beam Reactor at
>>Brookhaven National Laboratory. Based on stakeholder input in recent
>>months, several changes have been made to the High Flux Beam Reactor
>>environmental impact statement process. We believe these changes are
>>improvements that will benefit all stakeholders interested in the decision
>>about the future of this research reactor:
>>
>>* A U.S. Department of Energy Headquarters review of the draft document
>>last month determined that additional work was needed to address
>>stakeholder comments made during the public scoping process. The
additional
>>work should take about one month to complete. The draft environmental
>>impact statement is expected to be available for public review and comment
>>in mid-April.
>>
>>* Several stakeholders, including Congressman Michael Forbes, requested
>>that the Department extend the public comment period for the draft
>>environmental impact statement. Federal law mandates a minimum comment
>>period of 45 days, but in response to Congressman Forbes and other
>>stakeholders, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has extended the public
>>comment period to 90 days. Therefore, the public availability of the draft
>>environmental impact statement is expected to be from mid-April through
>>mid-July 1999. Consistent with this new schedule, the final environmental
>>impact statement is expected to be published in mid-November and the
Record
>>of Decision in mid-December 1999.
>>
>>* Secretary Richardson has also directed the Department to:
>>
>>1. Provide the general public with access to information used in the
>>development of the environmental impact statement - That information will
>>be made available to the general public.
>>
>>2. Establish a public reading room at BNL where the general public may
>>review the draft environmental impact statement itself and the
>>aforementioned EIS-related information.
>>
>>3. Conduct a public information workshop in the environmental impact
>>statement public comment period to present, describe and discuss the draft
>>document - The Department of Energy will conduct this public information
>>workshop, which will be open to all. It will be held early in the public
>>comment period of the draft environmental impact statement.
>>
>>Of course, you will be notified by mail of the comment period's start and
>>other pertinent dates. Also, the notice will be published in the Federal
>>Register and various Long Island newspapers. The Department encourages
>>interested parties to provide comments on the draft environmental impact
>>statement by mail and/or e-mail. In preparing the final environmental
>>impact statement, the Department will consider all comments received or
>>postmarked by the end of the comment period. Later comments will be
>>considered to the extent practicable.
>>
>>Thank you for your continued interest in the High Flux Beam Reactor. If
you
>>have questions, issues or concerns you wish to discuss, please contact
John
>>Carter, our community/government relations manager (516-344-5195,
>>jcarter@bnl.gov) or me (516-344-3552, mholland@bnl.gov).
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>Michael D. Holland, Director
>>Project Management Division
>>U.S. Department of Energy-Brookhaven Group
>>
>>**************************************
>>BNL Media & Communications
>>pubaf@bnl.gov
>>516-344-2345  * Fax 516-344-3368
>>Brookhaven National Laboratory
>>Bldg. 134 PO Box 5000
>>Upton NY 11973
>>www.bnl.gov
>>
>>**************************************
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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