*** Apologies for cross posting ***
*** A C T I V I S T A D V I S O R Y ***

January 31, 2002

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is Determined to Recycle
Radioactive Waste!
It's Time to Collect our Forces and Demand a Permanent End to this
Outrageous Practice!

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has just announced its
"Schedule for Modified Rulemaking Plan on Control of Solid Materials."

Don't be fooled, however - "control" has nothing to do with what
they're
planning. It's about deregulating nuclear wastes. This will be the
primary rulemaking to determine if/how NRC-licensed facilities (i.e.
commercial nuclear power reactors) can incinerate, "release," "reuse,"
or "recycle" many forms of nuclear wastes - metal, concrete, soil,
plastics, chemicals, etc. - thus allowing them to end up in your local
landfill, incinerator, or even in common consumer products that you
find
on your local store shelves!

That's right - allowing NUCLEAR WASTES to be "recycled" into bicycles,
frying pans, toys, and bedsprings!

While the NRC already CURRENTLY ALLOWS this insane practice to occur
on
a "case-by-case" basis, their goal is to "standardize" the practice,
thus making it easier and cheaper for the nuclear industry to dump
tons
of nuclear waste onto the public. While the NRC officially agrees
with
the basic scientific principle that ANY amount of radiation poses real
health risks to humans, they are simultaneously caving in to nuclear
industry influence, and attempting to set arbitrary and dangerous
"standards" that would allow us to be regularly exposed to additional
radiation risks. Clearly, the only way for the NRC to fulfill its
stated mission to "protect public health and safety" would be for the
agency to prohibit ANY radioactive waste to be "released" from strict
control. There is no "acceptable" level of radioactivity that could
be
added to the many industrially-produced objects we come in daily
contact
with. Products created wholly or partially from radioactive waste
materials are not labeled, and consumers will have no way of knowing
(without using a sensitive radiation monitor, and possessing expertise
in its use) if products that they acquire are free of nuclear
contamination. The only way we can be sure of this is to stop the NRC
now!

The NRC isn't alone in promoting this - the U.S. Department of Energy
and the Department of Transportation are also involved, as is the
Environmental Protection Agency.

Here's what we know about the upcoming NRC rulemaking process at this
time:

- Despite a National Academies March 2002 report urging the NRC to
approach the issue cautiously; begin a broad, deliberative process;
review some of the science; and work to overcome a "legacy of
distrust"
with the public, the NRC has chosen to charge ahead with a rulemaking.

Chairman Meserve has clearly stated that he believes "it is important
to
maintain momentum on this issue" and that "it would not be appropriate
to mask the Commission's continuing support for the release of solid
material...."

- With these biases, it is unlikely that the NRC is currently planning
on establishing a policy of "no-release" with the radioactive waste
materials at issue.

- Despite the National Academies report recommendation that the NRC's
decision-making process should demonstrate "the willingness and
commitment of the USNRC to establish and maintain a meaningful and
open
dialogue with a wide range of stakeholders...." the NRC's current
rulemaking schedule (available at
http://ruleforum.llnl.gov/cgi-bin/li...news& st=ipcr
) appears to contain only one public workshop on the issue, in May.
Considering that radioactive "recycling" impacts the entire country, a
more appropriate method for public interaction on the issue would be
to
hold hearings in every state.

- More detailed information on the rulemaking should be included in
the
Federal Register notice, which is scheduled to be published in
February.
This notice will include the scoping for the rulemaking, and will
include a follow-up period for public comments. This period is
scheduled to close in June.

In the interim period before the Federal Register notice is published,
this is a prime time to re-group and prepare to send the NRC an
overwhelming message (AGAIN !!) that it as an unacceptable and
irresponsible policy to allow generators of nuclear waste to disperse
it
around the country (and beyond) in places and products generally
assumed
to be safe and radiation-free, and force radiation exposures upon an
unknowing and unconsenting public. Simply put, these wastes must be
contained and isolated from the public for their entire hazardous
lifetimes.

What to do right now:

1. If you have not already done so, sign your group onto our
statement
opposing radioactive recycling, or forward the statement to
organizations that might be interested in signing on to the statement.

[Scroll down to find more information on this statement of opposition,
as well as general information on radioactive recycling and
deregulation.]

2. Write to and call your local and state legislators, letting them
know that you find this scheme unacceptable.

3. Write to us to receive an activist kit on this issue, and press
your local government to pass a resolution opposing radioactive
"recycling."

4. Spread the word on this issue to your colleagues, friends and
family.

5. Check our website, www.citizen.org/cmep, to keep up with
radioactive recycling and other energy & environment issues.
__________

! ! ! A C T I O N A L E R T ! ! !

PUBLIC CITIZEN Calls on Organizations to Endorse Statement Against
Radioactive Recycling

Go to this URL or scroll to the bottom of this message to see the
statement and sign on now to register your group's opposition to the
unregulated release of radioactive materials!
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_e...es.cfm?ID=8417

[To view the list of signatories thus far, go to this URL:
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_e...es.cfm?ID=8753
]

It is more important now than it has ever been to voice our opposition
to the reprehensible policies of the Department of Energy (DOE) and
the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which propose the establishment
of
the systematic release of radioactive materials from regulatory
control,
so that they may be recycled into consumer products or disposed of in
insecure municipal waste dumps.

Recently, the NRC announced a decision to proceed with a rulemaking to
establish standards for the release of radioactive materials. The
comments of the commissioners on this rulemaking indicate that the
commission is bent on dumping the nuclear industry's waste on the
public--despite loud, sustained public opposition and an act of
Congress
that prohibits the practice! [For more information about this
shameful
announcement, see this press release on Public Citizen's website:
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1267 ]

Moreover, the DOE (which is responsible for regulating the country's
nuclear weapons facilities), will soon release a preliminary
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) on radioactive
materials recycling. This PEIS is expected to reflect the DOE's
apparent desire to release radioactive waste from its regulatory
jurisdiction, where it could be recycled into consumer products. [For
more information, see a Public Citizen press release on this matter at
this URL:
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=660 ]

And as a further insult to consumers, California's Gov. Gray Davis
vetoed a bill (SB 1970, the "Radiation Safety Act of 2002") that would
have banned radioactive waste recycling in California. The bill had
broad, bipartisan support, passing the California legislature by wide
margins in both houses. Between 1998 and 2000, Davis received over
$300,000 in campaign contributions from radioactive waste generators,
undoubtedly influencing his decision on this matter. [For more on
Davis' shameful vote, see a statement by Public Citizen's Jane Kelley
at
this URL:
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=1230 ]

The time to act is now, as these important decisions are being made.
We must prevent the nuclear industry from exposing the public to
harmful, cancer-causing radiation in common consumer goods!

ENDORSE THE STATEMENT OPPOSING RADIOACTIVE RECYCLING!
The text of the statement is pasted below. TO SIGN, please provide us
with your name and position, the name the organization you represent,
its address, phone number, fax number (if applicable), and e-mail
address. Reply to this e-mail with this information or CONTACT:

JOE MALHEREK
Policy Analyst
Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program
PUBLIC CITIZEN
215 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: 202-454-5109
Fax: 202-547-7392
E-mail:

Endorsing organizations will be listed with the statement online at
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_e...es.cfm?ID=8417
.. Public Citizen intends to make this statement and list of endorsing
organizations available to federal agencies, lawmakers, and the media,
as appropriate.

For interested parties, Public Citizen has also drafted a sample
Resolution Against Radioactive Materials Recycling, which may be used
as
a template for resolutions that may be considered for passage by local
government councils or larger legislative bodies. The city of
Berkeley,
California, has passed a similar resolution. View the sample
resolution
he
http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_e...es.cfm?ID=8407
______________

Statement Opposing Radioactive "Recycling" and Deregulation of Nuclear
Wastes:

Be it resolved that the undersigned entities hereby support a
prohibition on deregulation of radioactive wastes and materials.

This includes any and all deregulation of radioactive wastes and
materials for "clearance," "release," "recycling," "exemption,"
listing
as "below regulatory concern," or any other legalistic mechanism that
could result in the dispersal of nuclear wastes and materials into
public commerce, unlicensed disposal, or designation and treatment as
non-radioactive.

Such practices pose an indefensible hazard to public health and the
environment for current and future generations.

Since there is no safe level of ionizing radiation, nuclear power,
weapons and mining wastes should not be forced on an unknowing,
unconsenting public.

Radioactive waste should not be treated as an asset or a commodity,
and
must be contained and isolated from the public and the environment for
its entire hazardous life, at the expense of the waste generators.
__________

For the Radmetal-list:

If you would like to be removed from the radmetal-list, send an email
to with the words "unsubscribe radmetal" in the
subject.

Questions about the radmetal-list can be directed to
.

To learn more about this and other Public Citizen Critical Mass Energy
and Environment Program campaigns, visit our website at
www.citizen.org/cmep .

-Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy and Environment Program