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The next lawn mower that you buy might contain recycled NUCLEAR WASTE, thanks to The NRC and Corpora
*** 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 |
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