Fw: (Radmetal-list) Sign Statement Against Radioactive Recycling!

[Guest guest]

FYI!

I think we all 'know' the reasons to sign this opposition!

MM

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation | Dallas Headquarters

" Supporting Survivors of Medical Implant Devices "

4416 Willow Lane

Dallas, TX 75244-7537

----- Original Message -----

From: " ph Malherek " <jmalherek@...>

Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 2:25 PM

Subject: (Radmetal-list) Sign Statement Against Radioactive Recycling!

***Apologies for cross posting***

***Please circulate widely***

! ! ! 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_enviro_nuclear/nuclear_waste/low-level/re

cycling/articles.cfm?ID=8417

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 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. Many nuclear waste materials are already being released with

the approval of these agencies. Rather than codifying and encouraging the

practice with arbitrary and unenforceable " standards, " these agencies should

instead strictly regulate the industry and ensure that NO amount of

radioactive waste ends up in consumer products or the unregulated

environment.

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 draft Programmatic Environmental

Impact Statement (PEIS) on radioactive metals 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 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, received over $300,000 in campaign

contributions from radioactive waste generators, undoubtedly influencing his

decision on this matter. [For more on ' veto, 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: jmalherek@...

Endorsing organizations will be listed with the statement online at

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/nuclear_waste/low-level/re

cycling/articles.cfm?ID=8417 . Public Citizen intends to make this

statement and a 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

already passed a similar resolution.) View the sample resolution here:

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/nuclear_waste/low-level/re

cycling/articles.cfm?ID=8407

For more information on the recycling of radioactive materials, see the

Public Citizen document " Radioactive Recycling 101, " available to view at

this URL:

http://www.citizen.org/cmep/energy_enviro_nuclear/nuclear_waste/low-level/re

cycling/articles.cfm?ID=8409

______________

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

jmalherek@... with the words " unsubscribe radmetal " in the subject.

Questions about the radmetal-list can be directed to jmalherek@... .

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