EnergyPollutions and supporters are up to no good. This came in from HEAL Utah:
Yesterday, the Utah Senate Natural Resources Committee voted to remove the oversight of all publicly elected officials from nuclear waste expansions at EnergySolutions. Senate Bill 155 (Waste Amendments), sponsored by Sen. Peterson (R-Nephi), prevents all future Governors, Legislatures, and Tooele County commissioners from ever stopping any expansion at EnergySolutions’ current dumpsite.
The staggering implications of the legislature removing itself and all other elected officials from decisions to bring more nuclear waste to Utah are perhaps only overshadowed by the willingness of certain legislators to rewrite state law for one company.
A massive public outcry is the only thing that can stop this. Please join us in opposing Senate Bill 155 at a press conference next Wednesday at the Capitol:
What: “Red Flag” Press Conference
When: Wednesday, January 31st, 11:00AM-Noon.
Where: Foyer at east entrance to the West Building, Utah State Capitol.
Afterwards, stay at the Capitol to deliver your red flag to your legislator.
Why “red flag?” Sen. Gene Davis (D-Salt Lake) said yesterday he supported SB 155 because the public can still raise “red flags” through the regulatory process, and regulators can take those concerns to the legislature. Clearly, Sen. Davis and others would prefer to send their constituents off to state regulators rather than listen to their concerns directly.
But if EnergySolutions can get legislators to rewrite state laws for them and citizens are told to bring their concerns elsewhere, that should raise a red flag for all of us. Join us on Wednesday to do just that and demand that the approval process for nuclear waste dump expansions maintains oversight from elected officials accountable to the people of Utah.
Besides attending the press conference, please also:
1) Contact your state senator and urge him or her to oppose SB 155 when it comes to a full senate vote (to find your state senator’s contact info, visit http://www.le.state.ut.us/maps/amap.html)
2) Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. For our letter to the editor page, visit http://www.healutah.org/get-involved/how-to-write-a-letter-to-the-editor.
3) Stop by our office next Monday or Tuesday at 6:00pm to help make red flags. (Our office is located at 68 S Main St on the 4th floor).
If the Divine Strake hearings have taught us anything, it’s that regulators are often immune to public comment. It is only through demanding accountability from our elected leaders that we have made any headway in stopping that test.
Please join us on Wednesday to let our legislators know we expect them to hold the interests of Utahns above those of a wealthy nuclear waste dump’s.
On a somewhat brighter note, we know we don’t have to but we want to thank all of you who attended Gov. Huntsman’s Divine Strake hearing last night. Even if the concern, outrage, pain, and heartfelt emotion expressed in the personal stories and comments last night fall on deaf ears at the federal agencies conducting this test, the evening certainly made the will to fight stronger in the 200 of us who were in attendance. Check out Channel 2 tonight at 10:00PM for a story on Utah’s Downwinders inspired by last night’s hearing.
Thanks for everything you do,
John Urgo
HEAL Utah, Outreach Director
68 S. Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055
Dee's 'Dotes~Anecdotes of a Green Activist 