Exposing The UGLY TRUTH...Congress is SCAMMING Communities HOSTING REACTORS

The post below was just released out onto my space. It exposes the ugly truth of a Congress perpetuating a con upon the communities who have been forced to play host to a fleet of aging, dying Nuclear Reactors, shows how our communities are denied a "comprehensive Independent Safety Assessment using the same methodology and scope that was applied to the Maine Yankee Reactor.''

It is time that we in the ANTI NUKE Environmental Movement join forces, close ranks, and demand accountability through a petition for Congressional Redress.

Below my open letter to colleague Remy Chevalier of Rock The Reactors.

From Green Nuclear Butterfly Moderator

Remy,

I know you have a lot of friends on MySpace, friends who can help build a movement, and that is what we need to do.

The slogan for far too long in the environmental community especially in the anti-nuclear community has been too Think Globally, Act Locally...problem is in regards to the nuclear industry, that slogan is backward, we need to Think Locally, Act Globally.

The NRC, the governing body for the nuclear industry, and even our elected representatives in Washington, DC have successfully hoodwinked local host communities of aging, decaying nuclear reactors by keeping us isolated.

Imagine for one instance, locally elected Congressmen and/or women telling their constituents, "I am doing everything I can along with the help of (name two or three other local members of Congress) to close such and such a Reactor, to demand a full Safety and Security Assessment, as is witnessed by bill #such and such that we have all consigned on to."

Repeat that same speech, that same rhetoric in 103 communities across America.

Here's the deceit...those bills are real, they are actually being introduced, but why is it that none of the Congressmen or Congresswomen from the other Reactor host communities CO-SIGN the other community's bills?

Why haven't the members of Congress from all 103 Reactor Communities all created ONE SINGULAR BILL that would demand a Safety and Security Assessment of all 103 nuclear reactors, a bill that would put all re-licensing activities on hold until these investigations are complete?

Every nuclear reactor in America has an average of three members of Congress associated with it...do the math. There is no way they WOULD NOT HAVE THE VOTES to bring such a bill to the floor, and to pass it. They even have the votes to overturn a presidential VETO.

CAN YOU SEE THE SKUNK IN THE WOOD PILE HERE? Divide and conquer, force each of us in the grassroots to fight our fight ALONE, because they know this social isolation will allow the NRC and the Nuclear industry town by town, reactor by reactor to force a re-licensing through each and every single time, while these members of Congress claim they did ALL THEY COULD TO HELP THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY.

Green Nuclear Butterfly wants to end this deceit by bringing all ANTI-NUKE GROUPS TOGETHER to fight as one unified team...it is the only way. Joined together, we can send a clear message to the Congress of the United States of America...the game is over, we want our Safety and Security Assessments.

Royce Penstinger
www.greennuclearbutterfly.com

EXAMPLE OF THE GAMES PLAYED IN WASHINGTON

Senator Hillary Clinton-she talks a good game, but let's look at her bill, and it's lack of Co=Sponsors...not even Schumer is signed on.

S.2488 Title: A bill to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct an independent safety assessment of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 4/3/2006) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.R.4891 Latest Major Action: 4/3/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

All Information (except text)
Text of Legislation
CRS Summary
Major Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions with Amendments With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
Titles
Cosponsors (None)
Committees
Related Bills
Amendments
Related Committee Documents
CBO Cost Estimates
Subjects

S.2488 Title: A bill to require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct an independent safety assessment of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 4/3/2006) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.R.4891 Latest Major Action: 4/3/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Now, let's look at a similar bill introduced over in the House by Congressman Hinchey.

H.R.4891 Title: To require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct an Independent Safety Assessment of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/7/2006) Cosponsors (4) Related Bills: S.2488 Latest Major Action: 3/17/2006 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

All Information (except text)
Text of Legislation
CRS Summary
Major Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions All Congressional Actions with Amendments With links to Congressional Record pages, votes,reports
Titles
Cosponsors (4)
Committees
Related Bills
Amendments
Related Committee Documents
CBO Cost Estimates
Subjects

Then, after making it LOOK GOOD, let's see how this bill, just like Hillary Clinton's bill was KILLED.

H.R.4891 Title: To require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to conduct an Independent Safety Assessment of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Sponsor: Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] (introduced 3/7/2006) Cosponsors (4) Related Bills: S.2488 Latest Major Action: 3/17/2006 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.
ALL ACTIONS:
3/7/2006:
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
3/17/2006:
Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.

So that we EXPOSE all the players in this little SHELL GAME, lets see all four of the CO-SPONSORS who wanted to LOOK GOOD in the host community for the failing Indian Point Reactors.

COSPONSORS(4), ALPHABETICAL

Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] - 3/7/2006
Rep Kelly, Sue W. [NY-19] - 3/7/2006
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 3/7/2006
Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 3/7/2006

Now, to further illustrate my point that these bills are WINDOW DRESSING, not meant to go anywhere, I offer you this as additional proof. Wouldn't you think, that Congressman Maurice Hinchey for instance could have gotten say US Congressman John Olver to CO-SPONSOR said bill in light of this excerpt from a request said congressman made to the NRC?

U.S. Rep. John Olver has also written a letter to Diaz, urging the agency ''to conduct a comprehensive Independent Safety Assessment of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant using the same methodology and scope that was applied to the Maine Yankee Reactor.'

In closing, let's consider this in regards to Hilliary Clinton's bill...there were NO CO SPONSORS. Surely if we take a look at Senator Reid's opposition to nuclear waste being stored inside Yucca Mountain, he would have been an EASY CO SIGNER to have gotten? I've taken the liberty of providing an excerpt from one of his press releases on the subject below:

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Washington, DC—Senator Harry Reid delivered the following remarks while testifying at today’s Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing about the Yucca Mountain Project.

Remarks by U.S. Senator Harry Reid March 1, 2006

"I am convinced the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump will never be built because the project is mired in scientific, safety and technical problems."

"In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which called for disposal of nuclear waste in a deep geological repository that would remain stable for thousands of years. The Act directed the Department of Energy to pick the most suitable site based on natural, geologic features."

"In 1987, Congress instead opted for political expediency and limited DOE’s studies to Yucca Mountain, despite the fact that the criteria in the Act would disqualify the Yucca Mountain site."

"DOE has been studying Yucca for 20 years now, and the studies are still incomplete. "

"Transportation of nuclear waste from around the country to Yucca poses hazards to public health, economic and national security, and environmental safety – hazards from accidents or terrorist attacks. DOE has not addressed those hazards."

The Lie Of Safe, Secure, Vital-Tokaimura Criticality Accident

When Is The Next Chernobyl?

You have heard the lies from the NRC, Entergy, the nuclear industry as they try to tell us that Nuclear Energy is safe, secure and vital, as they try to sell us on re licensing aging, ever more dangerous reactors, and pitching citizen funding of up to 200 more reactors. They would have you believe that there are NO DEATHS associated with the industry, no major accidents since Chernobyl, which they blame on a shoddy antiquated reactor, and worker error.

It's a nice white lie told by nice well meaning Corporate Executives concerned with their corporate bottom lines. Problem is, a cursory glance through Internet links shows you the MAGNITUDE of their lies and deceit. Tonight, we give you information on the Tokaimura Criticality Accident, and call on Congressman John Hall, Congressman Maurice Hinchey, Congresswoman Nita Lowey, and on all the Representatives in Congress of communities hosting these aging reactors to pass legislation that will order the NRC to conduct a comprehensive Independent Safety and Security Assessment of every single nuclear reactor in America.

Further, we call on these Congressmen and women to include as a part of this CO-SPONSORED legislation a moratorium on all re licensing activities until such time as every one of these Independent Safety and Security Assessments have been completed.

Tokaimura Criticality Accident
http://www.uic.com.au/nip52.htm
Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper # 52

June 2000
On 30 September 1999 three workers received high doses of radiation in a Japanese plant preparing fuel for an experimental reactor. Two of the doses proved fatal.

The accident was caused by bringing together too much uranium enriched to a relatively high level, causing a "criticality" (a limited uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction), which continued intermittently for 20 hours.

A total of 119 people received a radiation dose over 1 mSv from the accident, but only the three operators' doses were above permissible limits, and two of these have since died.

The cause of the accident appears to be "human error and serious breaches of safety principles", according to IAEA.

A Part of The Critical Time Line: For Full Time Line

SEPTEMBER 30, 1999
note: all times reported in Japanese Standard Time, or 13 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time, except where noted

10:35 AM
Various media sources report that a radiation leak was detected, its cause not immediately known. Police denied reports that a fire had broken out.

11:15 AM
A Kyodo News Chronology (released on October 1) reports that the Japanese Science and Technology Agency received the first report on the accident from JCO.

11:33 AM
The Kyodo News Chronology reports that the accident was reported to the Ibaraki Prefecture.

11:35 AM
Asahi Shimbun.
Monitoring for Gamma Rays begins.

12:41 PM
The Kyodo News Chronology reports that police blocked roads near the plant and banned entry within a radius of 200 meters around the plant.

3:18 PM
The Kyodo News Chronology reports that Tokaimura village authorities issued an evacuation advisory to 50 families living within a 350 meter radius of the plant.

3:35 PM
Asahi Shimbun"Poor Preparation Delays Neutron Testing"
The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute begins monitoring neutron levels at 14 locations around the facility, six hours after the accident.

4:00 PM
IAEA Press Release. "Accident at the Tokaimura Fuel Conversion Plant."

IAEA learned of the accident. The IAEA Emergency Response Unit immediately made contact with Japanese authorities in order to closely follow the situation.

Japan Times. "Tokai Nuclear Accident Goes Critical; Remains out of Control."

Prefectural authorities in the adjacent town of Naka said the radiation level was rapidly increasing, based on observations of monitoring posts inside the town.

5:00 PM
The Associated Press, "Radiation levels remain high after nuclear accident."

According to the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, 2-4 millisievert of radiation per hour or 10,000 to 20,000 times the normal level-was detected inside the processing facility as of 5 pm. The government's Nuclear Safety Commission said there might have been a continuing "criticality," as there continued to be high levels of radiation seven hours after the accident.

Sodium 24, a radioactive substance, was detected in the vomit of three of the victims.

The government decided to set up a task force headed by Science and Technology Agency chief Akito Arima to deal with the accident.

5:37 PM
Citizen's Nuclear Information Center, a Japanese nongovernmental organization, reports that initially, an atmospheric radiation count of 0.84 mSv/hour (10,000 times of the annual dose limit) was monitored, but the local government has announced that the radiation count is back to normal. The Science and Technology Agency announced that it was a criticality accident.

6:00 PM
Citizen's Nuclear Information Center reports that the head of Tokai villages stressed the following at a press conference: the atmospheric radiation count has not decreased around the site; there is a possibility that nuclear fission is still occurring at the moment; and the plant's structure is intact.

7:00 PM
Citizen's Nuclear Information Center reports that the Tokaimura municipal officials said up to 4.5 millisievert of neutrons per hour was detected near the circumference of the plant shortly after 7:00 pm. Village officials also said Cesium-138 was detected near the plant.

The Kyodo News Chronology reports that the central government set up a crisis management task force headed by Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

IAEA Press Release.
"Radiation Accident in Japan."
While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, it is known that it occurred when workers were transporting a mixture of liquid nitric acid containing 19 percent enriched uranium to a precipitation container. A "flash criticality" occurred.

At its highest point, the dose rate at the facility boundary was measured to be around 4 millisievert/hour.

The three seriously irradiated workers received a dose of more than 8 Sv.

8:00 PM
Citizen's Nuclear Information Center reports that the facility where the accident occurred is a commercial plant where enriched UF6 gas is converted to UO2 powder for further processing. The pellet fabrication is done in another plant nearby.

8:30 PM
The Kyodo News Chronology reports that Ibaraki Governor Masaru Hashimoto issued an evacuation advisory to about 200,000 residents living within a 10 kilometer radius of the plant.

9:00 PM
Citizen's Nuclear Information Center reports that:

The radiation count is still high and not even JCO workers can enter the site. No one is aware of the situation inside the plant and nothing is being done. It is very likely that criticality is ongoing.

Two of three workers hospitalized are suspected to have been seriously exposed due to a sudden increase of white blood corpuscle experienced by both of them. 160 people have evacuated to a community center. The evacuees will have to spend the night at the center. Atmospheric radiation count was 0.7 milisievert per hour (mSv/h) at 3 pm. Normal count is 1 mSv/year.

11:00 PM
The Associated Press, "Nuke Accident serious, may be continuing, Nonaka says."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka said, "There are concerns that the situation is continuing and is affecting a larger area than was believed earlier in the day."

Shuffling Priorities...Green Nuclear Butterfly To Become Flag Ship Blog

Considering its past, do you really trust the nuclear industry to lead us into the future?

Many of my friends, as well as some recent detractors who have been attacking me on a personal basis relentlessly since I began posting on Nuclear issues, are well aware that I publish numerous blogs. The attacks in the past week or so, have made me realize my efforts for the immediate future need to be focused on the most important issues. As a result of this decision, many of my blogs are going to be put into moth balls for the time being as all my efforts will now be concentrated in three specific blogs, and a fourth that will be launching shortly. These three flag ship blogs, all of which will have a huge focus on Indian Point, Entergy, and the Nuclear Industry will be as follows:

Green Nuclear Butterfly: As the newly assigned flagship blog, our efforts will be spent A) doing whatever it takes to close down Entergy's Indian Point, and B) perhaps more importantly, working to bring all local grassroots organizations surrounding Nuclear Plants nationwide into a National Coalition to petition Congress for redress, to exercise our right of redress to close these aging facilities, to demand investigations of both the industry and the NCR. We need to change the format, change the game...it is time to think LOCALLY, but act GLOBALLY. The nuclear industry knows they can beat us individually, town by town, reactor by reactor, so the time has come to make relicencing a NATIONAL ISSUE.

Congressman John Hall: John Hall is our Congressman here in the 19th Congressional District of New York. Indian Point is in his back yard. His career, his promises, his actions are being tracted as we push him to keep the promise of closing down Indian Point...there are at least three other members of Congress we will begin tracking on occassion in this blog as well, as they have a shared DUTY to shut down Indian Point, including Congressman Maurice Hinchey and Congresswoman Nita Lowey, and lets not forget both of our Senators in Schumer and Hilliary. The Green Nuclear Butterfly encourages grassroots to create similiar blogs for their own members of Congress and the Senate, then link up together so that we can force these members of Congress to ACT AS A UNIFIED TEAM in introducing legislation to demand accountability, to act as a team in opening up investigations, to act as a team in demanding all relicensing be frozen until after independent investigations have been completed.

If Indian Point is an example, every host community has at least three members of Congress that should be taking these reactors seriously...so, where are the co-sponsors when bills like HR 4891 are introduced? It's a con game, as they know keeping us acting locally keeps them looking good while nothing gets done. HR4891 should have as sponsors every Congressman or woman in America that has an aging reactor in or near their district...so, where are the 309 CO-SIGNERS ON THIS BILL? I can pull up similiar bills around every reactor, all of them have the same lack of support from outside the local area. WAKE UP GRASSROOTS, we are being DUPED.

Washington Scandal: As always, this blog will feature articles on Washington politics, and world news with a strong emphasis on the three issues most important to myself, including all things Nuclear, the War in Iraq and bringing our troops home, and lastly dealing with the 12-20 million illegal aliens here in America and securing our National Borders.

The key to winning the war against relicensing, and that is what we are facing requires all local grassroots organizations forming into a National Coalition. To do this, we need volunteers, we need the local groups plugging in, linking together, and working as a team. We need to start forming national Email lists, need to start presenting our demands and petitions as a representative group. If you are a local ANTI NUKE group tired of spinning your wheels as the NRC and their licensees dance around your objections, if you would like to be in at the very beginnings of building a National Movement to close down unsafe reactors, please email one of the following people:

roycepenstinger@aol.com

remyc@prodigy.net

garyfromvermont@yahoo.com

The Green Nuclear Butterfly is also open to all ANTI NUKE writers who want to give voice to their own stories...contact roycepenstinger@aol.com to be added to this blog as a guest writer.

We do have two other blogs that can be activated at a moments notice, including Entergy Watch, so we would be very interested in putting a team of writers together that have Entergy facilities in their own back yards. GREEN PEACE was started in a garage, and now is one of the largest GREEN GROUPS in the world. From the simple beginning of a single Green Nuclear Butterfly, let us build a new movement, let us link, network and join together to take on the most important issue of our time, before it is too late, and one of these aging reactors becomes America's own Chernobyl.

The Power of A Butterfly In Shutting Down Indian Point

Cannot begin to tell you how many times so far people have asked...why the Green Butterfly as the symbol for your Green Nuclear Butterfly. Well, the flap of butterfly wings in Brazil could actually trigger/set off a storm in Texas. The "Butterfly theory" postulates that over time that the power released from the flapping of butterfly wings will become amplified, and that power will eventually affect weather patterns thousands of miles away.

The Green Nuclear Butterfly is here flapping our wings, and as time grows imagine the movement that shall rise from first one, then a handful, and eventually millions of ANTI NUKES joining forces as one both here in America, and around the Globe...a movement to affect the status quo. We have writers on board from four states where there used to be only one. We have readers from all over the the United States, as far west as California, and we have readers in Australia. Let our wings continue to beat.

Democrats, John Hall Pass 9/11 Commission Legislation...Sort Of

Let's Have Some TRUTHINESS On This One John...How Come No Committees Were Done Away With?

I suppose that Nancy Pelosi thinks voters have a short memory, or perhaps that we can be very easily fooled with a slight of hand trick? Tom Staudter has released a lengthy press release on John Hall's voting for for 9/11 Recommendations Bill to Make America Safer. Now, there are some potentially good things in the bill which I read earlier this evening, but there are some things MISSING, including the single BIGGEST recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. Let's not play games here.

Congress should create a single, principal point of oversight and review for homeland security. Congressional leaders are best able to judge what committee should have jurisdiction over this department and its duties. But we believe that Congress does have the obligation to choose one in the House and one in the Senate, and that this committee should be a permanent standing committee with a nonpartisan staff.

Document Page Number: 421, PDF Page Number: 439, View in context: page, section, chapter

Keeping only HALF A PROMISE is not keeping a promise...especially when the Democrats don't want to pass this specific 9/11 Recommendation for one VERY SELFISH REASON, the nine committees that would be eliminated, that would be obsolete.

U. S. Representative John Hall
Democrat – New York 19th CD

For Immediate Release
January 9, 2007

Hall Votes for 9/11 Recommendations Bill to Make America Safer
Lauds the Correction of Homeland Security Funding for NY

Washington, D.C. – U. S. Representative John Hall, acting on a pledge to make our nation safer from terrorism, voted today for legislation that will implement the unfulfilled recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. The new bill, H.R. 1, marks a serious and resolute commitment toward improving homeland security, preventing terrorists from acquiring Weapons of Mass Demolition and developing strategies for preventing the spread of terrorism.

The House passed the bill this evening by a vote of 299 to 128. It is one of the first pieces of legislation brought to the House floor by the new Democratic leadership.

“I’m proud to stand here in Congress with colleagues who know the threat of terrorism remains real in our country, and that the time for long overdue action protecting the safety of American families has finally arrived,” said Hall. (12-20 MILLION illegal aliens here in American is not a threat to American Families? Abandoning the fence, and not securing our Southern Border...uhhh...isn't that a serious security problem?)

Noting that the bipartisan 9/11 Commissioners assailed Congress and the Administration last year for practically ignoring the Commission’s recommendations, Hall said, “This critical bill puts forth specific steps that address the shortfalls the 9/11 Commissioners highlighted.” (Not exactly)

The bill is comprised of a number of vital provisions that will substantially improve homeland security, most notably improved explosives detection at the nation’s airports, required phasing-in of 100% inspection of carry-on cargo on passenger aircraft and 100% scanning of U.S.-bound shipping containers, plus providing first responders with equipment that allows them to communicate with one another in emergencies.

Also included in the bill are steps that will help prevent terrorists from acquiring WMD and will also bolster international efforts to stem nuclear weapons proliferation. (So curious here...how does this goal jive with the DOE/NRC plan for wanting to build all those new reactors, which will actually HELP to perpetuate NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION? ) Reducing the appeal of extremism through the promotion of economic opportunities, education reform, human rights and democratic processes in the countries of the Middle East, along with as education opportunities for youths in Arab and predominantly Muslim countries is included in the new legislation as well.

“The bill put forward in Congress today is a broad, comprehensive package that finally takes action and meaningfully advances the entire spectrum of the 9/11Commission recommenda-tions,” Hall remarked. “Prominent among these is the recommendation to allocate most of our resources to where the threats are greatest. My state of New York has already experienced the brutal realities of terrorist attacks and remains a top target nationwide. In my district alone there is the Indian Point nuclear power plant, which is 35 miles away from New York City, as well as military facilities including West Point, and major highways and rail lines. The federal government needs to provide the bulk of anti-terror resources to protect targets like these in the New York City area and Hudson Valley. Today's legislation will allow it to do just that.”

Continued Hall: “Not only will this bill correct the flawed homeland security funding formula, it will finally take steps to plug the gaping holes in our air security, secure our ports from the nightmare of nuclear terrorism (Indian Point-Large aircraft, attack on spent fuel rod storage facilities.), and push this Administration to undertake an aggressive foreign policy that will attack the fundamental drivers of terrorism around the world.”

“Today is the first step toward real homeland security, but ensuring the security of the American people will require a sustained effort, aggressive oversight, and a commitment to a tough, smart, strategic approach,” said Hall. “We remain committed to pursuing this effort.” Is a part of this effort going to include SHUTTING DOWN INDIAN POINT?

Important MEETING for FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN Threatened BY INDIAN POINT

Please Join Us!
Meeting of Newly Formed Council on Public Health and Toxic Emissions Will be Held at noon on Friday, January 12, 2007 at the Blythdale Children’s Hospital.

We will be meeting in a ground floor conference room reserved by Dr. Kathy Silverman. (Just ask at the desk when you walk in.)

The Council was formed for the purpose of getting a Children’s Environmental Protection Act passed in the state of New York. This meeting will broadly focus on how to get groups and individuals interested in public health to join forces to increase public awareness and effectuate legislation that is protective of the most vulnerable among us –e.g., babies and children -which, ipso facto, will also offer more protection to women, the ill and the infirm.

Astonishingly, as things now stand, most federal and state sandards (and all federal nuclear power emission standards) are aimed at protecting only adult males, which represent the least vulnerable.

Directions are pasted below. All are welcome.

Please call me if you have any questions!

Michel

Michel Lee, Esq.
Chairman
Council on Intelligent Energy
& Conservation Policy
White Plains, New York 10602
(914) 393-2930
ciecplee@optonline.net

DIRECTIONS TO Blythedale Children’s Hospital
95 Bradhurst Avenue, Valhalla, NY

From I-287 (Heading West): Take Exit 4 (Hartsdale) - Route 100A .

Go North on Route 100A (left if you’re headed East, right if you’re headed West) for 2 miles. After crossing through the light at the intersection with the Cabin Restaurant (on your left), turn left into the second driveway on your left. This brings you into the parking lot of Blythedale. Enter via the main entrance and the security guard will direct you to the conference room.

From the Sprain Brook Parkway North: Get off at the Eastview exit. Make a right at the end of the exit ramp and make a left at the light by the Cabin Restaurant. Make a left into the second driveway. This brings you into the parking lot of Blythedale. Enter via the main entrance and the security guard will direct you to the conference room.

[NOTE- SPRAIN BROOK PKWY CAN ONLY BE ACCESSED VIA 1-287 WEST, TOWARDS THE TZ BRIDGE- IF YOU’RE COMING EAST ON 287, YOU HAVE TO PROCEED TO EXIT 4 (RT-100A HARTSDALE) MAKE A U-TURN AND GET BACK ON 287 HEADING WEST.]

Another NEAR MISS...Nuclear, Safe, Secure, Vital My Butt

Just in from the Washington Scandal...the Bush, Bilderberg, two nuke goose step with the NRC dance card partner Entergy...too harsh? Should I tone it down a bit?

Tuesday, January 9, 2007
America Dodges Another Nuclear Tragedy...NUKE SUB COLLIDES with Japanese OIL TANKER

The DOE, DOD, NRC, NEI, Entergy and the entire Nuclear Industry love playing Russian Roulette with the lives of innocent human beings, both here and around the world as the black gloved elite of the Bilderberg Conference march us ever closer to a one world government shared with us by George Bush the first as he tipped his hand, showing if but briefly the vile, insidous plans of a future global monarchy owned and control by Big Business, and global corporate interests, a world where the safety, security and health of the masses takes a back seat to profits and absolute power.

Last month it was a truck load of uranium oxide tipped over on I-95, and two nuclear reactors shutting down for no apparent reason. Now, in January we averted an accident of apolyptic proportions off the coast of Iran when an American nuclear powered fast-attack USS Newport News submarine RAMMED into A OIL SUPER TANKER! Surely I am not the only one going OH MY FORKING GAWD! Think about it folks...we have a ocean going nuclear reactor ramming into a SUPER TANKER filled with millions of gallons of crude oil! WAKE UP FOLKS...it would not have taken much more of and accident than this one to have wreaked irreparable harm on the world environment, as we watched in horror a combined oil, nuclear explosion of unprecedented magnitude shroud the Middle East in god knows what kind of a fall out as hundreds if not thousands of miles of shore line were destroyed!

The time to STOP THE RUSSIAN ROULETTE IS NOW...we need to shut down aging and failing nuclear reactors, need a morritorium on any new reactors until the scientist telling us Nuclear Energy is safe can actually make it so, instead of feeding us lies.

Updated:2007-01-09 13:32:59

U.S. Submarine Collides With Japanese Ship
AP

TOKYO (Jan. 9) - A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine collided with a Japanese oil tanker in the Straits of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's oil supplies travel, officials said.

No one was hurt in the accident that happened Monday night in the 34-mile wide straits, which are bordered by Iran and Oman and serve as the entrance to the Persian Gulf.

Damage to the fast-attack USS Newport News submarine and the supertanker was light and there was no resulting spill of oil or leakage of nuclear fuel, officials from the U.S. Navy and the Japanese government said.

Both ships remained able to navigate, Navy officials said.

The bow of the submarine was traveling submerged when it hit the stern of the supertanker Mogamigawa as the vessels were passing through the Straits, causing minor damage to the Japanese vessel, the U.S. Navy and Japan's Foreign Ministry said. The Japanese government said it was informed of the crash by the Navy and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Nuclear Industry Petitions Congress...We Want To Rape America

Al Gore's Inconvenient truth...an appropriate name for what the Green Nuclear Butterfly is bringing out into the light of day. Question is, where is Al Gore on this important issue, where does he stand on Nuclear Energy, on the DOE's Nuclear 2010 plan that calls for the NRC to rubber stamp the re licensing of almost every ailing, aged Nuclear Reactor in the current fleet, where does he stand on the devious plan to build 400-700 Nuclear Reactors around the world.

The FIX IS IN...we have Retired Admiral Skip Bowman (who was in charge of the Navy's entire nuclear program) now acting as the hired gun of the Nuclear Industry's lobbying arm, National Energy Institute. testifying before Congress about the need for CONTINUED FUNDING of the DOE's Nuclear Power 2010 plan, a plan who's birth father is George W. Bush. Without actually speaking the words, Skip Bowman makes it clear what he, the NEI, the DOE and the NRC expect Congress to do...go along with the plan to fund the rebirth of the nuclear industry, to pass legislation that will force American taxpayers to subsidize over time the Nuclear Industry to the tune of 4-7 TRILLION DOLLARS.

His testimony starts off from the very beginning talking about the need for new Nuclear Capacity...no discussion of exploring other alternative earth friendly energies, just a discussion wherein diminishing oil and gas supplies coupled with the reality of global warming makes Nuclear the obvious choice, and then chiding Congress to continue funding the nuclear industry at unprecedented levels. Let's explain this...the nuclear industry claims they do not have the necessary funding to create design details that the NRC requires to approve a new reactor design...instead, they want us as American citizens to pay the cost of the industry's RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

Now, the nuclear energy industry as a whole, through out their various assorted company's and supportive groups (NEI, WNA to name two) have over the past ten years or so spent over TWO BILLION DOLLARS lobbying our federally elected officials. Perhaps that money would have been better spent doing the research they are now claiming needs to be done? Perhaps Entergy would have been better off spending all the money ($400 million) they set aside for stock buy backs into research, better off taking the money they give to groups like Peekskill's Paramount Theatre in an attempt to buy favor on doing this research and development, instead of asking us the tax payer to pay their tab?

Bowman stated, that the industry has accelerated their spending on NP2010, and they would like Congress in turn to accelerate government spending on the program...sort of the chicken and the egg argument, with the nuclear industry saying, "We want to build new reactors" but "we want the government to pay for the DESIGNS...oh, and while we are on the subject, we are also going to want the government to give us VERY LOW INTEREST LOANS to build these reactors, and last but not least, hold us harmless for civilian financial damages should there be a major nuclear incident from one of these new reactors, or any of the older ones."

It would be nice if the above were the only DEMANDS that SKIPPER BOY BOWMAN had for our 110th Congress, but hold on folks, seems that the nuclear industry is also very concerned about some of the RISKS THEY FACE from overly burdensome NRC regulations, those on the books, and those that might be added to the books as new regulations are created...it interferes with their plans. Dancing around coming out straight with what he wanted, Skip instead said just enough to let our Congressmen/women read between the lines...he wants, the nuclear industry wants the new generation of reactors they are wanting to build grand fathered in under the old existing less stringent 10 CFR rules and regulations. Congress, moving quickly he says would help the Nuclear Industry to move forward EXPEDITIOUSLY. In short, he wants new reactors granted a waiver from new stricter siting criteria.

As mentioned above, Skip Bowman then expressed his concern that the industry could not afford to build these NEW reactors, that the money (as in investors) was not there. Faced with this truth, he instead wants Congress to write some new legislation that would allow various companies (ENTERGY/NuSTART) to borrow the money from the government at very cheap interest rates, and to guarantee the loans. Now, I know I am a DUMB OLD FARM BOY, but seems to me, that if we really have no choice but to BUILD all these new nuclear reactors, and they are going to be built with TAX PAYER DOLLARS, that we should do away with the profit mongers, and have the reactors OWNED BY THE PEOPLE of America, instead of being built to profit a few money whores within the small circle of the rich and elite. After all, we are taking ALL THE RISKS. Mind you, Green Nuclear Butterfly is not endorsing a new generation of reactors, but if such a reality is forced upon us, and if it is our money building them, then we should own them ourselves. It is suggested here that EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN write, call, fax and email their elected officials stating you are against IMPLEMENTING REGULATIONS that would assure the eligibility of large projects such as the 200 new reactors that the nuclear industry wants to build with our money.

Bowman completed his presentation to Congress by suggesting Congress needed to take action to fix the nuclear waste disposal problem...in short, pass a federal law forcing the waste on the folks out west, mandating that YUCCA MOUNTAIN become the defacto national nuclear waste dump site. Well isn't that nice of our Admiral Skip Bowman? It gets better...not only does Skipper Boy Bowman want YUCCA MOUNTAIN to play host for the nuclear industry's waste streams, but he wants the 70,000 Metric Ton limited removed as well....it's simply not enough! How much waste does Bowman want stored at Yucca Mountain you ask? He wants it open ended, wants us to trust the powers that be to make technical decisions as they go along...sort of like with all the spent fuel rod storage facilities now bursting at the seems with re stacked, overly crowded conditions, begging for a major accident at every single reactor in America...OH YEAH, there's a great one for Congress to consider. Let's KILL NEVADA!

He closed with a rather STARLING ADMISSION, though probably did not mean to. He was pushing Congress to support the Nuclear Energy Partnership initiative in a broad bipartisan way, and to pass legislation that allows for more flexibility in the nuclear process, one that can accommodate technological successes and failures (and there will be both)....OK, stop right there. There will be successes, and there will be FAILURES. Wait a minute America...are you willing to have your community play RUSSIAN ROULETTE by having one of these reactors in your CITY? Are you willing to turn the other way and go along with the NRC when they force another city to play RUSSIAN ROULETTE? Are you fine knowing one of us is DOOMED to be a FAILURE?

Before you buy into the LIE of GREEN NUCLEAR, it is strongly suggested you start doing some serious homework on this subject, as it could mean the deaths of millions of people, generations of children born with horrid birth defects, generations of elevated cancer rates, as it only takes ONE SERIOUS ACCIDENT, and as it is, we have been lucky in narrowly avoiding numerous MAJOR INCIDENTS at these sites, and those are just the ones that the NRC and the nuclear industry have not been able to keep secret, and out of the public domain.

Don't TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT...READ THE UGLY TRUTH

DEATH TRAPS

A major portion of my life has been spent in Ohio, it is why I have such an intimate knowledge of some of the history that is the Nuclear Industry...as much as the NEI, and the nuclear industry itself would like you to believe otherwise, Commercial Nuclear, and WAR NUCLEAR are one and the same beast. The history of nuclear is an ugly one, but please do not take the Green Nuclear Butterfly's word for this, read the story for yourselves, EDUCATE YOURSELVES, then plug into our movement. As a child, I used to deliver news papers for the Dayton Daily News, so it gives me some pleasure to share with you a history of the horror that is the Gaseous Diffusion Plants that was written by them. Visit the links below, read the story, hear the words of those who carry the sickness that is the clean, safe, green, vital Nuclear Energy...trust me, you will be horrified when the truth is set before your eyes.

Video of Survivor
Three must read articles

Speak With The Dayton Daily News:

Lynn Hulsey
Reporter
Dayton Daily News
(937) 225-7455

The NRC, DOE, Nuclear Industry Shell Game

Who Needs War To Kill People, We HAVE NUCLEAR REACTORS

Let's be clear here, the NRC is not worried about human health and the environment, but cares only about protecting it's licensees and BIG BUSINESS. The entire round of supposed relicensing applications has already been decided...we are stuck with aging, decaying and delapidated reactors no matter what the risk to our health, to our environment, to our streams and rivers...we are expendable, and our government is playing a game of smoke and mirrors, lies presented as truth, facts twisted to suit their vile agenda.

First, if you trot over to sites like Entergy's bull dog lobbyist group the NEI, you can find positive spin on how the disposal of nuclear waste is being dealt with, they will tell you that the USA, Finland and Sweden all have well developed plans to build storage facilities in the next ten years...odd, same promise they made ten years ago, and ten years before that as well. Reality is, that all three of these proposed long term storage facilities are facing stiff if not over whelming opposition from environmental groups. US Senator Harry Reid has gone so far as to say that Yucca Valley is dead, that it will not be the site of a long term storage facility for high level waste.

If you listen to the undustry propaganda, Nuclear is clean, green and vital, yet a cursory glance at any facet of the military/commercial sites forced to play hosts to these monstrosities tells a different story, and shows not only the real risks to human health and the environment, but also the hidden financial costs of this dirty form of non-renewable energy that folks like the NEI and Entergy do not want you to know about, such as the Hanford Site that is not even close to being cleaned up and safe, despite $5.4 BILLION dollars so far in clean up costs, which pales when compared to the estimated clean up costs at the Portsmouth Ohio and Piketon, Kentucky Gaseous Diffusion plants that have now been closed because of the dangers they posed, and continue to pose.

Congress should halt ALL RELICENSING while the NRC, NEI, CASEnergy and the entire nuclear industry are investigated by and independent commission...a two-four year delay in the process is nothing compared to SAVING LIVES, and EXPOSING THE LIES.

CASEnery exposed

Dear Friends - Please note that the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Energy Partnership are members of Patrick Moore's phony clean energy group, which is entirely funded by the Nuclear Energy Institute. See below for full expose. The Vermont Energy Partnership is a front group of VY nuclear supporters spreading the NEI SPIN and pro nuclear dogma.

Expose of Patrick Moore’s group:

Clean and Safe Energy Coalition

From SourceWatch (Project Center for Media & Democracy) December 22, 2006 update

The Clean and Safe Energy Coaltion is a public relations campaign for new reactors launched April 24, 2006, funded by the trade association, the Nuclear Energy Institute, and headed by former Bush Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Christine Todd Whitman and Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore, who left that group in 1986. [1]

Contents

• 1 Mission Statement


• 2 Members
  
  
  
  • 2.1 Organizations
  
  
  • 2.2 Individuals


• 3 Funding


• 4 External Links

Mission Statement

According to the group's website, "The Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy Coalition) supports the increased use of nuclear energy to ensure an environmentally clean, safe, affordable and reliable supply of electricity. Nuclear power enhances America's energy security and economic growth, helps attain cleaner air and improves the quality of life, health and economic well-being for all Americans." [2]

Members

Organizations

As of May 5, the website listed the following organizations as members [3]:

• ABB [4]


• AFL-CIO, Building & Construction Trades Department


• African American Environmentalist Association


• Alliance for Sound Nuclear Policy


• AmerenUE


• American Boiler Manufacturers Association


• American Energy Independence


• American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance


• American Iron and Steel Institute


• American Nuclear Insurers


• AREVA, Inc.


• Associated Equipment Distributors


• B&D Consulting


• Bechtel Power Corporation


• Blackledge Furniture


• CMS Energy


• Conference of Minority Transportation Officials


• Constellation Energy


• Consumers First, Inc.


• ConverDyn


• Cornell University


• Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.


• Dominion


• DTE Energy


• Duke Power Company


• Edison Electric Institute


• Electric Consumers' Alliance


• Entergy Corporation


• Exelon Corporation


• FirstEnergy Corp.


• Florida Power & Light


• GE Energy


• General Atomics


• Greenspirit Strategies Ltd.


• H.O.P.I. Consulting


• Illinois Energy Association


• International Access Corporation


• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers


• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers


• International Brotherhood of Teamsters


• International Paper


• iNuclear


• Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce


• Maracor Software & Engineering, Inc.


• NAC International


• National Association of Manufacturers


• National Enrichment Facility


• New England Energy Alliance


• North American Young Generation in Nuclear


• North Carolina State University, Department of Nuclear Engineering


• Nuclear Energy Institute


• Nuclear is Our Future


• The Outlaw Group


• PG&E Corporation


• PNM Resources


• Progress Energy


• Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)


• RWE Nukem, Inc.


• Sandia National Laboratorie s


• Scientech, LLC


• 60 Plus Association


• Sheet Metal Workers' International Association


• Southern Company


• Sterling Heights Area Chamber of Commerce


• Talisman International, LLC


• Thorenco, LLC


• University of Florida, Department of Nuclear and Radiological Engineering


• University of Missouri-Columbia, Nuclear Science and Engineering Institute


• University of Tennessee, Nuclear Engineering Department


• U.S. Chamber of Commerce


• USEC, Inc.


• Vermont Chamber of Commerce


• Vermont Energy Partnership


• Westinghouse Electric Company


• WOLFCO, Inc.

Individuals

The group listed the following "sampling of individuals" as of May 5, 2006 [5]:

• Iowa State Representative Philip Wise


• New Hampshire State Representatives Caitlin A. Daniuk and Michael Rollo


• Michigan State Senator Buzz Thomas


• Reverend Willie Toone - North End Church of God and Christ, Michigan


• Reverend Charles Williams - Michigan


• Greg Fedon - Warren Jaycees - Michigan


• Barney Bishop, President, Associated Industries of Florida


• Brownstone, Michigan Town Supervisor Arthur Wright


• Denis Beller, Professor, University of Las Vegas


• Mike Hamby - Former Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party


• Keith Bullen - Volt Technical Services


• Jim Scaratino -
Coalition for New Mexico Wilderness

• Berol Robinson -
Environmentalists for Nuclear Energy

• Christopher Yeaw - United States Naval War College

Funding

In April 2006 a spokesman for the NEI told New York Times reporter, Matthew L. Ward,
that it was providing all the funding for the group but refused to state what the budget was. [6]

External Links

• Coalition's website


• Ward, Matthew L., "Ex-Environmental Leaders Tout Nuclear Energy", New York Times , April 25, 2006.


• Coalition's mission statement on its website accessed May 5, 2006


• "False Fronts: Why to look behind the label", Editorial, Columbia Journalism Review, May/June 2006.


• " Press Rapped for Coverage of Nuke Front Group", O'Dwyers PR Daily (sub req'd), July 12, 2006.


• Ben Lando, " Analysis: Democrats, greens nuclear fans?," United Press International, October 20, 2006.


• Scott Peterson, "Power Failure", Columbia Journalism Review, Letter to the Editor, , November/December 2006, page 6. (Not available online). (Peterson is Vice-President of the Nuclear Energy Institute).


• Frank Mankiewicz, "Power Failure", Letter to the Editor, Columbia Journalism Review, November/December 2006, page 6. (Not available online). (Mankiewicz is Vice-Chairman of Hill and Knowlton, which works for the NEI).

Retrieved from
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Clean_and_Safe_Energy_Coalition

Categories: Environment Front groups Nuclear PR United States

[~PR – Greenwashing] [~PR]

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that really matter." ~MLK

So what it's hot, Everybody in the (waste) pool

The results of the election brought a slight sense of relief but the real work must be now. I implore you. Please heed the call.

I read in Business Week of November 12, 2006 that Nancy Pelosi’s choice to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee is John Dingell of Michigan who, "favors nuclear waste legislation that could help the atomic energy industry build the first new reactors in decades.” I ask myself how can educated people get suckered in to believe the fallacy that a temporary solution is adequate even though it is not safe, clean or reliable?

Meanwhile Harry Reid, new Senate majority leader,“pledged to push legislation requiring that nuclear waste be stored on-site where it's produced” according to the Las Vegas Sun. At least his view makes sense to me. It is his backyard.

Closer to home newly elected Congressman Peter Welch of Vermont named as his chief of staff a former Green Mountain Power vice president of public affairs who had previously held the same post at Central Vermont Public Service. CVPS and GMP were the two primary owners of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp before the sale to Entergy in 2002.

In NY, we have a new Governor who stated that he would close down Indian Point if elected. We have an anti nuclear new Congressman in John Hall. How do we hold these elected officials accountable? We use the system that elected them, and we get creative in using the few rights not yet usurped by the current administration in Washington.

Nuclear is at best a temporary stop-gap measure to provide us with abundant "cheap" electricity. It is cheap only because of the government subsidies, only because of future generations being asked to clean up our waste. It is cheap because the industry that provides it does not have to offer insurance in the event of an accident.

Please do not rest on the laurels of your vote. Voting is not enough. We need you and your voice.

Nuclear is far too impractical, expensive and slow an approach to combat the global warming phenomenon. Nuclear is not clean, green, nor sustainable. Building reactors, enriching and mining uranium, storing and protecting the deadly waste take huge outlays of carbon emissions aka ozone destroying emissions. For nuclear to be a solution to global warming a new reactor would need to be built somewhere in the world every two weeks and this would require a new “Yucca Mountain” sized repository every two to three years.

These are show-stoppers folks! They are real. So many reactors would not have powered down in last Summer's heat waves if nuclear were the answer the nuclear industry makes it out to be. It is up to us to convince our elected representatives that nuclear is not sustainable. We need our leaders to support measures that continue life without threatening it. Our elected officials must not be lead by the corporate economics that have controlled the purse strings to the state and federal coffers. This campaign is gaining steam now. Bring your election jubilation to this campaign now. Let’s use the recent victories to create needed change forour present and our future generations.

Join the campaign

The elections are over, and the candidates now fade into memory or are on their way to their newly won tasks. The stage has been set for change. One campaign now begs your continued involvement. Vermont Yankee is closing. Indian Point is closing first. It doesn't matter which closes before the other. I hear the bell toll...

Why is VT Yankee closing? Because it is a greater risk than it is an economic benefit to the state and region. Vermont Yankee is closing because it is an unsustainable means of supplying electricity. Vermont Yankee is closing because it continues to produce a waste product for which no one has any solution or disposal method. At best Vermont may be offered a temporary fix. Entergy calls this dry cask storage. VT's nuclear waste is kept 60 feet above ground, not like in the ground as the waste is held at IP. This is not sustainable.

The recent defeat of the republicans in the country, but for a few incumbents, signifies a time of change. Vermont has been saddled with a Governor who is not stepping up to the plate quickly enough to lead Vermonters to a healthy, sustainable future. Face it, at best nuclear power offers us abundant power at a steep cost. The cost may not be borne by those of us who benefit from the “cheap” power. Our children and many generations of our future children will be cleaning up our waste. This is selfish, greedy and negligent. This is not sustainable.

The nuclear renaissance referred to by the lame duck in DC is little more than a joke or a pipe dream. It may result in as many as 8 new reactors being built in the US over the next decade but likely no more than that. 8000 megawatts of electricity is not enough to affect the change needed to protect the ozone. Building each new reactor, mining and enriching the uranium, storing and protecting the waste require large ozone depleting outputs. Meanwhile the current generation of reactors continues to degrade as they reach the end of their licensed life even including extensions. Any nuclear renaissance that may happen would be far too slow to stop the coming environmental crisis due to global warming.

The new Senate majority leader in Washington is adamantly opposed to the embattled Yucca Mountain waste repository. The newly elected Governor of New York campaigned that he would close down Indian Point nuclear reactor (also owned by Entergy) when he won that election. Any Governor has the right and ability to call for an Independent Safety Assessment as Governor King did in Maine. The Vermont Public Service Board did not have that right because their mandate is economics not safety related.

After the recent election I take hope that change is possible. I believe that every chink in the nuclear industry’s façade leads us closer to shutting them all down and forcing us to learn sustainability.

By energy sustainability I mean conservation, efficiency and renewable sources. Conservation means to use less energy. This includes using fewer high-demand appliances and machines. Energy efficiency means “ producing the desired result using a minimum of resources, effort or expense. One can use newer better energy star rated equipment (www.energystar.gov). Even using the compact fluorescent bulbs helps. Renewable resources include the sun, wind, hydro and biomass generation of electricity or to heat one’s water or building to offset the use of electricity to do the same task.

The needed change from nuclear to a sustainable energy supply won’t happen without your help. I implore you to not depend on the few who are active in speaking up to stop Entergy 's Indian Point or Nuclear Vermont Yankee. This needs to be a campaign. It is but without the thousands of people needed to make the calls, to mail the cards, to fundraise and donate, to educate the Vermonters who may be more concerned about the Ticonderoga tire burn than about the nuclear reactor in the neighborhood. This has been a brief version of the VT story.

The campaigns are far from over. Now feels more like the eleventh hour crunch. How badly do you want this victory?

Anti Nuclear Blogger Finds FAMILY Attacked by Pro Nuke Forces

OPPOSE INDIAN POINT RELICENSING

I've been blogging now for a period of around four years, my first blog if memory serves correctly was started over on Bravenet, though do not quote me on that. Boredom, causes not going anywhere, and a host of other reasons, including just life have seen many of these blogs abandoned, left along the the berm of the proverbial Internet Super Highway. What I've written about has never really attracted any major attention, absence a few compliments from some, disagreements from others, and the occasional angry poster. That is, until I started posting on the subject of Entergy's Indian Point Nuclear Reactor...my first posts on this topic were posted on the Congressman John Hall Blog. Indian Point, shutting it down was a cornerstone of the John Hall campaign...the blog was put up to track his career, to create a record, and to hold him as our elected official accountable to promises made on the campaign trail. Bringing my case, my thoughts on Indian Point out on this blog was/is the right thing to do.

Quietly, subtly, but almost immediately after posting about Indian Point on said blog, the attacks started...at first, comments left on the blog written in a kindly, articulate, albeit condescending manner, as if speaking down to an errant child. When it became clear I was not going to change my view of Indian Point specifically, and the entire nuclear industry as a whole, the comments took a decidedly nasty turn...I stopped giving them a second glance, deleting them for the garbage they were.

It was during my time working with John Hall's staff as a volunteer, that I started becoming MORE AWARE of just how severe the situation was at Indian Point. As the campaign waned, I turned my efforts to other of my blog projects, such as the Washington Scandal's blog, writing about illegal aliens, the Iraq War, even idiot politicians. However, Indian Point became personal too me, especially living a scant three miles from the plant, and with a wrong re licensing looming over my community, I began launching blogs targeted at this issue, positioning myself to be a part of the movement to close it down. Watching the goings on at other sites, such as Pilgrim and Vermont Yankee, it was obvious that the fix was in, that the NRC, DOE and the Nuclear Industry intended to grant re licensing regardless of the community's being forced to play host to reactors felt about the matter, regardless of any health and or environmental issues.

Several blogs were launched, each meant to serve a particular purpose, but the Green Nuclear Butterfly became the one that flew the farthest the fastest, became the primary vehicle for the cause I choose. I am not subtle, it is not my style. The attacks from the Pro-Nuclear side of the equation escalated, but I did not give it all that much thought...some hot headed nutcase looking to blow off a bit of steam after a night of drinking at the local bar. My blogs are set up with comment moderation...that is to say, that no comments go to the public blog until I have approved them. Comments comparing me to Hitler, suggesting I was a ANTI NUKE idiot all come with the territory...right? I ignored them, deleted them and kept writing.

Then, earlier this week, the attacks escalated greatly, and took on a far more sinister tone when I posted an article on Summer Rayne being prevalently present on the ETS Energy Store website...I pointed out that this GREEN STORE had as partners, one BGA Engineering who does work for Indian Point, and posed the question...should a GREEN super model, should a supposed GREEN STORE be associated with a company that is actively seeking work within such a NON GREEN industry as Nuclear, seeking work at a sight such as Indian Point. At almost this exact same time, I attended Congressman John Hall's send off party, asked him point blank with Channel 12's camera rolling what his intentions were, if he intended to keep his promise to oppose re licensing, keep his promise to work with the grassroots to shut down the aging, problem plagued Indian Point reactors with their structural design flaws, such as the cracks now forming/appearing in the domes of reactors 2 and 3. He is on record as stating he opposes the re licensing, on the record saying he will work to close it. One or both of these events obviously struck a serious nerve on the pro nuclear side of the battle, as the severity of the attacks against me show: http://hate-blog-watch.blogspot.com

This is the second such hate page put up against me this week. Both "out my wife", her place of employment (as if delivering a veiled threat of seeing her lose her job), her full name, and in this second hate page, our home address. Someone has decided to paint a target in the center of my forehead, but more importantly, someone has decided to attack my wife to get to me. My views are not her views, her place of employment has nothing to do with my political activism, yet they have chosen to OUT HER in an attempt to SHUT ME UP. This action is something that EVERY environmentalist out there should be concerned with, especially if you are in any way against the wrong sighted attempts of the DOE and NRC to rubber stamp the re licensing of 104 aging, problematic Nuclear Reactors. (They, NRC, have yet to vote down one single re licensing request by the Nuclear Industry.)

So as to be an OPEN BOOK myself:

1. YES, I have a political agenda...SO WHAT, so does every lobbyist, so does every company in America, including Entergy who has spent literally MILLIONS in trying to BUY FAVOR in Washington, DC...see the Open Secrets. Care to talk about the quarter of a billion that the National Chamber of Commerce has spent on lobbying our members of the Congress and Senate? You want to know why Washington refuses to deal with illegals, refuses to close the loop holes that allow companies to employ illegals, look right at that quarter of a billion dollars spent on OWNING OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. Every one has an agenda, but that does not mean I or any one else should start attacking the spouses, children and extended family of those who have a different agenda than mine. Don't like my views, don't like my agenda, then A) do what you need to do to get your own AGENDA OUT, or B) present me with FACTS that prove me wrong in my thinking. Don't attack my wife, don't wrap kernels of truth in disparaging lies and fabricated untruths based on some errant speculation.

2. I opposed the re licensing of Indian Point, and other antiquated Nuclear Facilities. One of, but not the only reason why I supported John Hall's efforts to get elected, was his stand on Indian Point. On the campaign trail he made it clear to us, that he wanted to CLOSE DOWN INDIAN POINT, wanted to BRING OUR TROOPS HOME. Now, someone wants to accuse me of trying to coax, coerce and force him into being a shill for the ANTI NUKE movement? HELLO, he and his staff made him an ANTI NUKE, close down Indian Point candidate, it was a part of why he was elected. Governor Spitzer made similar promises, and now people such as myself are doing our best to make sure those promises ARE KEPT, not just campaign rhetoric. Congressman Maurice Hinchey, and members of his staff have stated their opposition to the re licensing of Indian Point...well, it's GAME TIME as the old expression goes, time to put up or shut up, and I'm not going to sit quietly waiting for people to do what they have promised to do. We want action, and WE DESERVE ACTION. By the way, so there is no question about my own beliefs...I think some of the staff selections that were made are pathetic...OH WELL, that's the way it goes...only time will tell if I views of some of these hiring choice are correct, or if I am wrong, and John Hall made the right decisions. From my perspective, too many of the staff choices SMACK of politics as usual, politics where getting re-elected supersede effecting true change inside Washington, and here in the district.

3. Like many people on the net who own blogs, I have more than one...not sure how many active ones I have, but the number is close to 20. Most are political blogs of one type or anther, though a few are more mundane. How many PAC's does Entergy have, how many PAC's does the nuclear industry have? How many PRO NUKE BLOGS are out there...I know of at least three directly associated with the nuke industry's lobbing arm, the NEI. GEE, what is the NEI trying to pull, what is THEIR AGENDA? Like many people, I also post under various PEN NAMES...most of the blogs out there do the same. Even Sue Kelly said you should not post your real name to the web, and she WAS A CONGRESSWOMAN. Does not take a rocket scientist though to figure out who I am, I've made no efforts to hide, have even posted emails owned by me on most of my blogs so people can contact me. Further, if you look at the bottom of many of my posts, it identifies Royce Penstinger, Porgie Tirebiter, and Pinto Bean as one and the same person.

4. My Congressman John Hall blog is NO SECRET, especially to the people in the inner circle of the John Hall campaign, and among members of his staff. I told them about it from almost day one, have even requested press credentials so that I could keep the blog up to date on what John Hall is doing. Yes, I have emails to members of John Hall's staff to verify this fact. If any one reads the first entries on said blog, it states very clearly that said blog is MY BLOG, and what it's purpose is. Agenda yes, HIDDEN AGENDA, absolutely not. The Internet gives the little guy, gives the average citizen a way to LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD...why should it be that only people and companies with DEEP POCKETS can gain access to Washington, make their own views heard?

5. Do I like John Hall...YES. Does that mean I should rubber stamp his views, or not bring things up that I, and others I know in the grassroots disagree with him on? NO...it's a blog all about keeping Washington Honest. I've not seen eye to eye with John Hall since the first day I spoke to him on some issue, such as Illegal Aliens. I don't agree with AMNESTY, do not support earned citizenship, and want enforcement only, including the 700 miles of fence approved by Congress and signed into law back in October. John Hall sees this issue differently than I do. People would not expect him to change his views to suit me, nor should they expect me, or my blogs to TOW THE PARTY LINE just to keep up appearances that we all see eye to eye. We don't see eye to eye on all the issues, and probably NEVER WILL...grassroots activist do not have the millions that Entergy has for wining and dining of politicians, to gain access to them. What we do have now is the Internet, and the ability to create and put out onto the world wide web blogs targeted at a single issue, or a myriad of issues.

6. Life does not exist in a vacuum...the hate blog would have the world believe that every view spouted and shouted is all my own, Representative of nothing more than my own delusional mind spilled upon the written page. People are free to believe that, I am not about to OUT my friends, not about to OUT those I am in contact with on a regular basis in some attempt to prove I speak the voice of more than just myself. Sure if any one bothers to do an Internet search they can find numerous voices out there similar to my own...Pilgrim, Vermont Yankee public hearing transcripts are one good place to start.

7. Claiming I am a VAGABOND...in the past almost 30 years of my life, I have lived in, claimed residence in only four homes, three of which I have owned. As an artist and crafts person, my profession required a tremendous amount of travel, but I did and do have roots.

8. Attacking people I once courted...on three important issues in America right now, there is NO MIDDLE GROUND.

A) The Iraq War-I don't support a surge, I do support pulling the plug on the war and feel it is time to bring our troops home.

B) Illegal Aliens, and what to do with them-I support building a fence, I support armed troops on our Southern Border, support deportation of all who entered America illegally.

C) Nuclear Power and Re licensing of old facilities, building of up to 200 new facilities. Some may want to buy into the folly of GREEN NUCLEAR, I know better. The NRC is not out to protect HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, they are out to protect their own licensees, it is that simple.

I am not going to stop posting, am not going to stop pushing people like Congressman John Hall, Congressman Maurice Hinchey, and Governor Spitzer to do the right thing by doing whatever it takes to SHUT DOWN INDIAN POINT. I am not going to stop posting the obvious, such as the fact that Rudi Giuliani has a serious conflict of interest where Indian Point is...of course he is going to embrace an aging and decrepit facility when it's owner (Entergy) is throwing millions into his company's cash register. I'm going to keep demanding answers to questions such as "Where did CASEnergy get it's money, who is funding said organization's GREEN NUCLEAR rhetoric?"

Entergy wants to prove their reactors are SAFE, let them PROVE IT TO ME, Indian Point, NRC and FEMA want to claim that our and other reactors evacuation plans work, then why have they excluded them from the re licensing debate, in the same fashion they have also excluded design flaws in the reactors by grandfathering them in...or, saying security concerns from a plane crashing into A) the reactors or B) the spent fuel rods should not factor into any re licensing decisions. Sue Kelly was a rubber stamper, and now we have the NRC being a rubber stamper for the industry's desire to re license and extend the life span of reactors built to operate for a given period of time...even if communities agreed to host a reactor for X years, they did not sign on for and additional period of time...especially NOT WHEN THE GOVERNMENT cannot effectively deal with the waste streams STACKING UP AT THESE REACTOR SITES.

I don't go away, I'll keep writing, and keep organizing. Those on the pro nuke side know where to find me, my phone line is always open, so is my email...you want to discuss the issue, bring it on, but stop with the attacks on family members, as it has nothing to do with the issue at hand, but everything to do with trying to silence the voice of opposition. Last I looked, this was still America, even if George Bush wants to change that with the creation of the North American Union...but then, that is another subject most people seem ignorant to as well.

YOU GOT SOMETHING TO SAY, EMAIL IT:
roycepenstinger@aol.com

As for the politicians mentioned here...they are big boys. They can hold a press conference tomorrow to state they have changed their minds, are now FULLY SUPPORTIVE of Indian Point being given another 20 years of operation here in District 19...sure their constituents would be UP IN ARMS the second such an announcement made the news, and make the news it would. However, token small efforts so they can say "We tried" are not adequate, there is too much at stake. People need to take sides...for instance, it's disturbing to know that our own Paramount Theatre here in Peekskill gets a large portion of it's funding from Entergy...it's a tacit endorsement of Entergy's environmental record, from my perspective represents DIRTY MONEY.