UPF
BOMB PLANT LAWSUIT -- PLEASE INVEST IN PEACE
From: victor Macks <vicmacks3@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 9:08 PM
Date: Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 9:08 PM
The Possibility of Halting Construction of A New Uranium
Production Facility
at the Y-12 National Security Complex at Oak Ridge, TN
The
U.S. has committed to spending up to 1.7 trillion dollars over 30 years on new
nuclear weapons and delivery systems. Key to this is the building of a new
Uranium Production Facility (UPF-nuclear weapons plant) at Oak Ridge Y-12
National Security Complex.
The
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA) and Nuclear Watch New Mexico
(NWNM) initiated a law suit in 2017 to halt construction based on Department of
Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) non-compliance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
In
May 2018, that law suit resulted in DOE/NNSA issuing a Supplemental Analysis
for the Environmental Impact Statement done for a design that was abandoned.
Not the current plan.
When
an Environmental Impact Statement is presented as required by NEPA by a
governmental entity—-in this instance DOE/NNSA——the public has the right and
opportunity to comment. That public comment becomes a part of the public record
and must be addressed by DOE/NNSA.
The
comment submitted by OREPA and NW NM on the DOE/NNSA Supplemental Analysis
(read at http://orepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Comments-from-OREPA-and-Nuclear-Watch-on-Supplement-Analysis-for-the-Site-Wide-Environmental-Impact-Statement-for-the-Y-12-National-Security-Complex.pdf
) provided specific criticism on seismic, safety and security issues not
addressed by DOE/NNSA. That will be brought before the judge hearing the law
suit. And that enhances the potential success of the law suit.
Furthermore,
OREPA/NWNM have brought on board seismic and safety experts to further
elaborate the criticisms of the design/plan for the new UPF.
What
is needed is another $10,000. to cover costs of expert testimony.
So,
more money is needed.
Vic
=========================================
Begin
forwarded message:
Subject:
[orepa] UPF BOMB PLANT LAWSUIT -- PLEASE INVEST IN PEACE
Date:
July
24, 2018 at 1:04:02 PM EDT
Friends,
Last year, when you heard about the
chance to become part of a historic lawsuit challenging a new nuclear bomb
plant in Tennessee, many of you said, “Yes.”
Thanks to many of you, we raised an amazing (for us) $52,000 in six weeks and
filed a strong lawsuit to stop construction of the UPF bomb plant until a new
environmental impact statement was prepared. It was a team effort. Together, we
did what we could never have done by ourselves.
The government, as expected, said they weren’t impressed. They insisted they
didn’t need to do a new EIS—their old one was good enough.
But they were impressed. Eight weeks ago, they suddenly
admitted maybe the old EIS wasn’t good enough, and they prepared a Supplement
Analysis to take another look, and, in an unprecedented move, released it for
public comment.
For us, it was not only an admission that we have set the
National Nuclear Security Administration on its heels, it was an unexpected
golden opportunity to add critical information to the Administrative Record the
judge will use to decide the case.
Our team of grassroots activists from OREPA and Nuclear Watch New Mexico
consulted with our lawyer. We then enlisted a highly qualified seismic expert
to back up our contention that the government has failed to adequately consider
new earthquake hazard data. We also recruited a former Department of Energy
deputy assistant secretary for national security to address NNSA’s refusal to
analyze the likely possibility of catastrophic releases of highly enriched
uranium—and even a nuclear criticality!—that are part of the new plan to
continue to use unsafe buildings.
Here’s the thing. Experts aren’t free.
So far we have raised almost $75,000 for legal fees and expenses. This is
enough to cover the legal fees—our top-notch team generously put a cap on how
much they will charge us.
But it does not cover all of our expenses, which so far have topped $14,000 and
will likely reach $18,000 or so.
Can you help us meet the challenge once again? Our goal
is more modest this time—$10,000 in the next
thirty days—and we know we can
make it if everyone who gave before will make another contribution. It doesn’t
have to break your budget—even a small donation will help.
Please consider what you can do to help us meet these
expenses, and then go to www.orepa.org and click the Donate Now button. You
can use paypal or your credit card. If you prefer the old fashioned way, you
can send a check to OREPA at P O Box 5743, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.
Peace,
Ralph Hutchison
OREPA Coordinator
PS
If you want to read the formal comments that OREPA and Nuclear Watch New Mexico
submitted on the Supplement Analysis, you’ll find them here on OREPA’s web
site: SA Comments. Scroll
down the right-hand sidebar to legal documents and the comments are at the top
of the list. Right below that is the material we submitted from the experts. It
is not light reading, but it makes a compelling and thoroughly documented case.
BUDGET (so far)
Initial assessment: Do we have a
case? by legal team
$10,000
Legal fees for lawsuit
(capped)
$50,000
Expenses beyond legal fees
$ 8,000
Expert
declarations $11,000
Expected additional
expenses $
5,000
TOTAL
expenses $84,000
Raised to date
Donation for Legal
fees
$57,000
Grants to support
litigation $10,000
Donations for expenses
$ 6,500
TOTAL contributions
$73,500
still needed $10,500
note: Before the case is concluded,
we estimate our legal team will have provided much of their total time pro
bono. In addition, staff members and others at Nuclear Watch New Mexico and
OREPA have spent hundreds of hours working on research and analysis,
organizing, fundraising, strategizing and writing in support of the lawsuit.
PPS. OREPA is a 501(c)(3) not
for profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible if you itemize
deductions. The tax law passed by Congress last year raises the standard
deduction to $12,000 for single people and $24,000 for married couples, so you
will have to exceed those numbers in your total itemized deductions to claim
the benefit.
========
The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance works to stop nuclear weapons production at the Y - 12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This is a tightly moderated list which includes a wide range of members from across the country. It is strictly limited to matters of concern to OREPA and its work to abolish nuclear weapons.
To unsubscribe send a blank email to:
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The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance works to stop nuclear weapons production at the Y - 12 Nuclear Weapons Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This is a tightly moderated list which includes a wide range of members from across the country. It is strictly limited to matters of concern to OREPA and its work to abolish nuclear weapons.
To unsubscribe send a blank email to:
orepa-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net
--
P.S.
This email I'm sending to those I'd gathered with TNP3, over the last 6 years
(including many with OREPA)
Home: *248-545-1862; Cell:
248-515-2380
*The best times to reach me are
Tuesdays & Saturdays 12 noon until 5 pm.
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