I spoke with Rufina Marie Laws yesterday about the latest
development in the battle to keep radioactive waste off the
Mescalero Apache reservation. As regular NATIVE-L subscribers
will know, thanks to Rufina's efforts, a referendum held on
January 31. 1995 resulted in the Mescalero Apaches rejecting the
proposed dump by a vote of 490 to 362. Then on February 17,
"amid rumors of vote buying," Fred Kaydahzinne (an employee of
the Mescalero housing office) delivered to tribal officials petitions
containing the signatures of 700 registered Mescalero voters.
These petitions ask the tribal council to "either schedule a second
referendum or go ahead and negotiate contracts without a vote"
(as reported 2/18/95 by Leslie Linthicum, staff writer,
_Albuquerque Journal_ -- article posted here 2/19/95).
Rufina asks that letters be sent or phone calls made [please call
Information for phone #s] to the CEOs of the 33 participating
utilities (!!! owners of 94 of the 110 nuclear reactors in the U.S. !!!)
expressing opposition to the toxic desecration of Indian lands but
also requesting their cooperation in ensuring a FAIR vote. The list
of utilities follows.
You can also help by joining HANDS (Humans Against Nuclear
Waste Dumps), an organization Rufina established to support this
critical struggle. Send tax-deductible contributions to the address
below. Individuals donating $20 or more will receive the monthly
HANDS Newsletter. An additional $10.00 will get you a special
souvenir edition that celebrates the Jan. 31 victory. Make checks
payable to HANDS.
It's important to recognize that the Mescaleros' fight is one which
we must all join, because it is part of a much larger conflict with
consequences for *all* of us -- present and future generations.
HANDS
P.O. Box 2659
Ruidoso, NM 88345
505-671-4844 (tel.)
505-671-4784 (fax)
Posted for HANDS by:
Carol Liu
<qladmin@class.org>
<standard disclaimer here>
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TO THE EDITOR:
Date: March 1, 1995
From: Rufina Marie Laws, Director
Humans Against Nuclear Waste Dumps (HANDS)
P. O. Box 2659
Ruidoso, NM 88343
tel. 505-671-4844; fax 505-671-4784
The reasons I have been against the nuclear waste project on the
Mescalero Apache Reservation in NM is because this manmade
material is the deadliest substance that is found on the face of this
planet and it demands custodial care for an eternity. This
substance was well named because the word 'Pluto' is defined in
the dictionary as "the god of the dead and the ruler of the
underworld, identified with the Greek god Hades." 'Pluto' is the
root of the word plutonium.
The fact that plutonium -- artificially created by neutron
bombardment of uranium -- is a radiological poison which cannot
be left unattended was known for decades by the government and
the nuclear industry, but the dependency on uranium was already
established, and this information was withheld from the general
public. While keeping this fact a secret, the military-industrial
complex continued to build a society that operated upon the
mineral called uranium.
Now, fifty years after the splitting of the atom, the United States
retains its membership in the club of so-called "first-world"
nations. The "first-world" nations behave condescendingly toward
"second" and "third" world nations in many ways. But long before
this mineral called uranium was discovered by the "seekers," the
awesome powers locked inside those uranium-laden lands were
well known to the native and aboriginal peoples living near them.
Those people lived in humble respect for the knowledge and
understanding that was imparted to them and their neighbors by
the Creator. The power given to them cannot be replicated nor
can we in present times fathom all of its applications in their daily
lives. Those gentle people worshipped the Creator, they learned
to live in harmony within that most powerful environment, and
they prospered for untold generations.
This modern civilization never once thinks of sacredness. It never
considered the spiritual impact of what it was doing in creating an
industry based on the mineral it found and mined. By applying
science and technology to that mineral, it suddenly attained an
unparalleled advantage of great wealth and overwhelming military
power. "First world" status was achieved using the awesome
powers extracted from uranium. But in addition to this status, the
seekers were given a man-made by-product, namely plutonium.
Plutonium in this most terrible form cannot be left to anything less
than eternal custodial care. Nuclear waste cannot be left
unattended; it must remain under constant surveillance, and
monitored for generations upon generations.
I believe that this is a great spiritual conflict in which the forces of
dark and light are locked in an intense struggle for the upper hand.
The nuclear industry is a $500 billion-a-year transnational business
and can override the laws of any country that gets in the way of
making a profit and generating deadly radioactive waste. When
the splitting of the atom first occurred, and every time that action
has occurred subsequently, mankind has been indiscriminately
intertwining the spiritual with physical forces
-- of which we have *no* right to do. When the atom was first
split, it was accomplished through science and technology. The
industry never once sought to consider the spiritual realm in its
single-minded drive to create the current uranium addiction of
first-world nations. The first world's addiction to rampant
materialism must be satisfied by claiming and securing the limited
natural resources found on the planet.
The spiritual realm has been ignored by the seekers, and their
arrogance has gone unchecked for decades, until we now have a
huge transnational industry responsible for creating the worldwide
specter of catastrophe from the massive amount of lethal
radioactive waste threatening the entire biosphere.
>From the industry's beginnings, evidenced by the mill tailings left
on native and aboriginal lands throughout the world, one cannot
help but see that it is people of color whose lives have been or will
be sacrificed upon the nuclear industry's unholy altar.
It is appalling that today, the people who lived their lives in
complete harmony with nature and who have sought for
generations to include the Creator in all aspects of their daily lives
are now being approached by the seekers who with sly flattery,
subtly suggesting: " Because you were truly the world's first
environmentalists, it stands to reason that you must be the best
stewards of nuclear waste." Incredible!
The problem of nuclear waste will become the next great social
movement and the raging battle of the '90s, extending well into
the next century. In magnitude, it will eclipse the Civil Rights and
anti-war movements. I believe each person must learn about this
issue and get involved, because it is not going to go away.
Rufina Marie Laws
Mescalero Apache Tribal Member
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NUCLEAR UTILITIES PARTICIPATING IN THE PROPOSED MESCALERO
APACHE NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP PROJECT
[list compiled by Rufina Marie Laws, Director, HANDS, Ruidoso, NM]
Dr. E.L. Draper, Jr.
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
American Electric Power Service Co.
1 Riverside Plaza
Columbus, OH 43215
[Plants: Cook Units 1 and 2]
Mr. O.M. DeMichele
Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Arizona Public Service Co.
400 N. 5th St.
Phoenix, AZ
[Plants: Palo Verde Units 1, 2, 3, 4]
Mr. B. W. Reznicek
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Boston Edison Company
800 Boylston St.
Boston, MA 02199
[Plant: Pilgrim]
Mr. S. H. Smith, Jr.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Carolina Power & Light Co.
411 Fayetteville St.
Raleigh, NC 27801
[Plants: Brunswick Units 1 & 2; Robinson Unit 2; Shearon Harris]
Mr. R. J. Farling
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Centerior Energy Corp.
6200 Oaktree Blvd.
Independence, OH 44130
[Plants: Perry Unit 1; Davis Besse]
Mr. J. J. O'Connor
Chairman
Commonwealth Edison Co.
P.O. Box 767
Chicago, IL 60690
[Plants: Braidwood Units 1 & 2; Byron Units 1 & 2; Dresden Units 1 & 2;
Dresden Unit 3-closed; LaSalle Cnty. Units 1 & 2; Quad Cities Units 1 &
2; Zion Units 1 & 2]
Mr. J. B. Critchfield
Chairman
Florida Power Corporation (Southern Nuclear Operating Company)
3201 34th St. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
[Plants: Farley Units 1 & 2; Hatch Units 1 & 2; Vogtile Units1 & 2]
Mr. J. R. Leve
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
General Public Utilities (GPU) Corporation
100 Interpace Parkway
Parsippany, NJ 07054-1149
[Plants: Oyster Creek; Three Mile Island Unit 1; Three Mile Island Unit 2 -
closed)
Mr. L. Liu
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Iowa Electric Light & Power Company
(IES Utilities)
P.O. Box 351
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
[Plant: Duane Arnold]
Mr. L.D. Haab
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Illinois Power Company
500 South 27th St.
Decatur, IL 62525
[Plant: Clinton]
Nebraska Public Power District
1414 15th St.
Columbus, NE 65801
[Plant: Cooper]
Mr. W. E. Davis
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation
300 Erie Blvd. West
Syracuse, NY 13202
[Plants: Nine Mile Point Units 1 & 2]
Mr. W. B. Ellis
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Northeast Utilities
174 Brush Hill Ave.
W. Springfield, MA 01080-0010
[Plants: Millstone Units 1, 2 & 3
Mr. J. E. Bryson
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Southern California Edison Company
2244 Walnut Grove Ave.
Rosemead, CA 99170
[Plants: San Onofre Units 1, 2, &3]
Virginia Power Company
701 E. Carey St.
Richmond, VA 23219
[Plants: North Anna Units 1 & 2; Surry Units 1 & 2]
Mr. R. A. Abdoo
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Wisconsin Electric Power Company
231 West Michigan St.
Milwaukee, WI 53201
[Plants: Point Beach Units 1 & 2]
Mr. D. A. Boltom
President & Chief Executive Officer
Wisconsin Public Service Company
700 North Adams St., P.O. Box 19001
Green Bay, WI 54307-9001
[Plant: Kewaunee]
Mr. J. B. Randazza
Chairman
Yankee Atomic Electric Company
580 Main St.
Bolton, MA 01740
[Plant: Yankee Rowe - closed]
Omaha Public Power District
Omaha, NE
[Plant: Forth Calhoun]
Mr. E. R. McGrath
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Consolidated Edison Company
4 Irving Place
New York, NY 10003
[Plants: Indian Point Unit 1 - closed; Indian Point Unit 2]
Mr. W. T. McCormick, Jr.
Chairman
Consumers Power Company
212 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201
[Plants: Big Rock Point; Palisades]
Dairyland Power Cooperative
3200 East Avenue S
LaCrosse, WI 54801
[Plant: LaCrosse - closed]
Mr. J. E. Lobbia
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Detroit Edison Co.
2000 Second Avenue
Detroit, MI 48226
[Plants: Fermi Unit 1 - closed; Fermi Unit 2]
Mr. W. S. Lee
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Duke Power Co.
422 S. Church Street
Charlotte, NC 28242
[Plants: Catawba Units 1 & 2; McGuire Units 1 & 2;
Oconee Units 1, 2, & 3]
Mr. E. Lupberger
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Energy Operations Inc.
1340 Echelon Parkway
Jackson, MS 39213
[Plants: Arkansas Nuclear One Units 1 & 2; Grand Gulf;
Waterford 3; River Bend]
Mr. J. J. Howard
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Northern States Power Company
414 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55401
[Plants: Prairie Island Units 1 & 2]
Mr. R. A. Clarke
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Pacific Gas & Electric Co.
P.O. Box 770000
San Francisco, CA 94177
[Plants: Diablo Canyon Units 1 & 2; Humboldt Bay - closed]
Mr. W. F. Hecht
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Pennsylvania Power & Light Co.
2 North 9th Street
Allentown, PA 18101
[Plants: Susquehanna Units 1 & 2]
Mr. J. F. Paquette, Jr.
President
Philadelphia Electric Power Company
2301 Market Street
P.O. Box 8699
Philadelphia, PA 19101
[Plants: Limerick Units 1 & 2; Peach Bottom Unit 1 - closed; Peach
Bottom Units 2 & 3]
Mr. K. L. Harrison
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Portland General Electric Company
One World Trade Center
121 SW Salmon St.
Portland, OR 97204
[Plant: Trojan - closed]
Mr. E. J. Ferland
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Public Service Electric & Gas Company
80 Park Plaza
Newark, NJ 07101
[Plants: Hope Creek; Salem Units 1 & 2]
Mr. R. W. Kober
Chairman, Pres. & Chief Executive Officer
Rochester Gas & Electric Corp.
89 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14649
[Plant: R. E. Ginna]