Alert sent 12/10/95 by IEN <ien@igc.apc.org>
The National Coordinator of IEN attended the December 1,2,3, 1995
spiritual gathering that was recently held at Ward Valley,
California. The elders of the Indigenous Nations of Colorado
River Indian Tribes, Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Cocopah and Quechan
invited IEN to this gathering that brought many singers and
dancers from the regional river, desert and mountain Tribes to
have ceremony at the sacred site of Ward Valley. The gathering
brought many Indigenous and non-Indigenous supporters from
throughout the surrounding states.
The National Coordinator witnessed the solidarity of the
Indigenous elders in their opposition to the plans of the U.S.
government, the State of California, and U.S. Ecology (a private
nuclear waste company) to build a low-level radioactive waste dump
on land that is viewed as holy ground to the Fort Mojave and other
Colorado River Indigenous Peoples. The site is approximately 22
miles from Needles, California. The Fort Mojave Tribal
headquarters is located at Needles.
The IEN National Coordinator felt first-hand the sacredness of the
site. The site is also the home of the desert tortoise which is
on the endangered species list. A sacred fire provided guidance
and warmth to the Ward Valley spiritual encampment, especially to
the participants during the chill evening nights. The elders
offered prayers in their language. There is no doubt that this
place MUST BE PROTECTED against the insane plans to build a
nuclear dump there.
Presently, the site is on land managed by the federal Bureau of
Land Management (BLM). This is public land. Against the demands
of the Fort Mojave Nation, other Colorado River Tribes, support
groups, and public opinion; Bruce Babbit, Secretary of the
Interior, has agreed to support legislation to transfer the BLM
land to the State of California for use as a radioactive waste
dump. Congress and the Clinton Administration hope to transfer
the land very soon. The Ward Valley transfer provision is one of
the "nasty" amendments (riders) in the Budget Reconcilation bill.
We must demand that Clinton remove the Ward Valley provision,
however, this doesn't seem likely.
If Clinton approves this stealth amendment, it would also exempt
the dump from all environmental laws and prevent the public from
challenging the dump in court.
Ward Valley is just 18 miles from the Colorado River and there is
evidence that deadly radionuclides could find their way into the
river. The Colorado River provides precious water supply to the
cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, many other towns, and
agricultural lands downriver and including Mexico.
The plans are to bury long-lasting and highly dangerous
radioactive wastes from nuclear energy plants in shallow, unlined
trenches. The proposed site is right above a major aquifer.
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey sent a report warning
that leaking radionuclides could contaminate the Colorado River.
The National Academy of Sciences recommended that further tests be
conducted to determine the safety of the site.
Despite all this, the State of California and Congress are still
going ahead for the dump. They all know that U.S. Ecology has a
track record of leaking dumps. It has been recently been revealed
that U.S. and State officials have covered-up a report that found
tritium and carbon-14 in unexpected depths in Beatty, Nevada, the
site of another U.S. Ecology waste dump with terrain similar to
Ward Valley. This report proves that scientists don't fully
understand how radioactive material migrates in arid terrains and
discounts the belief that the desert is the safest place to bury
radioactive waste. Due to the alarming nature of these findings,
two members of the National Academy of Science panel are now
expressing new concerns about the safety of the facility.
Powerful nuclear energy lobbying groups are pushing Congress for a
cheap gravesite for radioactive wastes and a way to transfer
liability for nuclear wastes to the taxpayer. Shallow burial
sites of this wastes could result in costly clean-up costs and
extreme health risks to nearby communities and downriver
populations that drink or use the water.
Fort Mojave Tribe is the nearest Indigenous population. Both the
site and the desert tortoise are very sacred to them. The Fort
Mojave and the Chemehuevi Tribes both have claimed the site as
having religous and cultural value to their people. IEN requests
that as many people immediately contact President Bill Clinton to
veto the Budget Bill if it contains the Ward Valley rider. Other
riders that must be removed in the Budget Bill are the riders that
would allow oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife refuge,
the transfer of the Mojave Desert National Park to the BLM, a
moratorium on Endangered Species listings, and removal of The
Marbled Murrelet Extinction rider that would affect the protection
of marbled murrelet in the logging areas of California's ancient
redwoods Headwaters Forest.
Contact Bill Clinton through phones, snail-mail or e-mail. The
White House, Washington, D.C. 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414
e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov and White House Chief of Staff
Leon Panetta (who will be negotiating with the Republicans over
the contents of the Budget Bill). The White House, Washington,
D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3841; Fax: (202) 228-3954.
For more information: Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (619) 326-6267;
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, (619) 858-5400/858-4295; or IEN at
e-mail: ien@igc.apc.org
DECEMBER 14TH is the next GATHERING AND SPIRITUAL VIGIL!
Join with Indigenous Peoples, Community, and Environmental Groups
in a gathering and spiritual vigil, December 14, 1995, at the
Federal Building, 1100 Wilshire Blvd./Veteran Blvd., Los Angeles.
At Noon will be a Unity Gathering to Oppose the Dump. At 2:00
p.m. will be a March to Senator Feinstein's Office. At 5:00 p.m.
will be a spiritual gathering - vigil at the Federal Building.
For more info on attending or supporting this gathering/vigil:
(714) 649-2641 or (310) 287-2210.