Subject: Indigenous Peoples Oppose Ward Valley Nuke Dump
Date: January 24, 1997
Released by: Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
FORT MOJAVE AND COLORADO RIVER NATIVE NATIONS ALLIANCE CONTINUE TO FIGHT
THE PROPOSED RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP AT WARD VALLEY
The Department of Energy (DOE) will be holding a meeting of their "Host
State Technical Coordinating Committee" on Tuesday, January 28, 1997 in
Laughlin, Nevada where they will discuss the proposed Ward Valley
"low-level" radioactive waste dump. The DOE invited state and nuclear
industry officials to make presentations at their meeting, BUT FAILED TO
OFFER ANY SIMILAR INVITATION TO THE IMPACTED TRIBES THAT RESIDE ALONG THE
COLORADO RIVER.
The proposed radioactive waste dump is being sited in an area that is
sacred to the Fort Mojave and other tribes in the area. The proposed Ward
Valley site is not within the reservation boundaries of the tribes.
However, it is within Native traditional lands that have sacred and
culturally significant value to the Native Peoples.
The site is home of the desert tortoise, an endangered species. Plans are
to bury long-lasting and highly dangerous radioactive wastes from nuclear
plants in shallow, unlined trenches. Ward Valley is located directly
adjacent to the new Mojave National Preserve and is surrounded by eight
designated Wilderness Areas. The proposed nuclear dump site is right
above a major aquifer and 18 miles from the Colorado River. The push for
the Ward valley dump comes from the powerful nuclear energy and nuclear
research industry lobby group looking for a cheap grave for their
radioactive waste and a way to transfer liability for nuclear waste to the
taxpayer. The Ward Valley dump contractor, US Ecology, has left a trail
of leaking dumps and litigation across the United States.
The DOE has announced that they will arrive at Ward Valley at 10:00 a.m.
on Wednesday, January 29, 1997 to have a tour of the proposed radioactive
waste dump. The site is located 22 miles west of Needles, California,
near the Water Road exit off Interstate 40.
Steve Lopez, Fort Mojave Ward Valley Director has announced that Native
tribal leaders, community members, traditional elders and environmental
justice activists will gather at the entrance to Ward Valley at 9 a.m.
Wednesday morning, January 29, 1997 to greet the U.S., state and nuclear
industry officials. A traditional Native ceremony will be taking place at
the site awaiting for the tour visitation of the U.S., state and nuclear
undustry delegates. The Native representatives and environmental
supporters will express their opposition to the proposed dump, and CALL
UPON PRESIDENT CLINTON TO INTERVENE TO STOP THE DUMP AND RESPECT THE
ENVIRONMENTAL, CULTURAL, AND SPIRITUAL CONCERNS OF THE NATIVE ELDERS AND
TRIBES THAT LIVE ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER.
The Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Quechan, Cocopah and Colorado River Indian
Tribes have formed the "Colorado River Native Nations Alliance" to stop
the dump and protect the Colorado River and Ward Valley, places of sacred
significance to the tribes. The tribes consider Ward valley sacred
homeland and have vowed to defend their traditions, land, water, air, and
culture. The tribal councils of the five tribes, their traditional elders
and tribal grassroots members are standing united in their fight against
this proposed waste dump.
The Fort Mojave have put out a call for support at this meeting so that
there would be a continued strong message that the siting of this
radioactive dump at Ward Valley makes no sense. The Indigenous
Environmental Network, Ward Valley Coalition, Greenpeace and many other
Native and non-Native support groups continue to stand in defense of the
Indigenous rights of the Fort Mojave, Chemehuevi, Quechan, Cocopah and
Colorado River Indian Tribes to protect their families from the
contamination of leaking radionuclides from the dump.
FIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE!
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Come and support the Colorado River Native Nations Alliance and the Ward
Valley Coalition in their stance on January 29, 1997.
WE MUST ACT NOW! Call, write, email and fax President Clinton. Tell him
to protect Colorado River from radioactive contamination, honor his
committment to the Indian tribes and protect tribal land, water, cultural
and sacred sites and to preserve Wilderness and protect critical habitat
for endangered species.
President Bill Clinton,
The White House,
Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone (202) 456-1414
Fax (202) 456-2461
e-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
For more information:
Steve Lopez
Ft. Mojave Tribe
(619) 326-4591
or Save Ward Valley Office
(619) 326-6267
To provide letters of support:
Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
500 Merriman Avenue
Needles, CA 92363
Chemehuevi Indian Tribe
PO Box 1976
Havasu Lake, CA 52363
Cocopah Indian Tribe
County 15 and Ave G
Somerton, AZ 85350
Quechan Indian Tribe
Fort Yuma Indian Reservation
PO Box 11352
Yuma, AZ 85366
Colorado River Indian Tribes
Route 1, Box 23B
Parker, AZ 85344
Other dates to be aware of:
January 31, 1997, at 9:00 am, the Tribes will take their concerns to the
Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission meeting in Needles
Nuclear Free Newe Sogobia Gathering, and Indigenous Anti-Nuclear Gathering
on the west side of Yucca Mountain, March 21-23, 1997. Sponsored by the
Western Shoshone National Council with Citizen Alert Native American
Program as host. For more info contact: Ian Zabarte, Nuke Free Newe
Sogobia Gathering Organizer (702) 796-5562 or Virginia Sanchez, CANAP
Director (702) 827-5511 or (702) 863-0258.
Healing Global Wounds, March 27-31, Nevada. For more infomation, contact
Healing Global Wounds (408) 338-0147. They are preparing for a 13-day
series of diverse events at the Nevada Test Site, March 23 - April 4,
1997.
Ward Valley Spring Gathering, April 25-27, 1997 at the Ward Valley site,
California
-- INDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK P.O. Box 485 Bemidji, MN 56619-0485 USA Ph: (218) 751-4967 Fax: (218) 751-0561 e-mail: ien@igc.apc.org web page: http://www.alphacdc.com/ien