Tag Archives: environment

I recently published a post about my involvement in the planning of an international day of action at the Nevada Test Site on Memorial Day Weekend. Plans are developing quickly and a press release will be going out next week. Organizations and individuals from all over the U.S. and the world are siging on to the coalition for this action.

I will publish the details sometime next week but know that the actionw will take place all weekend May 27-28, with the key day of action being Sunday, May 28th at the Peace Camp across the highway from the entrance to the Nevada Test Site, about 45 miles away from Indian Springs, NV (about an hour from Vegas).

STOP THE DIVINE STRAKE!

The Salt Lake Tribune has published the news that Utah Governor Jon Huntsman wants the Divine Strake Test to be held somewhere else.

“We are downwind,” said Huntsman. “I believe that, obviously, we need a strong national security position, a strong defense position, and capabilities to protect us abroad. But do the testing somewhere else, where citizens aren’t downwind.”

Where would that be?

The remarks came the same day U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson and U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett demanded, once again, that more basic safety data be made public. The mounting information requests also signal the possibility of a delay in the controversial experiment, an explosion of conventional explosives, not nuclear ones.

No matter where such a blast would be tested some form of life would be affected. Not to mention that fact that analysts say this is a precursor to developing more nuclear bombs – and c’mon……there is no such thing as a “safe” test!

Wake up people!

Other articles:
Deseret News: Huntsman opposes blast test: Governor worries it will stir up past radioactive dust

STOP THE DIVINE STRAKE!

Utah U.S. Senator Bob Bennett is requiring proof of “safety” of the Divine Strake Test, but is not making any efforts to halt the test.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency held briefings yesterday and took a tour of the place of the blast, Tunnel U16b and its three portals. After the briefings, Bennett’s office issued this statement, according to the Deseret News today:

The senator believes every precaution is being taken to ensure that the test will be carried out safely. “However, before the test takes place, he’s requested a briefing in person by officials from the National Nuclear Safety Administration to review all aspects of the proposed test,” said spokeswoman, Mary Jane Collipriest. “This personal briefing will help him determine whether the test should proceed.”

Stop the Divine Strake!

I have posted information here on the planned “Divine Strake” test, scheduled for detonation at the Nevada Test Site Friday, June 2nd.

This test is a mass of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil ( ANFO or AN/FO). The purpose of the test is to gather sismic data about the effect of this size blast on limestone and granite, and particularly on tunnel structures that lie beneath the blast. As a fellow activist explained it to me, the stated use for this data in the Defense Threat Reduction Agency budget document is to “develop a planning tool that will improve the warfighter’s confidence in selecting the smallest proper nuclear yield necessary to destroy underground facilities while minimizing collateral damage.”

Interestingly enough, U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch has publicly announced that he is “upset” about the test and since he is a great “stopper,” he could get it stopped since he this happens when he wants something stopped. (a couple of weeks ago he was in favor of this test…..)

I am part of a planning team planning an international day of action at the test site on Memorial Day weekend. The coalition involves indigenous groups and other activist and environmental groups. It’s exciting being part of this very huge action which will involved some very internationally recognized activists. I’ll be posting the press release and the details here when we finalize it this weekend.