Tag Archives: shundahai

Nuke Waste News

This letter was received from the Shundahai Network, an organization dedicated to breaking the nuclear chain through its work with and in support of indingenous people.

Dear Friends,

We are all in critical times.

We recently received bad news on a high-level nuclear waste dump that has been resisted for eight years in Indian country. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission finally approved it on Friday September 9th, 2005.

On a 4-1 vote, the NRC approved a license to site an unprecedented high-level nuclear waste dump on the small Goshute Indian reservation in Utah. This is a fight that we have been involved in for eight years now, and there are still avenues available to stop this project from moving any further.

There is still a lot that can be done to stop this project. All the latest news is attached at the end of this email.

Shundahai Network needs your help. We are still having hard times. Though we also continue to work hard to maintain our critical efforts to oppose nuclear projects and to support Indigenous environmental justice struggles in the Great Basin, times are hard for everyone.

We have been able to keep basic bills paid for the past two months due to two very generous donations from Tribal and allied sources and several smaller, though also very generous and well-appreciated, donations from friends who have responded to our email appeals.

However, there is still much support needed to get things back to full capacity, and to move with strength into a future that we all know needs to happen, though is not getting any easier for any of us.

Currently we are focusing our efforts on this rapidly-escalating struggle to stop the nuclear dump in Skull Valley. The attached links will bring you up-to-date on this issue.

Even despite our current funding shortfall, Shundahai Network is in a position to serve a very critical function in the fight that remains. Everyone knows we will not give up- even when times get hard. It simply cannot happen. And ultimately, we always need your help to do this.

We do apologize for the slight delay in getting all this info out, but with our funding crunch we have had some related technical problems, including problems maintaining our website and getting the news out quickly- but here is the latest.

Please read the following news articles and review our website. We are in a crazy time, but together we can stop this from moving forward.

Please feel free to contact our office, using the contact information listed at the bottom of this email, and know that you are always in our thoughts and prayers.

In peace, love and solidarity,
Pete Litster
Director
Shundahai Network

—————————————————————————-

Alert!! September 9th 2005- Nuclear Dump Approved!

After an eight-year fight, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license for an unprecedented high-level nuclear dump On The Skull Valley Goshute Indian reservation in Utah. Please help oppose this project!

Latest News: From http://www.shundahai.org

9-17-05 New York Times Offends Utah on Nuke Waste- Deseret News http://www.shundahai.org/091705_DesNews_NYTimes_Offends_Utah.htm

9-16-06 Goshute Nuclear Fight Similar to Navajos’- Deseret News http://www.shundahai.org/091605DesNews_Navajo_fight_Like_Goshute.htm

9-16-05 Homeland Security Investigates Skull Valley Nuke Dump- Salt Lake Tribune http://www.shundahai.org/091605_US_HomelandSec_Checks_PFS.htm

9-15-05 UT Governor Will “Stand on Tracks” To Stop Nuke Dump- Ogden Standard Examiner http://www.shundahai.org/091505_OgdenSE_Huntsman_NVDA_vs_PFS.htm

9-13-05 Editorial: On a dangerous path- Skull Valley and Yucca Mountain nuke dumps both wrong- Las Vegas Sun http://www.shundahai.org/091305LasVegasSun_PFS_Yucca_bad.htm

9-12-05 Heavy Hitter: Mormon Church Comes Out Against Skull Valley Nuke Dump- Deseret News (UT) http://www.shundahai.org/091205DesNews_LDS_Church_Opposes_PFS.htm

9-11-05 Nuclear Waste Storage Plan Approved for Utah Indian Reservation Washington Post http://www.shundahai.org/091105WashPost_PFS_approved.htm

9-10-05 Feds say ‘yes’ to waste storage Salt Lake Tribune http://www.shundahai.org/091005SLTrib_NRC_Approves_PFS_Dump.htm

9-10-05 UTAH RESERVATION TO GET NUKE WASTE Pittsburg Post-Gazette http://www.shundahai.org/091005PittsburgPostGazette_on_PFS.htm

9-9-05 Approval of Private Fuel Storage Means Dangerous and Unnecessary Storage of Highly Radioactive Waste in Utah Statement of Wenonah Hauter, Director, Public Citizen s Energy Program http://www.shundahai.org/090905PubCitizen_NO_PFS.htm

Nuclear Waste in Utah

For eight years activists, citizens, and political officials have been attempting to keep Private Fuel Storage (PFS) from obtaining a license to transport to (mostly from the eastern U.S.) and store spent fuel rods to the Goshute Reservation in the West Desert of Utah.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Friday granted the license to PFS. The Governer has publicly stated that he will stand in front of the trains if he has to.

And now, a voice not heard in this struggle before, the Church of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), has published an official position on the matter.

It’s kind of interesting – folks from all pursuasions and political ideals are coming together on this issue. Here are some other recent articles:

Utah to file appeal of nuclear repository ruling
Demand for facility unclear
Opposition to N-waste appears greatest in SLC
Utah loses key battle over N-waste
NRC is unlikely to back Utah on N-waste protest

Nuclear Fuel Storage in Skull Valley gets o.k. from NRC

The other day it was predicted that the ruling would not occur today because some NRC members were still unsure. But today the
NRC clears way for nuclear fuel storage in Skull Valley.

There is an inaccuracy in this article. The reporter paints the picture that the entire Goshute Band worked together on this project. Nothing could be further from the truth. A split in the tribe occured when Leon Bear accepted money for the PFS station, without the approval of the tribal members. He has been elected out of office twice, but is still being recognized as the tribal leader by the BIA and, of course, PFS.