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Response to Governor Gray Davis' Announcement Dropping Pro-Dump Lawsuit Colorado River Native Nations Alliance and Ward Valley Coalition Question Why Governor Does Not Bring Final End to Project
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Native Nations Environmental Allies Call on the Governor to Withdraw the Land Application for Ward Valley Needles, CA-In response to Governor Davis' announcement yesterday that the State of California will not appeal the recent U.S. District Court decision which set back the proposed Ward Valley nuclear waste dump, a coalition of Native Nations and environmental, health, and social justice groups today called on the Governor to end the controversial project by withdrawing the land application for Ward Valley. The Colorado River Native Nations Alliance and the rest of the Ward Valley Coalition applaud the Governor's announcement that the court decision will not be appealed, but remain concerned that he has not ended the project by withdrawing the land application. "As long as the State of California still has a pending application into the Bureau of Land Management for the land at Ward Valley so they can build a nuclear waste dump, the threat to our heritage and sacred lands remains." said Nora Helton Chairwoman Ft. Mojave Indian Tribe. "While we are pleased that the Governor has seen fit not to appeal the court's decision, he needs to end this project once and for all. The Tribes have asked Governor Davis to withdraw the land transfer application repeatedly. Stopping this project in a final form will end this controversy and will relieve the Indian nations from the unnecessary burden of the burial of nuclear waste that will threaten our people, the land, and the Colorado River The Indian tribes adamantly seek Governor Davis' swift action to withdraw the land application from the Department of Interior. The tribes have repeatedly communicated to the Governor on this matter and been ignored, we are asking for a final action on Ward Valley." Opponents of the Ward Valley dump have expressed concern about the Governor's new panel on nuclear waste, and questioned the impartiality of a panel headed by one of the generators of nuclear waste in the state, the University of California. "We don't want the state to bury nuclear waste anywhere, so it is necessary to come up with a more protective solution to this problem and that can only happen with everyone at the table, including Native Nations, health organizations, generators, and environmental justice advocates." said Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction. |
