Governor Davis' Aide Says "No Dump at Ward Valley, Period"

Now we need the Governor to make it official!

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Bradley Angel Greenaction

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"Week in Review" with Bill Rosenthal

November 19, 1999

This is a transcript of a television interview with Mary Nichols, Secretary, California Resources Agency.

Bill Rosendahl: Last week we had some folks on talking about Ward Valley. They made some serious charges about a commission that the Governor is forming and raised some concerns that maybe Ward Valley, which is this piece of desert land not too far from the Colorado River, might be used as a dump for nuclear waste. And they claim that it will seep into the aquifer and potentially into the Colorado River, the water we drink. Would you respond to that?

Mary Nichols: Absolutely. I want to make it absolutely clear that there is not going to be a nuclear waste dump at Ward Valley, period.

Rosendahl: Period.

Nichols: Period. End of story. Governor Davis, as a candidate, as a Lieutenant Governor, opposed the site. He fought the site. A federal court has now declared that there will be no site there. The Governor is absolutely clear about this. He's appointed a commission to look at alternatives so that we can deal responsibly with the low-level nuclear waste that we are generating in our state but he has given them absolute orders. Their job is to find alternatives. No Ward Valley.

Rosendahl: This commission he is formulating, they in part charge that some of the members of it are pro-nuclear waste folks, whatever that may mean, and that some of their money has gone into the Chief of Staff's coffers as well as the Governor's coffers.

Nichols: This is so outrageous and unfair. I really was upset when I saw that. The charges relate to an attorney who represented a company in 1974 which also has some nuclear plant responsibilities. There is no connection there between her current work, her current job, or anything that's going on. The President of the University of California system, Richard Atkinson, was asked by the Governor to chair this commission. He picks the members. He's working out what they will do, but the charge from the Governor is go out and find alternatives. No Ward Valley.

Rosendahl: Thank you for clearing that up.

Nichols: Let me say it again. No Ward Valley.