Governor's Nuclear Waste Advisory Group Drops Ward Valley From Study...Another Step Towards Victory!

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The following letter was released today by University of California President Richard C. Atkinson and was sent to members of the Governor's Advisory Group on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal which he chairs. This is another step towards victory in the fight to save Ward Valley from the proposed nuclear waste dump, but we will not rest until Governor Davis stops the dump once and for all.

December 2, 1999

ADVISORY GROUP ON LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL

Dear Colleagues:

I have reviewed the matter of the purposes and activities of the Advisory Group. I want to clarify the scope of the Advisory Group's tasks as established by the Governor.

In June 1999, Governor Davis asked me to chair an advisory group charged with proposing ways to find workable alternatives for California's low-level radioactive waste disposal. The Governor's specific mandate is to have a group of experts, with varied and diverse points of view and with sound scientific and technical advice propose for his consideration pragmatic policy alternatives to Ward Valley for disposal of California's low-level radioactive waste that are environmentally and economically viable.

The proposed Ward Valley site has been studied thoroughly and exhaustively over an extended period of time. Additionally, in March 1999, the U.S. District Court decreed that the federal government cannot be compelled to transfer federal land to California for construction of the Ward Valley site. In June, Governor Davis announced his decision not to appeal that decision. Consequently, the Advisory Group will not consider the Ward Valley site as part of its mission.

I look forward to working with you in considering options for safe and effective ways of disposing of low-level radioactive waste.

Sincerely,

Richard C. Atkinson
President

For more information, contact:

Bradley Angel Greenaction	(415) 248-5010
Nora Helton/Steve Lopez, Fort Mojave Indian Tribe	(760) 629-4591
Molly Johnson, Save Ward Valley	(760) 326-6267

Nuclear Waste Committee Reverses Itself, Governor Still Silent on His Intentions for Ward Valley

Indian Tribes and Environmental Groups Call on Governor to Issue Statement Saving Ward Valley Once and For All

San Francisco, CA -- In another major step towards final defeat of the proposed Ward Valley radioactive waste dump, the Governor's Advisory Group on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal has announced that they "will not consider the Ward Valley site as part of its mission."

Indian tribes along the Colorado River and their environmental allies had demanded that the Governor's Advisory Group drop Ward Valley from their study of alternatives, and welcomed the announcement from the Group's chairman, University of California President Richard Atkinson. President Atkinson's announcement yesterday that Ward Valley was not to be considered by the Advisory Group was a reversal of his earlier statements that Ward Valley was still on the table for consideration.

However, the Tribal and environmental coalition remains very concerned that Governor Gray Davis has refused to issue any public statement about his intentions regarding the proposed radioactive waste facility at Ward Valley. In the last few weeks Governor Davis' press secretary Michael Bustamante and California Resources Agency Director Mary Nichols have both made statements that the Ward Valley issue was over, yet Davis continues to ignore requests from the press, the Indian Tribes and environmentalists to issue a clear statement.

"We call on the Governor to save Ward Valley, the Colorado River and sacred Indian land from nuclear waste once and for all," said Nora Helton, Chairwoman of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. "We are glad to hear that Ward Valley is off the table for the Advisory Group, but we need the Governor to take it off the table for good."

"It is unacceptable that the Governor has been ominously silent on Ward Valley, as he has a responsibility to the people of California to set the record straight" said Bradley Angel, Executive Director of Greenaction. "We will not rest until Governor Davis announces that there will not be a nuclear waste facility at Ward Valley."