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abolition-usa-digest      Monday, August 2 1999      Volume 01 : Number 162




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Date: Sun, 1 Aug 1999 20:21:10 -0700 (PDT)
From: Timothy Bruening <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) City Council De-Alert Resolutions

Are there any sample City Council or County Board of Supervisor resolutions
calling for de-alerting of nuclear weapons?


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------------------------------

Date: Mon, 02 Aug 1999 18:36:09 -0400
From: ASlater <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) Linking with Earth Day Campaign's Clean Energy Agenda

Dear Friends,
The Earth Day 2000 campaign, "New Energy for a New Era" is focusing on "a
rapid
transition from fossil fuels and nuclear energy to clean, safe, renewable
sources."  At our Annual Abolition 2000 Meeting in the Hague, we agreed to
broaden our links to other organizations to make common cause.  The Abolition
Statement recognizes "the inextricable link between nuclear weapons and
nuclear
power" and calls for the establishment of a Sustainable Energy Agency.

As a Co-Convenor of the Sustainable Energy Working Group, together with Claire
Greensfelder and Pol Huyvetter (we have not been an active working group), I'd
like to invite you to consider joining with the Earth Day Campaign which is
planning a host of events in 2000 and offers opportunities to build
constituencies for our cause.  Their website is http://www.earthday.net and
you
can reach them by email at [e-mail]

Also, if you want to work with the Sustainable Energy Working Group to explore
opportunities within Abolition 2000 for moving to clean safe energy, please
contact me to brainstorm on how to activate this important aspect of our
work.
Every nuclear power reactor is a potential bomb factory (witness India and
Pakistan) and there is no real hope of ridding the world of nuclear weapons
unless we phase out all nuclear power. Right now, we are offering North Korea
"light power reactors" which merely make it more difficult, not impossible,
for
them to produce nuclear weapons materials, and Indonesia and Turkey are
negotiating for nuclear power status. What will that do for our human
security?   We must have safe energy alternatives to offer.  Even if the world
security systen could ever guarantee that nuclear power states will never use
their materials for weapons (over a time span of 250,000 years), the
environmental and health consequences do not have to be re-stated here for
well-informed members of the Abolition Network.  Peace,

Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
15 East 26th Street, Room 915
New York, NY 10010
tel:  [phone]
fax:  [phone]
email:  [e-mail]

GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network working for a treaty
to eliminate nuclear weapons.

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------------------------------

Date: Mon,  2 Aug 1999 15:45:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Nuclear Age Peace Foundation <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) A B O L I T I O N   2 0 0 0   G R A S S R O O T S   N E W S

A B O L I T I O N   2 0 0 0   G R A S S R O O T S   N E W S

JULY 1999


***NEW ORGANIZATIONS

Please join me in wishing a warm welcome to the following organizations
which have recently signed the Abolition 2000 petition and joined the
network.   With these additions, there are now 1,347 citizen action groups
worldwide actively campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons.  I
urge you to support those within the network and build relationships with
like-minded activists. Also, I encourage you to continue efforts to recruit
other individuals and organizations to join our common endeavor to reach
the ultimate goal...nuclear abolition.

Global Peace & Development Foundation Ghana, Ghana/West Africa
Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights, Hawai'i/USA
Human Rights & Welfare Mobilization Forum, Manikgonj/Bangladesh
Religious Society of Friends/Lake Erie, Perrysburg, Ohio/USA
United Welfare Union, Baluwatar, Kathmandu/Nepal
Voluntary Organization for the Needy-(VON), Manikgonj/Bangladesh
Promoting Enduring Peace, Inc., New York/USA


***NEW MUNICIPALITIES

     The following is a list of towns or municipalities which have recently
passed a resolution to abolish nuclear weapons.  High commendations are
deserved by all those who have dedicated themselves to push this issue
forward in their city or town council.   The number of municipalities
having passed a resolution now totals 236! Keep up the excellent work!

Maine
Arrowsic:  Town Meeting, passed unanimously
Bangor:  City Council, passed unanimously
Georgetown:  Town Meeting, passed by majority show of hands
Manchester:  Town Meeting, passed 57-38
Sebago:  Town Meeting, passed 80-3
South Portland:  City Council, passed unanimously
Wayne:  Town Meeting, passed by majority show of hands

Massachusetts
Lincoln, overwhelming majority

New Zealand
Clutha District Council, endorsement given
Waimakariri District Council, passed by majority
Waitakere City Council, formally only endorsed but now has passed a resolution


***NEWS

Get the Navy Out of Vieques!

     "Navy out of Vieques" is now the official public policy of the Puerto
Rican government.  After examining recommendations of the Special Vieques
Commission, the Governor of PR announced that the official position of the
government would be to reclaim the island of Vieques for the people.  New
Jersey Congressman, Bob Menedez also agreed with the findings of the
Commission, citing that "national defense training should not put citizens
at risk┤."
     Along with the Lt. Governors Association of the 50 states, the Vega
Baja Municipal Council, the Mayor of Catano and the Caribbean Human Rights
commission have endorsed the cause.  The United Nations Decolonization
Committee determined to bring a bill resolving that the Navy should leave
Vieques to the floor at the next session of the General Assembly.
     Public outrage was sparked when the US Navy killed a civilian
Viequense, David Sanes Rodriguez, with an off-target bomb on April 20,
1999. In response, 50,000 protesters marched on the Roosevelt Roads Naval
Base on July 4th, demonstrating their disdain at the US Navy for making an
inhabited island their target practice and war games site.  They also
demanded the Navy leave to the island.  Protesters continue to gather at
the forbidden firing zone in acts of peaceful civil disobedience.
     In August, Ruben Arvisu, a representative of the Nuclear Age Peace
Foundation, will travel to Puerto Rico to present the Abolition 2000
petition to the people of Vieques and rally support for the network.  While
in PR, Arvisu will also give testimony on behalf of the Viequense people to
advocate the Navy's departure from the island.  For more news on what's
happening on the Isla Nena, visit the Vieques Times website at:
http://www.viequestimes.com/index.htm/latest.htm.  For information on how
to get involved in a citizen action group in Puerto Rico, visit the
Redbatances website (in Spanish only) at:  http://www.redbatances.com.
If you would like to send a message of solidarity to the people of Vieques,
please email it to [e-mail] by no later than August 11, 1999.

No Nukes in Nanoose!

     Citizens of British Columbia continue efforts to stop the Canadian
federal government from expropriating a seabed in the Strait of Georgia.
The seabed has been used since 1965 as a torpedo testing site for both the
US and Canadian Navy.   On June 18, 1999, a formal objection was filed with
the Canadian government in opposition to renegotiating a lease extension on
the seabed, which is owned by the province.  The objection was filed on
behalf of the citizens of British Columbia on the grounds that the
extension of the lease was contrary to public interest and a violation of
BC legislation.
     Since US policy is to "neither confirm nor deny" the presence of
nuclear weapons aboard its warships and submarines, citizens are concerned
about the possibility of nuclear weapons and reactors entering their
nuclear free zone.  A resolution passed by the BC Legislative Assembly on
April 23, 1992 declares BC a "Nuclear Weapons Free Zone" and therefore, the
potential or actual presence of nuclear weapons on foreign warships
violates this resolution.  In addition, the presence of nuclear weapons and
reactors poses a likely threat to health and environmental safety to the
people living in  Nanoose Bay.
      Demonstrations from local peace organizations are scheduled to begin
in Victoria on August 3 as the expropriation hearings continue.  Citizens
are determined to protect the Nanoose seabed as part of their home.
Peace and environmental activists are calling for support to keep the
Nanoose Bay nuclear free.  To obtain further information on the
expropriation hearings, visit the Nanoose Conversion Campaign's website at:
http://www.user.dccnet.com/lagasse/Nuclear_Free_Georgia_Strait/nanoose.html

Lincoln, MA Actively Campaigning for Abolition

     The town of Lincoln, MA voted by an overwhelming majority to adopt a
resolution in its Annual Town Meeting on April 6th, 1999 that supports the
Abolition 2000 movement.  Since May of 1981, one dozen Lincoln citizens
have built a townwide organization to urge the US and USSR "to work out an
agreement freezing nuclear weapons development and reducing nuclear
arsenals" (from the discussion on Warrant Article 34 at the town meeting).
Article 34 of the Warrant for the meeting resolves the need to eliminate
nuclear weapons under "strict and effective international controls" in
order to "support the health and well-being of all people, and to protect
and enhance our environment."  The town has developed the Lincoln Committee
for a Nuclear Free World, which actively campaigns  the abolition of
nuclear weapons and solicits the President of the US, as well as its
senators and representatives.  For more information or examples of how you
can actively campaign to adopt a similar resolution in your town or
municipality, please visit the Abolition 2000 web site at
http://www.abolition2000.org. If you have a similar story to share about
your town or municipality email it to:  [e-mail]

"The Unfinished Business of the Century"

     On July 12,1999, the Boston Globe printed a speech given by John
Kenneth Galbraith while receiving an honorary degree from the London School
of Economics.  In his speech, Galbraith emphasized humanity's position "on
the edge of a total end to civilized existence on the planet, perhaps life
itself."  With a legacy of more than 50 years of threatening to destroy
life,  "the greatest unfinished business of the century now ending is the
need to eliminate this weaponry," that is,  nuclear weaponry.  He also
stated, "the most urgent task now and of the new century is to bring to an
end the threat of Armageddon, something on which there has been solemn
comment over the centuries and which is now a reality."
     Galbraith's speech is both illuminating and encouraging.  As an
economist, he recognizes the need to rid the planet of the destructive
power of nuclear weapons.  Let us be encouraged to continue to press onward
in our endeavor to eliminate nuclear weapons. Putting pressure on
government representatives and authorities is of critical importance. Also,
we must seize every opportunity to make others aware of the issue as well
encourage others to join the effort.

The story ran on page A11 of the Boston Globe on 07/12/99.
The Unfinished Business of the Century
By John Kenneth Galbraith, 07/12/99
For complete information on the article, please refer to the web site:
http://www.globe.com/dailyglobe2/193/oped/The_unfinished_business_of_the_century
P.shtml
(c) Copyright 1999 Globe Newspaper Company.

French Movement to Pressure Authorities

     Lysiane Alezard announced that Le Mouvement de la Paix in France
will continue to put pressure on French authorities to urge them to stop
the modernization of nuclear weapons and vote for a moratorium on lab
testing. The campaign is planned to be launched in the fall and will
emphasize the need for France to implement Article VI of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  Le Mouvement de la Paix would like to
convene 2 abolition days on October 9th and 10th.  The proposed agenda for
the Abolition Days is as follows:
October 9th- a demonstration to take place at the Barp, near Bordeaux to
represent a moratorium on laboratory testing.
October 10th - a rally and seminar against the modernization of nuclear
weapons which will feature admirals and generals from various countries to
take place at I'lle lounge.
     Le Mouvement stresses that both events are international and
encourages all organizations and individuals to participate.  The event
will be hosted under the auspices of Abolition 2000.  Look for future
postings with updated information about the event or contact:
Lysiane Alezard
Le Mouvement de la Paix
139 BD VICTOR HUGO - F-93400 SAINT-OUEN
[e-mail]
website : http://www.asi.fr/~ddurand/

Survey Finds US Support for Ratification of the CTBT

     In a survey conducted on 1,000 US citizens age 18 or older, 82 percent
supported Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The telephone survey was conducted June 18 to 21 by Wirthlin Worldwide and
the findings were published by the Mellman Group, a research company in
Washington DC.  Also among key findings, the survey found that support for
the CTBT was favored by the majority in both Democratic (86%) and
Republican (80%) parties.  The study also noted that 84% of those surveyed
agreed that putting an end to nuclear weapons test explosions worldwide is
a better way to protect the US from nuclear threats from other countries.
     The majority of US citizens support the ratification of the CTBT,
especially in light of recent proliferation of nuclear secrets to China,
North Korea and Iran as well as heightened concern over relations between
Pakistan and India.  The survey concludes that Americans will endorse those
government representatives who support the treaty.   The ratification of
the CTBT will be an important factor to secure a world free from nuclear
threats for future generations.  Please call or write your representative
today and tell them to support the CTBT.

*The Mellman Group/Wirthlin Worldwide for CRND, June 1999: "Voter Attitude
Toward the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty."

***EVENTS

August
*Please join in and encourage others to participate in one of the events
commemorating the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  For a complete list
of events compiled by Abolition 2000, please visit the Nuclear Age Peace
foundation website at: http://www.wagingpeace.org or email your request to
Carah Ong at [e-mail].

7- PLOWSHARES PLAY COMING TO BALTIMORE
Baltimore's Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, a coalition of peace
organizations including AFSC-Baltimore, will be presenting in Baltimore on
Saturday, August 7, Dan Kinch's Plowshares play, "A Clown, a Hammer, a Bomb
and God." On the morning of April 1, 1994, an activist priest dressed in a
clown suit disabled a nuclear missile.  This disarmingly simple play is
directed by Rhett Wickham and features Ben Roberts.  Doors will open at 7
PM at Stony Run Friends Meetinghouse, 5116 North
Charles, for an 8 p.m. performance. Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs
[hibakusha] will also be at Stony Run.  Refreshments will be available.
The Committee will be asking for a free will donation, but no one will be
turned away. For more information, call:
Max Obuszewski  410-323-7200 or 410-377-7987


10-The Southern California Federation of Scientists are sponsoring a
lecture by John Owen entitled, "Nukes and Peace: Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Commemoration."  The lecture will take place in the Community Meeting Room
of the Midnight Special Bookstore on Tuesday, August 10, 1999 at 7:30pm.
The Bookstore is located at 1318 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA.
For more information contact the Southern California Federation of
Scientists at:
3318 Colbert Ave, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA  90066
310-390-3898 (phone/fax)

September

9-A follow-up meeting for the Hague Appeal for Peace
focusing on Next Steps is being hosted by Peace Action and
the Peace Caucus in the UNCA lounge at the United Nations in New York on
September 9, 1999 at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, contact:
Gouri Sadhwani, Campaign Coordinator
The Hague Appeal for Peace 1999
c/o WFM  777 UN Plaza
New York,  NY  10017  USA
Phone: [phone] Fax:   [phone] Email: [e-mail]

14-Join the United Nations in celebrating the International Day of Peace on
Tuesday, September 14, 1999 at 12:00 noon.  In 1981, the opening day of the
General Assembly was designated by the United Nations as the International
Day of Peace.  On this day, people in all countries are encouraged to take
a minute of silence at noon in their time region  to support the UN in its
mission of peace.  If you are leader of an organization or community you
may also wish to organize a peace walk, visit a hospital or nursing home,
plant a peace pole or request a school conflict resolution program. To be
included on the list of participating schools and organizations, please
email the name of your school or organization to:  [e-mail].


26/27-CNN Profiles the Lives of Five Representatives of the Colombian
Children's Peace Movement who were nominated for the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize.
"Soldiers of Peace:  A Children's Crusade" will air Sunday, September 26 at 9
p.m. (ETD) on CNN/U.S.  It will also replay at 1:00 a.m. (ETD) on  Monday,
September 27.

2000 and Beyond

Mark your Calendars!  The 2000 NPT Review Conference is scheduled to last
one week from April 24th to May 19th, 2000.  It will be held at the UN in
New York.


***ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

*On August 6, the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a rally and
nonviolent direct action will take place at the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory as well as at Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories, all
three of which continue
nuclear weapons research, development testing and production (also known as
"stockpile stewardship").  The theme of this year's demonstration is:
ABOLITION 2000: END THE NUCLEAR THREAT!   If you are not able to attend any
of these events, I encourage you to send a short message of solidarity that
will be read at the
rally and sent out to the media.  I especially encourage you to participate
in this manner if you live in a Nuclear Weapon or NATO State or if you are
from Japan. Please e-mail or fax your messages to Jacqueline Cabasso of the
Western States Legal Foundation at:
Fax: +[phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]


*STAR WARS INTφL CALL-IN DAYS (SEPTEMBER 13-15):  In order to increase
visibility and opposition to Star Wars, the Global Network is calling for the
"International Call-In Days Against Star Wars" from September 13-15, 1999.
I  urge you to help spread the word about the Call-In Days to your local
membership and to your local media. Please contact the White House and your
Congressional delegation and demand an end to Star Wars funding and
testing.  Even if you are outside of the US, I encourage you to contact
President Clinton at the White House and/or the US Embassy in your country
via email or fax.  Please use the following contact information:

  White House Phone #             [phone]
  White House Fax #                 [phone]
  President Clinton's e-mail:     [e-mail]
  V-P Al Goreφs e-mail:             [e-mail]
  Congressional Switchboard    [phone]

*Join organizations and individuals worldwide in writing a letter to US
President Bill Clinton and Russia's President Boris Yeltsin stressing the
need to de-alert missiles before September of 1999.  In your letter, stress
the fact that immediate stakes are high and the potential for global
catastrophe is clear.  Therefore mutually verified de-alerting in the face
of the Y2K computer problem must take precedence over all other
considerations of politics and national security.  To request a copy of the
letter already in circulation via email, please write to:
John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia,
Fax[phone] Phone [phone]
email: [e-mail]    website: http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd
Your help in getting US Congressional signatures on this letter will also
be greatly appreciated.

*Write a letter to the US Food and Drug Administration.  Your letter should
urge the Dockets Management Branch to continue to clearly label food with
the international irradiation symbol, radura.  Labels should also contain a
statement indicating the food was treated with radiation.
     Please convey to the Dockets Manager that you feel the absence of such
a statement would be misleading because irradiation destroys vitamins and
causes changes in sensory and spoilage qualities that are not known by the
consumer.  Irradiation creates a new class of unique radiolytic products
that have never been tested for the possible carcinogenic effects on
humans.  New volumes of radioactive waste from Cobalt-60 and Cesium will
plague our nation, exposing workers to toxic radionuclides.

Your letter should be addressed as follows:
Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061
Rockville MD 20852
Email:  [e-mail]

**Original letter written by Terry Gips and circulated by Alice Slater on
7/12/99
Terry Gips
President, Sustainability Associates
2584 Upton Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55405
[e-mail]

***ANNOUNCEMENTS

*The Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research offers three
Doctoral Fellowships in the amount of $5,000 each for 1999-2000.
Interested doctoral candidates are invited to apply by sending a one-page
copy of their doctoral proposal along with a resume and a letter of
recommendation from their thesis advisor.  The competition is open to all
doctoral students regardless of citizenship and institutional affiliation.
The deadline for applications is September 1, 1999.  Applications should be
sent to:

Dr. Majid Tehranian, Director
Toda Institute
1600 kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, Hawai'i  96822
808-955-8231
For more information, please visit the Toda Institute web site at:
http://www.toda.org.

* Promoting Enduring Peace will be hosting biweekly meetings to draft a
purpose statement for the Working Group on Star Wars/ABM, to discuss
objectives and goals of the group, and to recommend strategies for the
Abolition USA meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan in October 1999.  Anyone
interested in participating in this working group should contact
PromotingEnduring Peace at:
[e-mail], or call 212-223-7520

*Do you have an announcement or submission that you would like to include
in the next edition of "The Grassroots of Abolition 2000"?  If so, please
email your posting to [e-mail] .
*I reserve the right to use any information submitted to include in
upcoming editions of Grassroots News.  Your name and email address must be
provided in order to give a resource for any inquiries.  All articles are
subject to modification and verification.

***RESOURCES

"On a Paper Crane" is a colorful peace animation video available in English
and Japanese.  This is an excellent resource to educate children about the
horrors of nuclear war.  The story is centered around Tomoko, a sixth
grader who meets Sadako when she visits the Hiroshima Peace Park.  Sadako
takes Tomoko on an enlightening adventure filled with discoveries.  To
order your copy, send a request to:
Peace Anime no Kai
c/o Dokuritsu Eiga Center Co.
Taiyo bldg 7F, 16-2 Shimbashi 3 chome
Minato-ku, Tokyo  105  Japan

*Trying to find out how to contact your US government representatives?
Visit Roll Call's Capital Hill Website Directory at:
http://congress.nw.dc.us/rollcall/

*Ideas & Dreams for a Better World:  The Fourth Five Hundred Ideas by Dr.
Robert Muller is now available.  Dr. Muller is a Chancellor of the United
Nations University for Peace and a former UN Assistant Secretary-General.
The volume is an inspirational "count-up of Dreams to the Year 2000 for
your thoughts and actions."  It provides new ideas for the next millennium
with a positive yet realistic approach to urgent human needs.  To order
your copy of this inspirational guide, call the United Nations Bookstore at
1-800-553-3210.  ISBN # 1-881474--25-9

***LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Friends,

For those living in affluent societies such as the US, it is easy to get
caught up in material and selfish concerns.  Often times in the morning, I
find myself standing in front of a closet full of clothes and saying, "I
have nothing to wear today."   I feel humbled when I think of all those who
truly do not have clothes on their backs or food in their mouths.  It is
convenient to forget that many have suffered and continue to suffer on a
daily basis so that these affluent societies can continue as such.

What if the situation was reversed? What would it be like to completely
rebuild a destroyed home or city that has just been devastated by bombs for
a reason you barely understand?  What would life be like to lose everyone
close to you and all your possessions?  The amount of human suffering that
has occurred since the advent of nuclear weapons must be stopped
immediately.  It is time for reparations for all the human suffering and
environmental degradation that have occurred as a result of nuclear testing
and weapons use.

This August 6th and 9th mark the 54th anniversary of the bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  This tragic event in world history gives each
person the opportunity to join others in a time of reflection and action.
Let us be reminded of the horrors posed to humanity by the use of nuclear
weaponry.  Let us consider what we can do to ensure a world free from
nuclear threats and the threat of war.  I encourage you to participate in
an event in your community.  If you would like a listing composed by
Abolition 2000, please feel free to send me an email at [e-mail].

Yours In Peace,

Carah Lynn Ong
Coordinator, Abolition 2000
Editor, "Abolition 2000 Grassroots News"



Carah Lynn Ong
Coordinator, Abolition 2000
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
1187 Coast Village Road PMB 121, Suite 1
Santa Barbara CA 93108

Phone [phone]  FAX[phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website http://www.abolition2000.org

Join the Abolition-USA or Abolition-Global Caucus list serve to regularly
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forum for conversation on nuclear-related issues as well as they are used
to post important articles and information pertaining to nuclear abolition.


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------------------------------

Date: Mon, 2 Aug 1999 14:53:29 -0600
From: "Bob Kinsey" <[e-mail]>
Subject: (abolition-usa) US Army Depleted Uranium Report

Below is a selection of quotes and comments --I have a better edited copy I
could fax on request...

Quotes from "Health and Environmental Consequences of Depleted :  Uranium
Use in the U.S. Army:  Technical Report"  June 1995.   (all items in
parentheses are
personal observation)

7.3 U.S.Test Sites (Page 146 ff.)

  "The army has conducted most of its DU weapons development and testing at
three U.S. sites.  Environmental monitoring has not detected DU migration
out of impact areas...but has measured limited movement with the impact
areas...Studies by LANL and Batlle PNL found that during soft target testing
... penetrators oxidized into products that contaminated the soil directly
beneath the penetrators.  The DU concentration decreased with depth but
remained above background and retained the DU isotopic signature at a depth
of 20 cm ...results suggest the DU migrated through the soil as soluble
uranium...uranium absorbed in water soluble organic acids, or by particulate
transport as the result of erosion in the woodland environment...difference
clearly illustrate the imprtance of soil and climate in transport and fate
of uranium.  (over how long a period of time compared with the time the
material will remain toxic and radioactive?)
7.5 (152 f.)
 Sites contaminated with DU may need to be cleaned up to reduce health and
environmental risks.  DU remediation technologies are not well developed...
7.5.2 (154 f.)
No international law, treaty, regulation or custom requires the United
States to remediate the Persian Gulf War battlefields...(what a relief, I'll
bet, and who cares if it might be dangerous nevertheless.) ...it may be
advisable to institute a sampling
program at a highly contaminated location such as the Tomsk,  Russia, waste
tank explosion site ...These validated models would allow the army to make
more informed decisions about DU remediation alternatives. (well after they
have managed to explode the stuff all over the place like a 3 year old kid)

7.7  Summary (174 f.)
 Uranium, regardless of the isotopic mix (DU, enriched, naturally
occurring,etc.), is identical in matters of chemical toxcicity and
environmental mobility...Minerals in the soil where a DU penetrator lands
affect how fast the penetrator will corrode an
become soluble...DU is not effectively transported in the (animal) food
chain, partly because organisms low in the food chain quickly excrete most
soluble uranium species.  ..Plants growing in soil contaminatied with DU
typically concentrate DU in their root systems.  (carrots?? onions??
potatoes??? not mentioned!!)  Some plants appear to have a mechanism to
limit their DU intake...The Army needs to develop a strategy to address the
long term liabilities of DU contamination at test sites and perhaps at
battlefields...

8.  (Pages 178 ff.)
 Findings and Conclusions
"The Earth and its resources belong of right to its people."    --Gifford
Pinchot
(unless they are on our battlefields or testing sites)

This report considered the health and environmental effects of the use of DU
within the U.S. Army.  .... The data gathered during this study clearly
indicated that, from the onset of DU weapons research, the Department of the
Army recognized its responsility to seek ways to reduce risks.  To this end
the Army complies with established statutes, regulations and procedures.
(but to the indigenous people affected, who come outside these procedures?
Oh, well, all's fair in love and war!)
...it conducted extensive tests and repeated reviews to ensure that the
items would be combat effective and safe to use....a commitment is embedded
across DU weapon programs to minimize exposure of Army personnel,  the
public and the environment to the potential hazards of DU.  The Army's
military and civilian employees manage chemical and radiological
environmental hazards...Nevertheless (Oh,Oh, here it comes!)  AEPI
identified several DU related areas the require further attention.  A few of
these are potential weaknesses in Army programs but most are ways to enhance
current practices and procedures.  ...four areas of concern...
- -a battlefield may be contaminated with many dangerous things.  The impact
of DU contamination on the battlefield is a new issue and is not
well-defined (but we went ahead anyway)..
- -.hazards from DU contamination are probably small...however additional
environmental modeling and data are needed to support this judgment. (see,
we went ahead anyway)
- --DU remediation technologies involve one or more of ...    very few
remedition technologies have actually been used to clean up DU contaminated
sites. (but,we went ahead...)
- --No available technologies can significantly change the inherent chemical
and radiological toxicity of DU.  These characteristics are fundamental to
the element uranium.
The Army is also developing models to better describe the environmental fate
and effects of DU.

8.2  Conclusions (Pages 180 ff.)
 The Army or DoD should designate a single office independent of DU systems
development or use to improve mamagement and control of DU health,
environmental, and regulatory issues.  ...to assure compliance with
applicable laws and regulations...establish a mechanism for scientific peer
review of all DU health and environmental testing and research...assure that
weapon testing programs include acquisition of well-reasoned environmental
safety and health data....(the fox has been guarding the chicken coop again)
 No explicit cross-references exist between the policies of each
regulation...adequate cross references would ensure that those responsible
for acquiring a system would be exposed to the environmental regulations and
become familiar with environtental a
ects of the ultimate demilitarization and disposal of the system.  (out of
sight, out of...)
 The Army should determine the full life-cycle cost of DU weapon
systems...take into account not only production costs, but also
demilitarization, disposal and recycling costs; faciltiy decontamination
costs; test-range remediation costs; and long term
alth and environmental costs....These materials should be evaluated on the
basis of unbiased estimates of the health and environmental risks -chemical
and radioactive- and full life-cycle costs.  (sniff, sniff, but we never had
to befo-ore, sniff sniff)
 Soldiers need additional training on the hazards and management of DU...on
methods to detect; and on the protection and decontamination measures that
can be used in the field.
 Define protective techniques for personnel dealing with vehicles
potentially contaminated with DU.  The new guidance must consider the
trade-off between DU risks and combat risks. (now there's a new idea!)
 Develop standardized markings for ...systems containing DU .  Current
markings on Army items containing DU are inconsistent and sometimes
misleading.   Use of euphemisms, such as "staballoy," should be eliminated.
(this would revolutionize military-speak)

 The army needs to conduct further experiments and analysis to better define
...inhalation risks for recovery and maintenance personnel who work in and
around contaminated vehicles.  Data--including particle size, concentration,
density and oxidation state--are required to evaluate re-suspension and
inhalation potential. (I should think so-o. never occured to them,  though)
 Develop a viable program for the demilitarization of unspent R&D
ammunition. (We can assume , then, that none of this had been done five
years prior to the report during Desert Storm)  Currently, unspent R&D
ammunition containing DU is counted against
e NRC radioactive material budget for Army testing centers.  When testing is
complete, the remaining ammunition permanently reduces the radioactive
material budget at the test centers. (Creating a strong motive  for selling
it in the international arms trade)
Page A-3
 ...A January, 1993 General Accounting Office report found that the Army did
not have a comprehensive DU battlefield management plan."  This study also
reported that the Desert Storm recovery and maintenance soldiers worked in
and around DU contaminated equipment without being aware of their potential
exposure and without being appropriately trained in protective measures.
(nothing but the best for our GI's--ever check out the bomb shelters for our
top decision makers?)
(Pages A 6-8 topic headings)
External Exposures Estimated and Found to be Minimal
Internal Exposures for Some Personnel Wounded in Friendly Fire Incidents
Potentially Significant
Toxicological Risks Not Completely Understood  (nothing but the ...)
Definitive Health Risk Conclusions Difficult  (so lets get on with it
anyway)
DU May Become Mobile in the Environment  (We just have to wait for so-o
lo-ong to find out)
Issues Concerning DU Environmental Management of the Battlefield (Page A-11)
 To give the U.S. soldier the best battlefield advantage the United States
must continue fielding superior weapon systems.
 Using DU on the battlefield poses potential environmental consequences.
The question is how to protect the environment and thereby reduce the risks
to soldiers and the indigenous population. (nice concern finally brought to
the fore)   Efforts are und
way to develop a fundamental understanding of the fate and effect of DU in
the environment.  But even a unilateral decision by the United States to
eliminate DU weapons would not remove DU from the battlefield:  the United
Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, Saudi
rabia, Pakistan, Thailand, Israel, France and others have developed or are
developing DU-containing weapons systems for their inventories.
Additionally, DU munitions are sold in the world arms market.
 (This paragraph is the most disconcerting of all. It is strong evidence
that the United States has been moving ahead with DU weapons systems
production without "a fundamental understanding of the  fate  and effect of
DU in the environment."   The report also suggests that the barn door has
already been open too long and that it was opened before this knowledge
existed.   It still doesn't exist!  This attitude that we will develop some
technology for immediate use and examine possible long term negative
effects at leisure has been the ethic--if you can call it that-- up to this
point.)
8.2.4 (page 194)  ...Remediation of battlefields is not historically the
responsibility of the victor.  This task typically belongs to the indigenous
popoulation.  However, it may be appropriate for the Army to be prepared to
provide guidance to other governments on the health and safety risks
associated wth DU for affected battlefields.
(Note that this statement carries the implication that the Army in not so
prepared now and further that it hasn't definitively studied the issue of
battlefield cleanup.  Throughout, the report is the suggestion that this
whole issue, including even the
pact on U.S. territory-- upon which the DU weapons have been tested-- has
not been carefully studied and understood.  One interesting question occurs
as a result of 8.2.4.   How could remediation of Hiroshima or Nagasaki as a
"battlefield" be left up to
apan when it had no knowledge--certainly nowhere near the knowledge the US
had--and the US knowledge was apparently minimal as well?  The Japanese in
that case were guinia pigs as was West Asia in Desert Storm.  What was that
Pinchot quote about the peoples of the earth?)
Page A-2  Not capitalized in original
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT UNDER CURRENT INTERNATIONAL LAW, THERE IS NO LEGAL
REQUIREMENT TO REMEDIATE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE TO BATTLEFIELDS.
FURTHERMORE, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT FUTURE
REMEDIATION OF BATTLEFIELDS SOLEY TO REMOVE DU WILL BE REQURIED.
(All right then, go for it??????  Now we understand why the United States
has been withdrawing from the international law regime in favor of NATO and
unilateral decision making.  To keep anything from being required of us.
National Sovereignty, you know.)
____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________
Bob Kinsey, Peace and Justice Task Force
United Church of Christ, Rocky Mountain Conference
[e-mail]
303-425-0348
"Two paths lie before us.  One leads to death, the other to  life."
Jonathan Schell
"Faith has need of the whole truth"  Teilhard de Chardin
"Jesus was non-violent.  Shouldn't Christians be?


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