=93CHALK ACTION=94 AT NOON ON THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 2000,
AT 50 BEALE STREET, S.F.
Bay Area anti-nuclear activists are planning a protest of the 9th in a
series of subcritical nuclear tests that began in 1997. The test, code
named "Oboe 3," will take place at the US Department of Energy's (DOE)
Nevada Test Site on Thursday, February 3. The protest will occur at
Bechtel, at noon on Thursday, February 3, at 50 Beale St., San
Francisco, one block south of Market Street, and close to the
Embarcadero BART station. Bechtel has a contract to operate the Nevada
Test Site for DOE. The protesters intend to don white =93rad=94 suits an=
d
gas masks and carry out a =93chalk action,=94 i.e., write the names of al=
l
1,000-plus nuclear tests on sidewalks around Bechtel=92s Beale Street
office.
Subcritical nuclear tests are underground detonations of high explosives
along with fissile material such as plutonium. Monitoring equipment
records the blasts for later study and evaluation by DOE. The "Oboe"
series of tests is prepared by the DOE's Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory here in the Bay Area, one of the nation's two primary nuclear
weapons development facilities. Additional "Oboe" tests are scheduled
for later in 2000. Another subcritical nuclear test, "Thoroughbred,"
will be prepared by Los Alamos National Laboratory and is scheduled for
late March.
While DOE claims that subcritical nuclear tests do not violate the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, activists and others hold that these
tests not only violate the treaty's intent, i.e., prohibition of nuclear
tests, but also violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as a 1996
opinion by the World Court stating that nuclear weapons are essentially
illegal. Critics of the tests point out their contribution to DOE's
continuing nuclear weapons development, via its Stockpile Stewardship
Program, despite the demise of the "cold war."
"We're going to the Bechtel Group's international headquarters in San
Francisco to confront both DOE and Bechtel with their heinous actions,"
stated Sally Light. Ms. Light is the Nuclear Weapons Program Analyst
for Tri-Valley CAREs (Communities Against a Radioactive Environment),
Livermore-based, peace and environmental organization that is the
"watchdog" over Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. "The general
public has no idea that the US has conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests
since the start of the nuclear era," she continued, "nor that
subcritical nuclear tests are going on despite the end of the cold war.
We're here to inform the public that, not only are they still going on,
but that they must stop, and stop immediately!"
"Bechtel is a prime example of corporations that actively participate
with the federal government as a partner in the =93military-industrial
complex,"=94 said Sherry Larsen-Beville of the Livermore Conversion
Project, the Oakland group that organized the demonstration. Ms.
Larsen-Beville cited the current contract for $1.5 billion between
Bechtel and DOE. "Bechtel makes an enormous profit operating the Nevada
Test Site for DOE, apparently not caring that its actions both create
radioactive contamination and undermine international stability via
nuclear weapons," she stated. The contract, which ends on December 31,
2000, was recently extended for another 4 1/2 years, giving Bechtel an
additional $1.425 billion.
Earlier this month, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported that Russia also
plans to carry out its own subcritical nuclear tests this year.
"We are extremely worried that the Russian response to the US tests
points to the beginning of a new arms race, just as we had predicted
might happen," stated Ann Beier, Associate Director of the long-standing
anti-nuclear group based in Oakland, Western States Legal Foundation.
She continued, "As the nation that first created nuclear weapons, and
the only one to actually use them against another people, the US bears a
special responsibility to take the lead in ending subcritical nuclear
tests and in achieving the ultimate global abolition of all nuclear
weapons."
For more information, call Tri-Valley CAREs at (925) 443-7148.
- -30-
- -
To unsubscribe to abolition-usa, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com"
with "unsubscribe abolition-usa" in the body of the message.
For information on digests or retrieving files and old messages send
"help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 01 Feb 2000 21:38:14 -0800
From: Shundahai Network <shundahai@shundahai.org>
Subject: (abolition-usa) "Oboe 3" Nuclear test scheduled Thursday
Friends,
We are sad to announce that the DOE is planning another assault on the womb of Mother Earth, this time calling it "Oboe 3". Derek Scammell of the DOE confirmed that the shot will go off on Thursday, February 3, 2000, probably mid-afternoon.
We are planning Sunrise Ceremony at Peace Camp (south side of Mercury Exit, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas off US 95), followed by a creative non-violent direct action. At 3 pm we will be at the Foley Federal Bldg. (300 S. Las Vegas Blvd) to demonstrate the connection between nuclear weapons and nuclear waste. We will proceed to the Fremont St. Experience around 4:15 pm to hand out leaflets and exercise our first amendment rights.
We hope to see you there, and if you are not in the area, please let us know of any solidarity actions you may do.
If you live in the Bay Area, contact Sally Light at Tri-Valley CARES about events going on there -- 925-443-7148
These tests violate the Treaty of Ruby Valley and threaten international ratification of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, they also leave the deadliest substance ever created mere feet from the largest aquifer in Southern Nevada, please do everything you can think of to stop this madness.
Call Derek Scam-Well for the DOE runaround:::: (702) 295-1130
Call Clinton and demand this test be stopped:::: 202-456-1111
fax: 202-456-2461
Defense Secretary William Cohen::::::; 703-695-6352
Energy Secretary Bill Richardson::::: 202-586-6210
Sandy Berger- National Security Advisor:::::: 202-456-9481
