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BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~
Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone
(336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email:
BREDL@skybest.com
PRESS
RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
April 6, 2001
CONTACT:
Sara Barczak (912) 201-0354
Don Moniak (803) 644-6953
Community Groups to
Sponsor Informational Open House
On Plutonium Fuel Factory Proposal for Savannah
River Site
Georgians for Clean Energy and the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League will sponsor an
informational Open House regarding the Department
of Energy's ongoing plans to construct and
operate a plutonium (MOX) fuel factory at the
already heavily polluted Savannah River Site,
approximately 90 miles upstream from Savannah. If
built, the plutonium factory will generate
millions of gallons of liquid radioactive waste
and increase the potential of creating more
permanent nuclear weapons and power production
missions at SRS and the region.
The Open House will be held from:
4-8 p.m., April 12, 2001, at 3025 Bull Street,
Savannah, GA.
The purpose of the Open House is to:
· Function as a preparation meeting to the April
18, 2001 Public "Scoping Meeting" being
held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
in Savannah at the Coastal Georgia Center, 305
MLK Blvd, from 7-10 PM. The NRC is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement in order to help
decide whether the plutonium fuel factory should
be constructed;
· Prepare citizens for the possible use of the
controversial roundtable format that the NRC has
dictated for public comment at this meeting;
· Assist people with understanding Nuclear
Regulatory Commission jargon;
· Serve as a medium for forwarding questions to
the NRC and Department of
Energy;
· Provide information about plutonium plans at
SRS and the latest radioactive threat to the
Savannah River;
· Provide opportunities to comment for those
unable to attend the NRC meeting.
"The proposed plutonium fuel program will
create new plutonium processing in the Savannah
River region where we're already faced with
unsafe contamination from past and current
operations," said Sara Barczak, Safe Energy
Director in Georgians for Clean Energy's Savannah
office. "We want to help citizens
voice their legitimate concerns to a government
agency that has too often ignored downstream and
downwind communities."
"The Nuclear Regulatory Commission can take
a heavy handed approach to public participation
and tends to devalue people's opinions. Our
intent is to provide a forum where people can
learn and speak more openly," said Don
Moniak, Community Organizer of Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League.
Georgians for Clean Energy
Savannah Office:
3025 Bull Street, Suite 101, Savannah, GA
31405
(phone & fax) 912-201-0354
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
www.BREDL.org
South Carolina Office
PO Box 3487
Aiken, SC 29802
(803) 644-6953
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