By Larry Brooks
The next few
weeks present a window of opportunity for citizens to make a difference on one of
the largest environmental hazards in Western New York. Until September 8th,
the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be accepting comments on its Draft
Environmental Impact Statement, which has explored how to cleanup the site.
The West Valley
Demonstration Project is a repository of nuclear waste. DOE and the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) are partners in maintaining the
site and studying ways to decommission it. Decades of debate and studies have
culminated in a Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS) that has studied four
alternatives for cleaning up this site. According to Brian Smith, WNY Program
Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE)
the study prefers an alternative that would immediately address one issue–a
plume of radioactive contamination has been migrating through groundwater,
about 1 percent of the total waste onsite–and defer total cleanup of the site for
thirty years.
But leaving
buried waste on the site leaves the potential for environmental disaster.
Sister Sharon Goodremote of Catholic Charities explains, “West Valley is
surrounded by streams–Buttermilk, Cattaraugus, etc., which run directly into
Lake Erie, one of the Earth’s largest collections of fresh water. It’s on a
fault in the area known for movement in the land.” Smith cites a report
commissioned by the New York State legislature, written by independent
academics, that concluded the site could be breached in the future. Smith says,
“Even NYSERDA in the DEIS forward admits they’re not comfortable with the
long-term stability of the site.” Smith also said that this report concluded
that a full, immediate cleanup of the site would cost less than leaving the
waste onsite for a long period of time and maintaining it and allowing for
future leaks.
Goodremote
says, “It’s not acceptable to me to wait 30 years to remove the waste.” She has both a personal and
professional interest in this issue, getting out information and helping to
organize religious and community groups. Catholic Charities has strongly
supported the full cleanup–not only the social justice aspects–but
also because “as stewards of creation, it is important we do the proper thing. This is
definitely a moral issue, how we treat the gifts of creation. We, as humans are
responsible [and] leaving nuclear waste at West Valley will not create a
healthy environment.”
CCE advocates
for protection and restoration of the Great Lakes and considers West Valley one
of the most serious threats. Smith says they consider this decision critical
and are trying to garner grassroots support. “We are calling on them (DOE &
NYSERDA) to do the safest and most effective cleanup of the total waste.”
On Tuesday,
September 1st at noon, there will be a West Valley Cleanup Crew
Media Event at the NYSERDA offices in the Larkin Building, 726 Exchange Street,
Buffalo. Join a coalition of environmental, religious, conservation, and
community groups and policymakers. The event will alert the public to the end
of the public comment period and announce a “Phone-a-thon Day” on September 2nd,
in which people are asked to call the Department of Energy in support of a full
cleanup. Organizers ask participants to bring a mop, bucket or broom to
symbolize the ‘cleanup crew.”
What can you do
now? Members of the public can submit their comments to the DOE online at: http://www.westvalleyeis.com/comment.htm
or join fellow citizens at the demonstration, September 1st, at the
NYSERDA office. For more information or to join the cause, contact Brian Smith
at bsmith@citizenscampaign.org
or Sister Sharon Goodremote at s.goodremote@ccwny.org or 853-4424, ext. 3006.
Smith says,
“There’s no final decision yet. The public should provide comments to DOE
calling for a full cleanup. Our health and the health of the Great Lakes are
dependent on DOE and NYSERDA making the right decision.”