Where We Live: No Nukes

NO NUKES IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

Plutonium is a very dangerous substance. Its radioactive nature makes it highly valuable for nuclear weaponry, but it also poses grave threats to human health. Beginning in January 2000, the Department of Energy announced plans to transport weapons-grade plutonium from a government facility in Rocky Flats, Colorado, to the town of Livermore, California, less than an hour away from the San Francisco metropolitan area.

Adding to the inherent risks of shipping plutonium, the DOE recklessly proposed shipping the radioactive material in unsafe canisters on U.S. highways. The canisters were not certified for plutonium shipment because they failed the government’s crush test, which means they can rupture in a highway accident.

The DOE, however, bypassed this obstacle by giving itself a “national security” exemption that would enable it to ship surplus plutonium across the country. When Earthjustice and Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment found out about the plan, they immediately sued the DOE to halt the shipments.

In May 2002, the two groups prevailed and the Department of Energy reversed its plans, declaring that they would no longer seek to ship plutonium from Colorado to California in the unsafe containers. Earthjustice believes that nuclear materials should be handled with the greatest of care given their extremely toxic nature. In the interest of public health, the federal government should ensure that its actions do not expose the public to unnecessary health threats.

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