Nuclear Water

[Guest guest]

http://www.mytown.ca/sakin/

 

Nuclear Water

9 April 2005

 

 

This week, the breathless national media had an extended Roman Holiday

while covering Pope John Paul II's funeral. Reporters were running

around all over Vatican City, talking about the mysterious contents of

the Pontiff's will and speculating on what color dress Camilla

Parker-Bowles will wear to the ceremony. But a couple of stories of

national importance slipped completely under the mainstream media's

radar during Popealooza. There's nothing at stake in these little

stories except perhaps the drinking water of 25 million residents in

four states.

 

It seems that some scientists from the US Geological Survey have

doctored reports about the safety of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste

disposal site, a little area where flowing groundwater makes its way

to the Colorado River. Apparently, the site is not as invulnerable to

potential leakage of waste material that can be carried off to the

river. But this is not what the Bush administration wanted to hear, so

the scientist created reports that were in line with administration

policy. In a related matter, a toxic waste dump near Moab, Utah that

sits directly at the mouth of the Colorado River is now believed to be

a hazard, potentially leaking even more chemicals into the river. The

US Department of Energy has been sitting on its hands on this one, no

doubt trying to massage their collective brains to find a solution to

this extremely dangerous situation. Well, at least it isn't nuclear waste.

 

The US House is holding hearings on the Yucca Mountain debacle,

chaired by Republican Congressman John Porter of Nevada. The

subcommittee has professed shock and awe that the scientists would

have the gravitas to actually lie in an official government survey

while putting millions of lives at risk for cancer, brain damage and

birth defects. Where have these guys been? Government scientists have

been lying for years in official government reports. Anyone remember

the government scientists who lied about Agent Orange? Or the health

concerns caused by the Three Mile Island and Love Canal incidents? Or

more recently, how government scientists allowed several prescription

medications to be marketed when studies suggested that the side

effects were more harmful than the symptoms the drugs were created to

treat? Government scientists have been the ghostwriters for

presidential administration minions like Karl Rove for close to a

century. If its meant to promote or help big business, someone's gonna

be on the payroll to lie about it. Of course, Upton Sinclair and

Lincoln Steffens of the crusading turn of the century press would

likely been stuck writing obituaries about the Pope in their time had

the government not lied about food and work safety standards.

 

In the Moab story, DOE officials are considering several plans, one of

which is to " cap " the site right where it is. This of course would be

cost efficient and easy, but it won't prevent potential leakage into

the river. The more costly alternative is to move the dumpsite thirty

miles to the North, where leakage would still be accessible to the

river if it rains really hard. A DOE spokesperson says that the more

northern sites are ready to be used if needed. " They've got all the

fill material right at the site that they need to build a pit and the

lining. " Makes one wonder what they didn't move on this BEFORE it

became public.

 

Thank goodness the intrepid Nevada/Arizona border press took an

interest in these matters. I guess it just seemed like a public

service to let the people of the area know how the paint on their

speedboats may melt away while bumping across the river sometime in

the future, if not the boat itself.

 

This is another amazingly huge scandal brought to you by our friends

in the Bush Administration, who seemingly want to capture the Guinness

Book of World Records for corrupted government activity. And where was

the national press? Surely a congressional subcommittee investigating

fraudulent claims regarding a nuclear waste dump sixty miles from a

major American river would be a concern to viewers. But no, the

national media put on their globetrotting shoes and high-tailed it to

Rome to give us all a week of interminable religious ritual. I guess

the collective media networks believe that the American public is just

so much more interested in seeing a dead man lying in state than

health and safety concerns of twelve percent of the nation.

 

Only an informed electorate can create change in our nation. I believe

the conservatives' desire to keep us as fat, dumb and happy consumers

has so permeated the consciences of corporate media that we will all

need to find many other sources for news. While there's nothing wrong

with paying due respect when a leader like the Pope dies, showing

endless tape loops of mourners and biographical sketches need to be

used with a certain amount of discretion. The earth doesn't stop

spinning on its axis because one man, no matter how precious he was to

the world, has perished. And the citizens of this country deserve

knowing the truth about what is happening in their back yards. We

should never be in a position again of saying " why didn't you tell me

when you knew? "