Stop I-3 Coalition Monthly
Newsletter
May, 2006
SUCCESS WITH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN THE STUDY PROCESS:
Thank you each and everyone for all the letters you sent
to FHWA, DOT and other officials. They indeed have made
a big difference and several forms of public participation
are being included in the Statement of Work which will define
the perimeters of the study. FHWA and GA DOT are still working
out the financial arrangements necessary for the study to
move forward. The next step is to hire a consultant to conduct
the study. There is no timetable set forward for this process.
You will be kept posted as information regarding this step
is secured. We do know that this study will not include
all of the items that need to be addressed to build an interstate
and that years of study will lay ahead as future steps unless
Congress finds in 2009 on the basis of this study that the
entire process needs to be abandoned. Of course, that
is our goal and we will hold steadfast!
STOP I-3 OFFICIAL NON-PROFIT CORPORATION: Stop I-3 Articles of Incorporation have been filed
with the State of Georgia, since that is where we have our
office, so we are now an official non-profit corporation.
A next step is to begin the application for our own 501-©(3)
tax exemption with the IRS which will take several months.
In the meantime, all donations will remain tax exempt through
our partnership with SAFC (Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition).
We are currently in the process of approving Stop I-3 Bylaws
and hiring staff in preparation of all the work which will
be required to stop this ruinous road. We are quietly beginning
our fundraising campaign and have raised $32,000 in the
first month! We are hoping to raise $500,000 this year.
All donations are greatly appreciated and can be made in
two ways: by check to Stop I-3/SAFC sent to Stop I-3 Coalition,
PO # 9, Sautee-Nacoochee, GA 30571 or by credit card on
the “Donate Now” button on www.stopi-3.org.
NUCLEAR NEWS:
It is critically important for all of us to keep updated
on all aspects of any activity which may be I-3 related.
Many of us have stayed concerned about the interconnectedness
of I-3 and the increased nuclear activity in the Southeast
U.S. I have asked Mary Olson to write the following paragraph
to be included in this newsletter:
Western North Carolina
and North Georgia could see 10's of thousands of high-level
waste shipments starting in 2007 or 2008: In November of
2005 there was an enormous "sea change" in US
high-level nuclear waste policy -- Congress directed the
Department of Energy to pick from among several nuclear
fuel reprocessing technologies and make plan to start reprocessing
US-generated high-level nuclear waste -- and now we hear,
international waste as well. Reprocessing is dangerous,
dirty, threatens our health and does not "solve the
waste problem" -- in fact it makes it worse -- resulting
in liquid, caustic wastes and purified plutonium. The vast
majority of high-level waste in the US is from making electric
power --and is currently sitting at the nuclear power plant
sites. It was formerly to be sent to Nevada for burial.
The Department of Energy has now decided that the site for
future reprocessing will be Savannah River Site in South
Carolina. In order to get the waste to South Carolina, I-81,
I-75, I-77 and I-40 will be key. If I-26 is completed it
will be even more key since it avoids Charlotte. If I-3
is built it would be the alternate to I-26 -- they always
like a back-up. This waste is deadly in a matter of
seconds or minutes of exposure if not shielded. When shielded
it is still like an X-ray machine traveling down the road,
turned on. You would get the equivalent of 1 chest X-ray
and hour at 6 feet (next lane over on the highway). These
shipments are effectively enormous "dirty bombs"
-- second only to an operating nuclear power plant. This
information will not stop I-3 (moving the waste is legal),
but stopping I-3 and I-26 Connector WILL stop these shipments...
in this area...
Source: Mary Olson, Director of the Southeast Office of
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
MARY ALSO SENT THE NOTICE BELOW. HOPEFULLY SOME
OF OUR I-3 CONCERNED CITIZENS WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THIS
MEETING. IF SO, PLEASE SEND A BRIEF REPORT OF SUCH TO stopi3@alltel.net. AND IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN OUR NEXT NEWSLETTER.
Please put “nuclear meeting” in the subject line. Thanks.
Please forward - - these reactors would
be right on the new Interstate "3" if it is built,
and Southern Co. is certainly a "player" in wanting
this new road. We need Georgians who are concerned about
nuclear expansion to attend this meeting. -- Thanks,
Mary Olson, Director, Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Southeast Office (828)675-1792, nirs@main.nc.us
NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION |
Office
of Public Affairs |
Telephone:
301/415-8200 |
Washington,
DC 20555-0001 |
E-mail: opa@nrc.gov |
www.nrc.gov |
|
| |
No. 06-058 |
April
25, 2006 |
NRC
TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS MAY 10-11 IN GEORGIA
TO DISCUSS REVIEW OF POSSIBLE EARLY SITE PERMIT APPLICATION
 |
The
Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with the public
in Waynesboro, Ga., on Wednesday, May 10, and Thursday,
May 11, to discuss how the agency would review an
expected application for an Early Site Permit (ESP)
at the Vogtle site, about 23 miles southeast of Augusta,
Ga. The site, owned by Southern Nuclear Operating
Co., currently contains two commercial nuclear power
plants.
On May 10, the staff will hold an open house from
noon until 2 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Burke County
Library, 130 Highway 24 South in Waynesboro. There
will be no formal presentations, but the staff will
have information available about the ESP process and
will informally discuss the process with interested
members of the public.
On May 11, the meeting will be held in the Auditorium
of the Augusta Technical College’s Waynesboro campus,
216 Highway 24 South, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Before
the meeting NRC staff will be available for informal
discussions during an open house from 5 p.m. to 7
p.m. The NRC will then make a formal presentation
at the meeting which will include information on the
NRC’s overall licensing process for nuclear power
plants, as well as an overview of how the ESP process
works and how the public can participate. Members
of the public are invited to ask questions regarding
the agency’s ESP review.
The ESP process allows an applicant to address site-related
issues, such as environmental impacts, for possible
future construction and operation of a nuclear power
plant at the site. The NRC’s review process requires
both a technical review of safety issues and an environmental
review for each application. If approved, an ESP gives
the applicant up to 20 years to decide whether to
build one or more nuclear plants on the site and to
file an application with the NRC for approval to begin
construction.
If Southern submits an ESP application as expected,
the NRC staff will review it to determine whether
Southern has provided enough information for the agency
to begin a formal review. If the application has sufficient
information, the NRC will formally docket, or file,
the application and will announce an opportunity to
request a hearing. |
FIVE
STOP I-3 PROJECTS COMING UP
Now
it is time to have some fun!!!
Project
# 1: Burma Shave / Stop I-3 Contest & BLITZ
How many of us are old enough to remember the red and
white Burma Shave ads…5 of them about 100 feet apart along
the roads that used to be 2 lanes?
They were ads for the shaving cream, Burma Shave, with
a four line poem on the first four signs, made to make you
laugh as well as advertise Burma Shave. Here are some examples:
SHE
KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH
BY MISTAKE
SHE THOUGHT
IT WAS
HER HUSBAND
JAKE
Burma
Shave
Around
the curve, lickety-split, beautiful car, wasn’t it?
No
matter the price, no matter how new, the best safety device,
in the car is you
Passing
school zone, take it slow, let our little, shavers grow
Don’t
stick your elbow, out too far, it may go home, in another
car
Well you
get the gist. Here is the plan. We want to have everyone
put their creative thinking caps on and submit 4 line couplets
like above... but about why we want to Stop I-3 and they
should end in “Stop I-3” on the fifth line.
We will select 10 of them, have signs made and place approximately
10 signsets in each county in the I-3 corridor. That
will be 340 signsets or 1700 signs. Should be enough
to get anyone's attention!We want to get them up by late
June and July for the summer and fall tourist season…as
well as for all local folks to get thinking about I-3. THE
CONTEST WILL END ON JUNE 1ST, SO PLEASE GET BUSY AND SEND
IN YOUR ENTRIES to stopi3@alltel.net and put “burma shave” in the subject line.
We will also need a coordinator in each county to
decide on placement and see that signs are kept where placed.
If you will do this in your county please let us know at
above email.
Project
# 2: Grassroots Workshops
Starting in June the Stop I-3 Coalition will be holding
Monthly Grassroots Workshops in order to help, assist, enable
and support all 34 counties in the I-3 Corridor to pass
resolutions officially opposing I-3. We already have
9 counties and one city so we are almost a third to our
goal! The workshops will be on Saturdays from 10-3. The
format will be a presentation by citizens who have helped
this process in their county as well as county commissioners
who have decided to sign resolutions. These folks will tailor
the day’s work to the counties represented ending the day
with an action plan for each county and a mentor, either
an I-3 board member or staff person, who will work with
the county until passage is completed.
June 24th is the date of the first workshop
which will be held in White County. Citizens and Commissioners
will be in attendance as resource staff. If your county
has not passed a resolution opposing I-3 and you would like
to find out how to make it happen, this workshop is for
you! Bring a brown bag lunch. THERE WILL BE NO FEE FOR THE
WORKSHOP. To register, send your name and county to stopi3@alltel.net and put “grassroots workshop”
in the subject line. Details and directions will be sent
back. Also, invite a commissioner to come along with you!
If you cannot make the June workshop, the next two
are planned: July 22 and August 26th. Check your
calendars and send in reservations. As soon as we get all
34 counties on board we will start with the cities, and
then the RPO’s (Rural Planning Organizations) and the
MPO’s (Metropolitan Planning Organizations). Next the governors!
If you have been involved in one of the nine counties
or the one city which has passed its resolution and would
like to help others in this process, please let us know
at the above email. This is what grassroots is all about.
Coming together for a common cause and then helping each
other through the process at hand. This project will
be a very real key to our overall success in stopping I-3
before it gets started! Soon there will be a listing and
map of all 34 counties in our 4 states on our website so
we can watch as each county comes on board. Where is yours
and what can you do to help?
Project
# 3: Pro/Con Candidate Track on Stop I-3 Website
It is time to stand up and be counted. Especially for
those running for office. We are setting up a Candidate
Track on our website for all 2006 local, state and national
candidates. Here’s the deal. We will list each candidate
For or Against I-3 as we have the following information:
What you can do is see that the question is raised
in your own county. Ask candidates if they are for
or against I-3. Get your local newspapers to do the same.
Lots of papers are now running interviews with candidates.
I-3 WILL BECOME AN ELECTION ISSUE. We will make it so by
asking the question and documenting the results on our website.
For those who might have a question regarding the Stop
I-3 Coalition becoming involved in supporting a candidate,
we are not. All we are doing is listing their stand on an
issue in order to provide an informational and educational
piece to the public. We are not telling anyone who to vote
for. THIS PROJECT WILL ONLY BE AS EFFECTIVE AS THE INFORMATION
WE GET FROM YOU! This is truly a grassroots endeavor so
we look forward to receiving those for and against in your
area. Be sure to include Governors, Senators and US Representatives.
Please send information to stopi3@alltel.net and put “candidate track” in the subject line.
Project
#4: September Motorcycle Rally
The plan here is to have a 1000 motorcyclists caravan
from the head of the Tail of the Dragon to Charlie Norwood’s
office in Atlanta. The drivers will have bright front and
back vests saying “Stop I-3”. We will have a big rally
in Atlanta to welcome them and hopefully have great press
coverage. If you are a motorcyclist and would like
to join this event or if you would like to help plan and
conduct this event please contact stopi3@alltel.net and put “motorcycle rally” in the subject line.
Project
# 5: Fall Conference
Plans are underway for a big Stop I-3 Fall Conference.
The date will be the first or second week in November on
a Friday and Saturday. We plan to invite all interested
groups and citizens to share information about I-3 and generate
ideas for 2007 plans and strategy. If you would like to
join the team who is putting together the preliminaries
for this event, send your name, county and state of residence
to stopi3@alltel.net and put in the subject line “fall conference”. We
would like to have as wide a geographical representation
as possible in this planning group. Hopefully we can meet
sometime this month so that more details can be announced
in the June newsletter.
There are many more activities in the works, but perhaps
this is enough for now. We still are continuing to grow
in number of individuals, affiliate and supporting groups
as well as effectiveness. For those who say “That road will
never be built” let’s all know that is an invitation
for us to back up our activity which will insure speedy
I-3 construction! In the recent SAFC fundraiser event, Mark
Shelley so eloquently spoke of remembering why we are trying
to protect what is dear to us is not as much for us as for
all the children to come. He closed with this great quote
from John Muir:
