A seven-member team from the Livermore, CA-based Tri-Valley CAREs will visit Washington, DC from April 26 through 29 to meet with members of Congress and Obama Administration officials to press for more funding for radioactive waste cleanup at nuclear weapons facilities. The increased spending would be offset by cuts in weapons programs and reactor subsidies.

The Tri-Valley CAREs delegation will be working with colleagues from more than a dozen other states who are participating in the 21st annual Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) “DC Days.”  The activists will meet with Senators and Representatives from California, leaders of congressional committees that oversee nuclear issues, and key staff at the Department of Energy and other federal agencies.

Marylia Kelley, the group’s Executive Director, said, “The 2008 elections created a major opportunity to redirect U.S. nuclear policy by voting in a new administration and Congress. Our elected officials need to make protecting the environment and public health the top priorities for the Department of Energy rather than promoting dangerous, costly schemes for additional nuclear weapons projects.”

The Tri-Valley CAREs team includes:
• The group’s Board Treasurer, Janis Kate Turner, whose neighborhood sits atop the off-site contaminated groundwater plume emanating from the Livermore Lab main site.
• Scott Yundt, former legal intern at Tri-Valley CAREs, now a local attorney and Board Member.
• The group’s Staff Attorney and facilitator for the Livermore Lab and Sandia, Livermore Site sick workers’ support group, Robert Schwartz.
• Janine Carmona, the group’s Outreach Director and student action coordinator.
• Tri-Valley CAREs’ Program  Associate and webmaster, Adrian Drummond-Cole.
• Marylia Kelley, the group’s Executive Director, and, like Janis, a long-time neighbor of Livermore Lab.
• Recently retired head of “Directed Stockpile Work” at Livermore Lab, and volunteer technical advisor to the group, Roger Logan.

Scott Yundt explained, “I’m going to Washington, DC this year to change U.S. nuclear weapons policy and demand a “green lab” in Livermore.”

Janis Kate Turner said, “In addition to Congress and other agencies, I will meet with EPA officials and ask them to keep the pressure on Livermore Lab to clean up its toxic and radioactive pollution, including the contaminated groundwater plume that is moving westward through my neighborhood.”

Marylia Kelley added, “Tri-Valley CAREs nominated EPA Region 9 Superfund Remedial Project Manager, Kathy Setian, for a national ANA award this year for her exemplary efforts to force DOE and Livermore Lab to comply with the Superfund Law. I am happy to report that ANA has selected Kathy to receive an award.” (Details on the ANA Awards Ceremony and other DC Days events are below.)

Tri-Valley CAREs is a 26-year old nuclear weapons watchdog organization based in Livermore, California with a membership of more than 5,000 in Livermore, Tracy, and surrounding communities impacted by Livermore Lab operations. Tri-Valley CAREs has been a member group of ANA since 1989.

The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability is a two-decade old network of several dozen local, regional and national organizations representing the concerns of communities downwind and downstream from U.S. nuclear weapons production and radioactive waste disposal sites.

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- a briefing kit on current nuclear weapons issues is available on request.
- the ANA media advisory detailing the network’s press conference on Monday, April 26 and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 27 follows.

for further information:
Robert Schaeffer, (239) 395-6773, cell: (239) 699-0468

Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
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WHAT: News briefing on the Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Budget  from  the perspective of communities located in the shadows of U.S. nuclear weapons and radioactive waste sites
WHEN: Monday, April 27, 2009 – - 10:00am
WHERE: Room 628 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC
WHO: Leaders of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) a national network of organizations representing the concerns of people living downwind and downstream from DOE nuclear research, testing, production and waste disposal facilities
WHY: Scores of activists from across the nation will present their concerns about U.S. nuclear weapons, cleanup and reactor spending policies in dozens of meetings with leaders of Congress and the Obama Administration from April 27 – 29 as part of ANA’s 21st Annual DC Days.
*  *  *
Also, on Tuesday, April 28 at 6:00pm, ANA will host an Awards Reception honoring leaders in the movement for more responsible U.S. nuclear policies. Awardees include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Colorado investigative journalist Laura Frank, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 project manager Kathy Setian, and Georgia environmental attorney Larry Sanders. The event will take place in Room B-340 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

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