American Indian delegation to Washington urges clean energy
Apr. 21--WASHINGTON -- By Brenda Norrell, Indian Country Today, Oneida, N.Y. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
A coalition of American Indians recently lobbied Congress for clean energy and a halt to the long-held tradition of making Indian country a dumping ground for nuclear waste, disease-producing coal mines and power plants that destroy the environment.
American Indians urged Congress to reject the energy bill again, saying it
was essentially the same controversial, pro-industry bill favored by the White
House that failed to pass in previous years -- and instead initiate legislation
to cut levels of greenhouse gases, promote energy efficiency and reduce the
nation's dependence on foreign oil.
American Indian environmental groups said in a statement that Indian country
should no longer be a sacrifice zone for the nation's energy policy:
"Indigenous peoples reject the concept that lands we rely upon to meet our
physical, cultural, spiritual and economic means should be viewed as a
short-term solution to offset the U.S. energy dilemma. Our cultures should not
be sacrificed for the high energy consumption needs of America."
American Indian groups maintained their opposition to nuclear waste dumping
on Goshute tribal land in Utah and on Western Shoshone's Yucca Mountain in
Nevada.
As part of the nuclear industry's revitalization, the Bush administration and
the Republican majority in Congress have proposed that the first new nuclear
reactors in 30 years would initially be built on or near Indian lands in Idaho
and Alaska.
Clean water along the Yukon River in Alaska is also at risk. The U.S. Nuclear
Regulatory Commission is considering granting a license for a new reactor in
Galena, Alaska. Among those concerned is the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed
Council, representing 76 Alaska Native governments in the United States and
Canada that depend on the Yukon River for clean drinking water and healthy
salmon.
Goldtooth said the council has questions regarding "this nuclear
experiment to build this untested reactor on the Yukon River."
"The high-level radioactive waste from this new reactor in Alaska could
end up being transported and dumped at the Private Fuel Storage facility on the
Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah."
Currently, Native environmental groups and the state of Utah oppose the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission's granting of a license to the proposed Private
Fuel Storage high-level radioactive waste dump. The proposed dump, located 45
miles southwest of Salt Lake City, would "temporarily" store 44,000
tons of irradiated fuel in above-ground dry cask containers.
Goldtooth pointed out that Xcel Energy, formerly known as Northern States
Power, is one of the chief proponents for the Private Fuel Storage dump targeted
at the Skull Valley Goshutes in Utah.
He noted that since 1987, the nuclear establishment in government and
industry has targeted dozens of American Indian reservations for high-level
radioactive waste facilities.
"Currently, all have been stopped by concerned Indian grassroots members
and our families that have held strong to our traditional spirituality, values
and culture. We have formed alliances with other Indian and non-Indian
environmental and environmental justice organizations across the country."
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