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| Thursday, January 26, 2012 |
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Dawn Boise Vigil for Downwinders -- by Liz Woodruff
By bbrailsford @ 3:21 PM :: 94 Views ::
0 Comments :: Downwinders, Nuclear Weapons, Action Alert!
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On Friday, January 27, 2012, the Snake River Alliance will hold a candlelight vigil at dawn in front of the Boise Train Depot to honor and remember those affected by nuclear weapons testing and to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. The Snake River Alliance has held several vigils on January 27 since the early 1980’s. Approximately 20-30 people are expected at this year’s vigil.
January 27, 2012, marks the 61st anniversary of the first above ground nuclear weapons test at the Nevada Test Site in 1951. The radioactive fallout from this and subsequent tests has resulted in devastating consequences for public health and the environment. “It is essential people never forget the price that has been paid for nuclear weapons production,” said Liz Woodruff, executive director of the Snake River Alliance, Idaho’s nuclear watchdog for more than 32 years. “People in Idaho have cancer and have died of cancers as a result of these tests. The US government can never make up for their loss and suffering, but we can honor them on January 27 and call for compensation for downwinders and their families,” Woodruff continued.
From 1945 to 1992 the US conducted 1,030 nuclear weapons tests, 911 of which were at the Nevada Test Site. Two hundred fifteen were atmospheric; 815 were below ground, though many of these “vented.” It has long been recognized that testing fallout harmed people who lived and worked near them, and in 1990 Congress included modest redress for “downwinders” in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Coverage was limited to individuals who lived in parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah at the time. We now know how inadequate RECA is since we now know that every county in Idaho was more exposed to iodine-131, which can cause thyroid cancer and other illnesses, than some of the counties in states currently covered. Four out of the five most exposed counties were in Idaho.
What: Candlelight Vigil to Honor Downwinders
When: Friday, January 27, 2012
Time: 8 am
Where: Boise Train Depot at the “Peace Tree” for a 30 minute vigil followed by tea and community sharing at Shangri-La Tea House (corner of Federal Way and Overland from 8:30-9:30)
National Downwinders Day, January 27, 2012
Snake River Alliance to Hold Candlelight Vigil at Dawn at
Boise Train Depot
BOISE, ID—January 27, 2012, marks the 61st anniversary of the first above ground nuclear weapons test at the Nevada Test Site in 1951. The radioactive fallout from this and subsequent tests has resulted in devastating consequences for public health and the environment. On Friday, January 27, 2012, the Snake River Alliance will hold a candlelight vigil at dawn in front of the Boise Train Depot to honor and remember those affected by nuclear weapons testing and to call for a world free of nuclear weapons. The Snake River Alliance has held several vigils on January 27 since the early 1980’s. Approximately 20-30 people are expected at this year’s vigil.
“It is essential people never forget the price that has been paid for nuclear weapons production,” said Liz Woodruff, executive director of the Snake River Alliance, Idaho’s nuclear watchdog for more than 32 years. “People in Idaho have cancer and have died of cancers as a result of these tests. The US government can never make up for their loss and suffering, but we can honor them on January 27 and call for compensation for downwinders and their families,” Woodruff continued.
From 1945 to 1992 the US conducted 1,030 nuclear weapons tests, 911 of which were at the Nevada Test Site. Two hundred fifteen were atmospheric; 815 were below ground, though many of these “vented.” It has long been recognized that testing fallout harmed people who lived and worked near them, and in 1990 Congress included modest redress for “downwinders” in the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Coverage was limited to individuals who lived in parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah at the time. We now know how inadequate RECA is since we now know that every county in Idaho was more exposed to iodine-131, which can cause thyroid cancer and other illnesses, than some of the counties in states currently covered. Four out of the five most exposed counties were in Idaho.
What: Candlelight Vigil to Honor Downwinders
When: Friday, January 27, 2012
Time: 8 am
Where: Boise Train Depot at the “Peace Tree” for a 30 minute vigil followed by tea and community sharing at Shangri-La Tea House (corner of Federal Way and Overland from 8:30-9:30)
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The Alliance receives 60% of its funding from foundations and 40% from people like you! Thanks to our members, major donors, and these foundations for making our work possible: Edwards Mother Earth, Bullitt, Lightfoot, Tides, Engelhard, Community Involvement Fund, and Patagonia.
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