Platform amendment - Nuclear Contamination

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NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION PROPOSAL (struck out=deleted; underlined=new, relative to current platform plank)

SPONSOR: Platform Standing Group

PRESENTERS/CONTACTS: Michael Feinstein mfeinstein@feinstein.org and Peggy Koteen pkoteen@aol.com

SUBJECT: Nuclear Contamination in the Ecology & Earth Stewardship section. Personal and global responsibility, are the involved 10 Key Values of the GP.

Background and Purpose. Greens support and promote the healthiest possible a healthy environment for current present and future generations. We therefore Therefore, we unconditionally strongly oppose current energy policies which continue producing nuclear wastes oppose the use of nuclear power, which can not cannot be produced be stored safely nor can nuclear reactor wastes be disposed of safely.

Ionizing radiation is inherently injurious to life. While unavoidable background levels of such radiation exist, we must minimize future releases of human-created radiation into the environment. Any increase in radiation exposure, no matter how small, adds to the cumulative damage of living organisms.

Historically, nuclear electric energy was a spin-off from nuclear weapons production for the military. It gave an ideological justification for continued proliferation of nuclear technology around the world. It served to make nuclear fission appear more benevolent, and promoted the myth that nuclear power was cheap and safe. It is neither.

The Green Party calls for a halt to nuclear contamination and to the continued production of nuclear wastes and also to:

*  Immediate Halt mining of uranium, most much of which occurs on indigenous peoples’ lands here and on other continents.

*  Halt all U.S. research and development of new nuclear weapons systems and continue dismantling existing stocks.

*  Stop U.S. involvement in international proliferation of nuclear weapons, and ratify sign a meaningful Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. [see Disarmament plank]

*  Adopt a policy for the safest possible storage of existing radioactive materials, and discontinue attempting their "disposal" in land repositories.

*  Rapidly phase out production of electric power from nuclear sources, decommission all existing nuclear power plants, and oppose the National Energy Plan's call for the construction of hundreds of any new nuclear power plants.

*  Curtail the medical profession's overuse of radioactive isotopes in diagnostic and treatment procedures, and increase research for alternatives.

*  Recycle medical radioactive materials when possible, and develop storage-to-decay facilities for short-lived medical wastes.

*  Ban shallow land disposal and incineration of all radioactive wastes.

*  Overturn the federal Price-Anderson Act, which limits the liability of the nuclear industry in the event of nuclear accidents.

*  Hold all nuclear power producers responsible in perpetuity for the radioactive wastes they generate.

*  Establish strong, enforceable penalties for radioactive contamination of the environment.

*  Disallow "deregulation" of any level of wastes to "Below Regulatory Concern" (BRC) status, or their use in consumer products.

*  Establish independent monitoring networks for all military and civilian nuclear facilities.

*  Ban ionizing radiation irradiation of food products.

*  Ban nuclear materials in international transportation and trade.

*  Ban nuclear materials aboard craft launched into space.

*  Limit the use of radioactive materials in science except under safe conditions.

Clean Copy

Greens support and promote a healthy environment for present and future generations. Therefore, we oppose the use of nuclear power, which cannot be produced safely nor can its wastes be disposed of safely.

Ionizing radiation is inherently injurious to life. While unavoidable background levels of such radiation exist, we must minimize future releases of human-created radiation into the environment. Any increase in radiation exposure adds to the cumulative risk for living organisms.

Historically, nuclear electric energy was a spin-off from nuclear weapons production for the military. It gave an ideological justification for continued proliferation of nuclear technology around the world. It served to make nuclear fission appear more benevolent and promoted the myth that nuclear power was cheap and safe. It is neither. The Green Party calls for a halt to nuclear contamination and to the continued production of nuclear wastes:

* Halt mining of uranium, much of which occurs on indigenous peoples' lands here and on other continents.

* Halt all U.S. research and development of new nuclear weapons systems and continue dismantling existing stocks. * Stop U.S. involvement in international proliferation of nuclear weapons and ratify the meaningful Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. [see Disarmament plank]

* Adopt a policy for the safest possible storage of existing radioactive materials and discontinue attempting their "disposal" in underground repositories.

* Rapidly phase out production of electric power generation from nuclear sources, decommission all existing nuclear power plants, and oppose the construction of any new nuclear power plants.

* Curtail the medical profession's overuse of radioactive isotopes in diagnostic and treatment procedures, and increase research for alternatives.

* Recycle medical radioactive materials when possible, and develop storage-to-decay facilities for short-lived medical wastes.

* Ban shallow land disposal and incineration of all radioactive wastes.

* Overturn the Federal Price-Anderson Act, which limits the liability of the nuclear industry in the event of nuclear accidents.

* Hold all nuclear power producers responsible in perpetuity for the radioactive wastes they generate. * Establish strong, enforceable penalties for radioactive contamination of the environment.

* Disallow "deregulation" of any level of wastes to "Below Regulatory Concern" (BRC) status, or their use in consumer products.

* Establish independent monitoring networks for all military and civilian nuclear facilities.

* Ban ionizing radiation irradiation of food products. * Ban nuclear materials in international transportation and trade.

* Ban nuclear materials aboard craft launched into space.

* Limit the use of nuclear materials in science except under safe conditions.

COMMITTEE DECISION: The revised platform was suggested by Michael Feinstein in line with his successful resolution to close California nuclear power reactors that passed at the Berkeley General Assembly on April 30 2011. Different versions appeared on April 20; April 28; June 17; August 24; September 1;October 13.

RESOURCES: This is a revision of an existing GPCA platform plank.