|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
SUMMER
2000 Norm Cohen
Coordinator, UNPLUG Salem Campaign[Salem Quarterly Meeting united with the UNPLUG Salem campaign at its June 1998 business meeting at Seaville MM. Now, two years later, Norm Cohen reports on where the campaign stands.—Ed.]
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign continues to grow. We now have 81 organizations signed on to either the entire campaign or just the Stop the Salem Fish Slaughter part. Our goal is 100 organizations by the end of the year.
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign has decided to concentrate on four specific areas relating to the Salem nuclear plants:
Our main goal, to get PSE&G, the owner-operator of the Salem Nukes, to agree to shut down the two plants as soon as possible.
To convince the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to enforce the Clean Water Act and write a new permit that would require a closed cooling system (cooling towers) at Salem. This would eliminate 95 per cent of the Salem Nuke fish slaughter. Right now, Salem kills billions of fish and marine organisms every year. While we are working on the PSE&G permit, we are also in contact with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, since they have ultimate oversight over the permit.
To act as a safety watchdog for the Salem nuclear plants for as long as they still remain open.
To work on bringing real green energy choices to New Jersey so that we no longer have to buy power generated by nuclear power or coal.
Much of our effort right now is focused on the NJDEP permit process. Public hearings are overdue and expected now to be held in July. We have met with the DEP twice to try to convince them to end the massive herbiciding of the marshlands and to enforce the Clean Water Act. At the same time, we are working with our congressional representatives to put pressure on the Environmental Protection Agency to use their oversight powers to ensure a permit that protects the fish in the Delaware.
As watchdogs, we are always concerned about safety at Salem. Right now, in light of the recent steam generator rupture at Indian Point (near New York City), we are trying to get PSE&G to do a complete inspection of the steam generators at Salem, because the generators at Salem are composed of the same material that ruptured at the Indian Point plant.
On the green energy front, we now have both Green Mountain and Connective offering some form of green energy. Some environmentalists have objections to the energy choices currently offered because of the inclusion of things like landfill gas. For now we are not endorsing either company, but urging consumers to check both out and make their own minds up.
UNPLUG Salem has two e-mail lists, a discussion list and an announce list. I strongly urge those of you who aren’t already signed on to email me at norco@bellatlantic.net and get on one of these. This is the best way to stay up to date on events at Salem.
As I write this, UNPLUG Salem is co-sponsoring a Tooth Fairy Forum in Ocean County and negotiating to have Alec Baldwin come to Salem County this fall. We are looking to have a smaller Tooth Fairy forum in June in Salem, with details to be announced shortly.
To get more involved, please email me or call me at 609-601-8583. And thanks to everyone in the Salem Quarter who have helped out the UNPLUG Salem Campaign in the last two years.
RETURN TO TABLE OF CONTENTS
Last modified:
Wednesday, February 18, 2004 at 08:19 AM
