From the Nuclear Information Resource Service:  NIRS needs your help! U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) is attempting to rush H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017, to the House floor for a vote.  NOW is the time to call your Congressional representatives (202-224-3121), and tell them to VOTE NO on HR 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017.

NIRS has mentioned before what an incredibly BAD idea H.R. 3053 is. Here are the facts:

·         H.R. 3053 tries to revive the failed, canceled Yucca Mountain (NV) site as a nuclear dump, despite volcanoes, earthquakes, its inability to isolate the waste and violations of environmental justice, Western Shoshone sovereignty and state authority. 

·         H.R. 3053 directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to contract for a private corporate centralized “interim” parking-lot dump and allows DOE to set up additional supposedly temporary storage sites (called Centralized “Interim” Storage-CIS or Monitored Retrievable Storage-MRS), all of which are illegal under current law. 

·         H.R. 3053 would trigger thousands of intensely radioactive shipments on our roads, rails and waterways over decades…an unprecedented, massive, multi-decade, high-level nuclear waste shipping campaign from over 100 nuclear reactors through 44 states to the inoperable Yucca Mountain site or allegedly “interim” sites The waste would have to move again from interim sites when a permanent site is opened, multiplying transport risks. 

·         H.R. 3053 fails to make waste storage less dangerous at the sites where it is now located and where it will be for years with or without new sites. Communities need Hardened On-Site Storage (HOSS) in robust containers that can be inspected, repaired, and monitored to prevent leaks. 

·         H.R. 3053 weakens environmental and safety requirements for this deadly waste.  

Call your Congressional representatives today and let them know you oppose H.R. 3053 and the threat is poses to all of us 

You can find background information on HR 3053, organizing and educational resources to use in your community, and transportation maps and statistics on our Don’t Waste America campaign page. 

 

From Just Foreign Policy:  Ask your Rep. to co-Sponsor the Khanna-Massie bill to the #StopSaudiFamineInYemen.   Reps. Khanna, Massie, Pocan and Jones have introduced a privileged bipartisan resolution - H.Con.Res. 81 [1] - to end unauthorized and unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen, which has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, pushing millions of human beings to the brink of famine. Without U.S. participation, the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen would not be possible. The Khanna-Massie-Pocan-Jones bill invokes the War Powers Resolution to force a roll call floor vote on ending U.S. participation in the war.   Email your Rep. to co-sponsor & spread the news by signing our petition at MoveOn. 

 

From Ohio Sierra Club: Oppose Coal Plant Bailouts at the Ohio Statehouse.   We got word late Friday the House OVEC bailout bill -- HB 239 -- may be up for a vote in the House Public Utilities Committee on Tuesday. The key word here is "may" as on the committee notice, no vote was noted but "all testimony" and "possible amendments" were - two committee actions that usually are paired with a vote.  Our latest intelligence continues to show the House has a greater appetite for the bailout than the Senate but with questions over whether or not there are enough votes to get the bill out of the House. On the Senate side, intelligence continues to suggest there is not enough support for the bailout to even move the bill out of committee. That being said, further intelligence suggests the Senate has told the House the only way the Senate will consider proceeding is if the House takes action. Tuesday's hearing on HB 239, with the possibility of a vote being added, could be 1) the House GOP trying to whip votes and put a hard sell on their members and/or 2) House GOP trying to exert pressure on Senate GOP to start moving the bill once more.

Right now, we need to act. Victory continues to be no vote scheduled for the bailout bills.

Below are the immediate actions we have identified as necessary to stop the bills.
1. Call Governor Kasich to oppose the bills - 614-466-3555
-Kasich has not publicly stated where he stands on OVEC but has stated he opposes the nuke bailout. The principle here is the same and if he's going to oppose one, he should oppose both. Additionally, the Senate needs support pushing back against the House; Kasich could provide that support. Call him repeatedly and leave voicemails.
2. Call all members of the House and Senate Public Utility Committees

-After the strong opposition in the Spring, support for these bills began to melt away in the House and the Senate. Calls to ALL House Committee members, especially GOP members, are necessary right now to combat House GOP leadership. We also need to continue calls into the Senate Committee members to keep them strong.  Senate Committee Members.  House Committee Members.  

3. Recruit more people to make calls
-Calls are our most important tactic right now and we need to keep them flowing like a river. Please share the attached call sheet with other as well as the resources page I put together: http://bit.ly/NoCoalBailoutsResources

 

From Progress Ohio:  Alert: Gov. Kasich wants to re-appoint anti-consumer crusader Mike Gonidakis to a “consumer’’ seat on Ohio's State Medical Board.  What makes Gonidakis anti-consumer?  One of Mike’s clients is in the dirty business of gouging utility customers. The practice is so shady it’s illegal in 34 states (as of 2012). The Columbus Dispatch did a great investigation into the company about 4 years ago. Ever since, anti-consumer Mike has blocked legislation to ban his client’s shady practices. During his first term on the medical board, Mike showed a strong interest in the Board’s work overseeing Ohio’s emerging medical marijuana program. Why? He’s also a lobbyist for an out-of-state weed client.  The real reason Gov. Kasich appointed Mike to the Medical Board is because he runs Ohio Right to Life and has helped the Kasich administration close half of Ohio’s abortion clinics and impose a series of new restrictions to make abortion more expensive and harder to access.  Maternal mortality is also way up in Ohio. Right to Life is one of the reasons.

A Senate committee votes Tuesday on whether to reappoint anti-consumer Mike to the Medical Board.

Call your Senator and urge a NO vote on Mike Gonidakis’ confirmation to the State Medical Board. Tell the Ohio Senate he does NOT represent consumers.