For more than two decades the Snake River Alliance has had a consistent presence in Washington, DC, thanks to your support for DC Days, a remarkably successful annual event sponsored by the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. DC Days is our chance to join with grassroots activists from across the country and meet with members of Congress, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.You know what a good job the Alliance does in Idaho to protect our state’s natural resources from radioactive contamination and promote sustainable alternatives to nuclear power. Imagine what a group of Alliance squeaky wheels can pack into four days in the nation’s capital on your behalf. This year, six Alliance members will be part of DC Days 2011, April 2-6. Please consider making a donation to the Alliance today to support this important program.
Why DC Days Matters
“Nuclear Reality Check$” is this year’s DC Days focus. Here’s a taste of what we will be talking about with officialdom.
No New Nuclear Loan Guarantees Nationally, the Alliance is working on the so-far-successful efforts to stop more federal loan guarantees for new nuclear power development. That success, fairly surprising in 2010, might be sustainable in the deficit-reducing 2011 Congress. If new nuclear reactors are not publicly subsidized, they will not be built. Having our voices heard in DC is critical to achieving that outcome.
The Weapons Budget In a time of fiscal austerity, Congress is planning to spend billions of dollars on weapons we are trying to get rid of. The proposed 2012 budget includes nearly $30 billion for the Department of Energy’s weapons programs. We will ask hard questions about this reckless spending.
Cleanup of Radioactive Waste Even as weapons spending remains excessive, the budget for cleanup at Energy Department sites like the Idaho National Lab faces serious cuts. We will work with Idaho’s congressional delegation to help protect places all over the country—including the Snake River Plain—from nuclear pollution.
Protecting Idaho in DC
In addition to these cornerstone issues, we will use our time to talk directly to key agencies about critical decisions being made regarding new shipments of commercial nuclear waste into Idaho (in violation of the 1995 Settlement Agreement that prohibits these shipments) and the imminent licensing of the Areva uranium enrichment factory, which will produce dangerous depleted uranium waste to be stored above the Snake River Plain Aquifer.Areva has been promised a $2 billion federal loan guarantee by the Department of Energy—and you can bet we will bring our opposition to this wasteful and irresponsible federal spending to the doors of key decision makers.
DC Days is About Policy and People
Working with and getting to know like-minded activists from around the country is a profound experience for our supporters and members. This year, we have assembled a talented and eager team of Idaho advocates.
Lisa Reppell (Boise) is a 2009 honors graduate from Washington and Lee University in Lexington. After spending a year working abroad in Taiwan, she returned to her native Idaho, where she became interested in nuclear accountability while interning with the Snake River Alliance.
Katherine Daly (Pocatello) has been active with the Alliance for more than two decades, and she’s even been the board president! She and her husband, Ron Watters, head Great Rift Press.
Bobby McEnaney (Washington, DC) cut his teeth on activism as a staffer for the Snake River Alliance in the early 1990s. He is now with the Natural Resources Defense Council and works on federal lands and energy policy issues.
Lou Landry (Boise) began his career working on disability issues. He has a long track record in nonprofit management and served as co-director of Idaho Head Start. He participates in the Alliance-led Idaho Energy Collaborative and is the president of our board.
Beatrice Brailsford (Pocatello) started volunteering for the Alliance in 1987 and has been on our staff for many years. She’s very active on INL cleanup issues.
Liz Woodruff (Boise) is the Alliance’s new executive director. She helped organize opposition to Areva’s uranium enrichment plant.
Your contribution to our DC Days program will
• Cover the costs for top-notch issue and skills training and airfare to carry our message effectively to our nation’s capital
• Unite your Snake River Alliance team with activists from nuclear weapons sites around the country to amplify our message and power
• Help us advocate for better solutions to nuclear weapons, power and waste
Supporting our DC Days program is a concrete way that you can make sure your voice is heard in DC. By giving as generously as you are able, you will have direct influence on important energy and security policies that affect Idaho and the nation. We will be sure to let you and other supporters know what we were able to achieve during our trip, and we would like to take your input with us. Please donate now to our DC Days program, and feel free to email Beatrice Brailsford with input on the issues that matter most to you for us to address in DC.