DoomsdaysCW

This was a published news story that I wrote after interviewing leaders of Maine's First Nations and doing some research on the Maine Settlement Act. Even though it's from 2001, it gives background of what went wrong in 1980 (and before), and why Senator Angus King's betrayal of Maine's First Nations is just another BETRAYAL by white men in power! I still stand behind this piece, and so wish Senator King would have EVOLVED! Maybe he needs to attend a Wabanaki REACH workshop and watch Dawnland. Even allies like myself should watch Dawnland! Anyhow, here it is. And yes, there is a LOT more work to be done! TRADITIONAL CARETAKERS

 The Penobscot Nation believes they are the caretakers of the Penobscot River, and that they have a sacred duty to protect the river and its surrounding region. They have traveled and collected food from all areas within the watershed of the Penobscot River, long before the arrival of the white man. In 1820, Captain Francis, a Penobscot delegate ...

 ASR, or Alkali-Silica Reaction has many causes, and is a concern for aging nuclear plants worldwide -- not just in the USA Nuclear power plants are made with special concrete which uses "high-density aggregates" to help "shield effectively against radiation" (Phung, et al). It is also used in making cooling towers and other structures, as well as long-term storage. However, the very make up of the concrete make it more prone to ASR -- which can occur from a number of situations, including exposure to moisture, and acidic water (acid rain), freezing and thawing, etc. But most troubling -- exposure to ionizing radiation can accelerate ASR (Phung, et al). The discovery of ASR in 2009 at Seabrook nuclear plant put ASR on the radar screen of a local environmental watchdog group, C-10.  The discovery of more damage than Seabrook's owners admitted to was not un-noticed by C-10, who tirelessly call the NRC on their lack of thorough and timely inspections on critical st...

Sizewell C was just approved in the UK. The project, touted to be the solution to the UK’s energy needs, is plagued with financial and technological issues. In February, 2022, former Labour MP Derek Wyatt wrote that there were “three critical issues surrounding the future of the Sizewell C project were missing from the recent announcement. The first is the appalling state of EDF’s finances. This is coupled with shutdowns at its French power stations, using similar technology to Sizewell C. Newer nuclear power stations are not working." Critics also point out the cost of the project. A spokesperson for Stop Sizewell C pointed out that "Despite the government's paltry £700m, there is still a huge amount of money to find and no-one is prepared to come clean about what the ultimate cost will be," — typical of nuclear plants! There are also concerns about the environmental impact of Sizewell C, since nearby Sizwell Marshes is a "Special Protected Area," which pr...

 So, the IAEA just told Japan that the decision whether or not to dump radioactive water into the Pacific was Japan’s decision — in direct violation of the 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution. Right after the March 2011 accident happened, what would have been considered illegal dumping, was allowed, with the Japanese government giving “TEPCO an exemption” (Time Magazine). Why do I have a problem with this? Perhaps it has something to do with TEPCO’s track record. In the past, TEPCO has admitted to concealing data, and only when confronted, admitted to their errors. They were also recently caught using dosimeters meant to record higher amounts only, thus claiming the treated water is down to “safe” levels (Fukushima Diary)! TEPCO has also failed to fully explore other options (like storing tritiated water until it turns into helium or binding the radionuclides into a solid form). According to a 2013 RFI, TEPCO received proposals for "storing tritium-contained wate...