WASHINGTON - In a group letter sent to President Obama, members of his Administration, and all the Members of the U.S. Congress, 142 organizations and businesses wrote that the Japanese nuclear accident is a tragic reminder that it is long past the time to end U.S. reliance on nuclear power.

The groups argued that nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential “acts of God,” all instances of “human error,” all types of “mechanical malfunction,” and all forms of “terrorist attack.”

Moreover, the still unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores that there is no such thing as “safe” or “clean” or “cheap” nuclear power.

Consequently, no new reactors should be built in the Untied States and existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible. Instead, national energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.

The text of the letter and list of signers follows.

# # # # # # #

March 23, 2011

 

President Barack Obama

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu

U.S. Senator Harry Reid

U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell

U.S. Representative John Boehner

U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi

Members, U.S. Congress

 

Dear Sir/Madam:

 

We, the 142 undersigned safe energy advocates, have been speaking out about the risks and dangers posed by nuclear power for years – for many of us, since before the 1986 Chornobyl and 1979 Three Mile Island accidents as well as the hundreds of other radioactive releases, unplanned shut-downs, and other mishaps that have continuously plagued both the U.S. and the international nuclear industries since their founding.

While nuclear power’s unacceptable safety, environmental, public health, economic, and national security risks should have been self-evident long before now, the latest unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan once again underscores the following:  

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all potential “acts of God.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all instances of “human error.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all types of “mechanical malfunction.”

Nuclear plants can never be designed to withstand all forms of “terrorist attack.”

There is no such thing as “safe” nuclear power.

There is no such thing as “clean” nuclear power.

There is no such thing as “cheap” nuclear power.

Consequently, the Price-Anderson cap on liability in the event of an accident should be repealed, all proposed governmental financial and regulatory incentives for new nuclear plant construction - including loan guarantees, accelerated licensing, and inclusion in a “clean energy standard” - should be rejected, and no new reactors should be built.

Existing nuclear reactors should be phased out as rapidly as possible, beginning with the oldest and/or most unsafe, and no presently-licensed reactors should have their operating lives extended.

 

Safety standards for existing reactors should be substantially tightened while they continue to operate and federal nuclear funding should be redirected to the orderly phase-out of those reactors as well as the safe decommissioning of closed reactors and disposal of radioactive waste.

 

National energy policy and funding should be refocused on greatly improved energy efficiency and the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources which are far cleaner, safer, and cheaper than nuclear power.

 

Sincerely,

 

Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet

Palo Alto, CA

 

Aur J. Beck, Chief Tech

Advanced Energy Solutions

Pomona, IL

 

Lesley Weinstock, Coordinator

Agua es Vida Action Team

Albuquerque, NM

 

Rochelle Becker, Executive Director

Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility

San Luis Obispo, CA

 

Laura Filbert Zacher, CEO

ARE Systems, LLC

St. Louis, MO

 

Thea Paneth, Secretary

Arlington United for Justice with Peace

Arlington, MA

 

Mari Rose Taruc, State Organizing Director

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Oakland, CA

 

Lara Morrison, Board Member

Beverly-Vermont Community Land Trust

Los Angeles, CA

 

Kay Martin, Vice President

BioEnergy Producers Association

Gualala, CA

 

Kay Firor, President

Blue Mountain Solar, Inc.

Cove, OR

 

Sandra Gavutis, Executive Director

C-10 Research & Education Foundation

Newburyport, MA

 

Laurent Meillon, Director

Capitol Solar Energy LLC

Denver, CO

 

Elizabeth C. Battocletti, President

The Carmel Group, LLC

Reston, VA

 

Gwen Ingram, Vice President

The Carrie Dickerson Foundation

Tulsa, OK

 

Don Timmerman, Roberta Thurstin Timmerman

Casa Maria Catholic Worker Community

Milwaukee, WI

 

Kieran Suckling

Center for Biological Diversity

Washington, DC

 

Andy Kimbrell, Executive Director

Center for Food Safety

Washington DC

 

Lenny Siegel, Executive Director

Center for Public Environmental Oversight

Mountain View, CA

 

Lucy Law Webster, Executive Director

Center for War/Peace Studies

New York, NY

 

David Hughes, Executive Director

Citizen Power

Pittsburgh, PA

 

Deb Katz

Citizens Awareness Network

Shelburne, MA

 

Janet Greenwald, Co-coordinator

Citizens for Alternatives to Radioactive Dumping

Albuquerque, NM

 

Caroline Snyder

Citizens for Sludge-Free Land

North Sandwich, NH

 

Robert Singleton, Nuclear Issues Chair

Citizens Organized to Defend Austin

Austin, TX

 

Charlie Higley, Executive Director

Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin

Madison, WI

 

Pam Solo, President

(Co-convener, TheCLEAN.org)

The Civil Society Institute

Newton, MA

 

Norm Cohen       

Coalition for Peace and Justice

Linwood, NJ

 

Cristina Castro, Coordinator

CODEPINK NYC

New York, NY

 

Medea Benjamin, Co-Founder

CODEPINK Women for Peace

Washington, DC

 

Bill Gallegos, Executive Director

Communities for a Better Environment

Huntington Park & Oakland, CA

 

Tam Hunt, J.D., President,

Community Renewable Solutions LLC

Santa Barbara, CA

 

John Calandrelli, Chapter Program Director

Connecticut Chapter of Sierra Club

Hartford, CT

 

Nancy Burton, Director

Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone

Redding, CT

 

Luke Lundemo, Director

Conscious Living Project

Jackson, MS

 

Lois Arkin, Executive Director

CRSP Institute for Urban Ecovillages

Los Angeles, CA

 

Stephen M. Brittle, President

Don't Waste Arizona, Inc.

Phoenix, AZ

 

Kathryn Barnes, Board of Directors

Don't Waste Michigan - Sherwood Chapter

Sherwood, MI

 

Lois Barber, Co-founder & Executive Director

EarthAction & 2020 Action

Amherst, MA

 

Jane E. Magers, Coordinator

Earth Care, Inc

Des Moines, IA

 

Chris Trepal, Executive Director

Earth Day Coalition

Cleveland, OH

 

Al Fritsch, SJ

Earth Healing

Ravenna, KY

 

Lester R. Brown

Earth Policy Institute

Washington, DC

 

Jim Bell, Director

Ecological Life Systems Inst. Inc.

San Diego, CA

 

Mahlon Aldridge, Vice President

Ecology Action

Santa Cruz, CA

 

Cara L. Campbell, Chair

Ecology Party of Florida

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

Dan Stafford, Organizing Director

Environmental Action

Denver, CO

 

William Snape

Environmental Law Program

American University Law School

Washington, DC

 

Lillian K. Light, President

Environmental Priorities Network

Manhattan Beach, CA

 

Don Ogden, Producer

The Enviro Show-WXOJ-LP & WMCB

Florence, MA

 

Jennifer Barker

EORenew/SolWest Fair

Canyon City, OR

 

Ben Mancini, President

EV Solar Products, Inc.

Chino Valley, AZ

 

Judi Poulson, Chair

Fairmont, Minnesota USA Peace Group

Fairmont, MN

 

Linda S. Ochs, Director

Finger Lakes Citizens for the Environment

Waterloo, NY

 

Dan Brook, Ph.D.

Food for Thought---and Action

San Jose, CA

 

Jon Blickenstaff, Treasurer

Footprints for Peace

Cincinnati, OH

 

Nick Mann, Legislative Program Assistant-Environment

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Washington, DC

 

Richard V. Sidy, President

Gardens for Humanity

Sedona, AZ

 

Amanda Hill-Attkisson, Managing Director

Georgia Women's Action for New Directions

Atlanta, GA

 

Peter Meisen, President

Global Energy Network Institute

San Diego, CA

 

Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Brunswick, ME

 

Casey Coates Danson, President

Global Possibilities

Los Angeles, CA

 

Barbara Harris

Granny Peace Brigade NY

New York, NY

 

Vicky Steinitz

Greater Boston United for Justice with Peace Coalition

Boston, MA

 

Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director

Green America

Washington, DC

 

Jennifer Olaranna Viereck, Executive Director

HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth

N. Bennington, VT

 

Bonnie A. New, MD MPH; Director

Health Professionals for Clean Air

Houston, TX

 

Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, Program Director

Hibakusha Stories

New York, NY

 

David Morris, Vice President

Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Minneapolis, MN

 

Jaydee Hanson, Policy Director

International Center for Technology Assessment

Washington, DC

 

Victor Menotti, Executive Director

International Forum on Globalization

San Francisco, CA

 

Christian May, Founder

iSupportSolar

Frederick, MD

 

Daniel Ziskin, PhD; President

Jews Of The Earth

Boulder, CO

 

Andy McDonald, Director

Kentucky Solar Partnership

Appalachia - Science in the Public Interest

Frankfurt, KY

 

Kay Tiffany, Steering Committee

Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition

Lexington, MA

 

Paul Gallimore, Director   

Long Branch Environmental Education Center

Leicester, NC

 

Greg Mello

Los Alamos Study Group

Albuquerque, NM

 

Claudine Cremer, Owner

Meadow Cove Farm

Weaverville, NC

 

Linda Belgrave, Secretary

Miami for Peace & Justice

Coral Gables, FL

 

Barbara Jennings, CSJ, Coordinator

Midwest Coalition for Responsible Investment

St. Louis, MO

 

Mark Haim, Chair

Missourians for Safe Energy

Columbia, MO

 

Judy Treichel, Executive Director

Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force

Las Vegas, NV

 

Lilia Diaz, Outreach Director

New Energy Economy

Santa Fe, NM

 

Penelope McMullen, SL

New Mexico Justice and Peace Coordinator

Loretto Community

Santa Fe, NM

 

Carolyn Treadway

No New Nukes

Normal, IL

 

Wells Eddleman, Staff Scientist

North Carolina Citizens Research Group

Durham, NC

 

Larry Bell, President

North East Arizona Energy Services Company

Concho, AZ

 

Barbara Haack, Member

North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice

Ipswich, MA

 

David Borris, President

North Suburban Peace Initiative and Chicago Area Peace Action

Evanston, IL

 

Nina Bell, J.D., Executive Director

Northwest Environmental Advocates

Portland, OR

 

Alice Slater, NY Director

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

New York, NY

 

David Krieger, President

Nuclear Age Peace Foundation

Santa Barbara, CA

 

Wendy Oser, Director

Nuclear Guardianship Project

Berkeley, CA

 

Jack & Felice Cohen-Joppa, editors

The Nuclear Resister

Tucson, AZ

 

Arn Specter, Editor

The Nuclear Review

Philadelphia, PA

 

Glenn Carroll, Coordinator

Nuclear Watch South

Atlanta, GA  

 

Chris Daum, President

Oasis Montana Inc. Renewable Energy Supply & Design

Stevensville, MT 

 

Philip Tymon, Administrative Director

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center

Occidental, CA

 

Patricia A. Marida, Chair-Nuclear Issues Committee

Ohio Sierra Club

Columbus, OH

 

Dave Robinson, Executive Director

Pax Christi USA

Washington, DC

 

Judi Friedman, Chair

PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy, Inc.)

Canton, CT

 

Aviv Goldsmith, President

Precursor Systems, Inc.

Spotsylvania, VA

 

Launce Rake, Communications Director

Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada

Carson City/Las Vegas/Reno, Nevada

 

Elizabeth O'Nan, Director

Protect All Children's Environment

Marion, NC

 

Joy Blackwood

Public Health Educator

Landover, MD 

 

Anne Mitchell, General Secretary

Quaker Earthcare Witness

Burlington, VT

 

Tor Allen, Executive Director

The Rahus Institute

Sebastopol, CA

 

Michael Welch, volunteer

Redwood Alliance

Arcata, CA

 

Tena Willemsma

Religious Leaders for Coalfield Justice

Winchester, VA

 

Quintin Bullis, GC-Sales/Installer Solar Energy Systems

Renaissance Developers

Tunnel, NY

 

Ron Leonard, Founder

RenewableEnergyCoalition.org

Woodstock, NY

 

Gordian Raacke, Executive Director

Renewable Energy Long Island

East Hampton, NY

 

Andreas Karelas, Executive Director

RE-volv

San Francisco, CA

 

Peggy Kurtz, Co-coordinator

Rockland Sierra Club

Nyack, NY

 

Russell Lowes, Research Director

www.SafeEnergyAnalyst.org

Tucson, AZ

 

Clare Ritchie, Chairperson

Salem Peace Committee

Salem, MA

 

Elaine Holder, President

San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace

Mothers for Peace Action Committee

San Luis Obispo, CA

 

David Brown Kinloch, President

Shaker Landing Hydro Associates, Inc.

Louisville, KY

 

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Director

The Shalom Center

Philadelphia, PA

 

Dennis R. Winters, Chair

Sierra Club - Pennsylvania Chapter

Philadelphia, PA

 

Mark Dickson, Owner

Simple Power, LLC (Renewable Energy Design and Installation)

Stevensville, MT 

 

Sr. Ellen Orf, CPPS; Leadership Team member

Sisters of the Most Precious Blood

O’Fallon, MO

 

Diana Oleskevich CSJA, Justice Coordinator

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province

St. Louis, MO

 

Scott Sklar, President

The Stella Group, Ltd.

Arlington, VA

 

Stuart Magruder, AIA, LEED, Principal

Studio Nova A Architects, Inc.

Los Angeles, CA

 

Erika Schneider, Outreach Coordinator

Sundance Power Systems

Weaverville, NC

 

Ken Bossong, Executive Director

SUN DAY Campaign

Takoma Park, MD

 

John F Neville, President

Sustainable Arizona

(statewide), AZ

 

Rona Fried, CEO

SustainableBusiness.com

Huntington Station, NY

 

Ron Hubert, President

Sustainable Economic Development Initiative of Northern Arizona

(Managing Director - Hozho International)

Flagstaff, AZ

 

Karen Hadden, Executive Director

Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) Coalition

Austin, TX

 

Melissa Everett, Ph.D., Executive Director

Sustainable Hudson Valley

Kingston, NY

 

Charles Jansen, Initiating Group Member

Transition Asheville

Asheville, NC

 

H. Patricia Hynes, Chair - Board

Traprock Center for Peace and Justice

Greenfield, MA

 

Chuck Learned, Director

Tri Local Returns

Madison, WI

 

Marylia Kelley, Executive Director

Tri-Valley CAREs

Livermore, CA

 

Dr. Brian Moench, President

Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment

Salt Lake City, UT

 

Dr. Don Richardson

Western NC Physicians For Social Responsibility

Brevard, NC

 

Chris Herman, Owner

Winter Sun Design

(Interim President - Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative)

Edmonds, WA

 

Diane Farsetta, PhD, Executive Director

Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice

Madison, WI

 

Virginia Pratt, Chair

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom

Boston, MA

 

Suzanne Maxx, Founder/President/Ex.Dir.

World Team Now

Malibu, CA

 

Nathalie Worthington, Owner

Worthington Studios

St. Petersburg, FL