Administration posture prompts fear of new blasts at Nev. site

By ROBERT GEHRKE
Monday, March 05, 2007

For four decades, the Nevada Test Site was ground zero for hundreds of nuclear-weapons tests.

Then in 1992, the United States conducted its last such test at the outdoor lab, leaving the tightly guarded installation the size of Rhode Island in a bit of limbo.

Although the bombs have gone silent, the Bush administration has left the door open to a return to testing, pushing a more aggressive nuclear posture and seeking money to cut the time it would take to begin testing at the site.

A large public outcry from residents in Utah, Nevada and Idaho forced the Defense Department two weeks ago to cancel its proposed Divine Strake test _ a huge blast of 700 tons of conventional explosives _ and raised the question of whether the public could ever stomach renewed nuclear tests at the site.

"If you look at (Divine Strake) as a litmus test for how comfortable the public is with the idea of renewed nuclear testing, well, the answer is crystal clear: Don't even think about it," said Vanessa Pierce, executive director of the Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah. "Utahns are unwilling to consider allowing anything that brings us even one step closer to the days of nuclear blasts."

But some, including Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, whose father died of cancer as a result of radioactive fallout from the Cold War nuclear tests, fear that is the direction the Bush administration is headed.

On Friday, the National Nuclear Security Administration announced its new design for the "Reliable Replacement Warhead," the next-generation U.S. atomic weapon. Matheson questions the rationale for the new weapon, and how it can be built without bei

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NOT AGAIN!!

I'm not at all surprised, but this develpment will get a lot more action than people being homeless and hungry and sick, so I'll focus on poverty, instead.

:hi:

Yes, I'm a bomb baby, and remember many instances of school friends whose dads were in "Jackass Flats" for a "test".

But, as I said, unless/until there is more concern on DU for poverty issues, I will focus on that.

You're welcome to join me, of course. :hi:

Dorothy Day had room in her busy life for both peace issues (and protesting in Nevada!) and poor folk.

:hi:

is that Nevada is one of the largest booming areas in the country. It was originally picked because it was less populated.
It would be no different than if they decided to do nuclear testing in a Dallas suburb.
Perhaps they should move the test site to Crawford?