Quotable

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones
-Albert Einstein (contemplating nuclear devastation)

Monday, January 23, 2012

The Cold War lives on at Bangor base

The Cold War ended in 1991. But you might not know it to look at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor.

The base's eight nuclear submarines typically sail on patrol three times a year for up to 100 days at a stretch, much as they did before the Soviet Union disintegrated.

Three of those submarines might be on alert at any given time, and the entire fleet carries enough nuclear warheads on its Trident missiles to obliterate every major city in Russia and China.

Now the Navy wants a $715 million second munitions wharf to accommodate upgrade work on the missiles. The Pentagon is scheduled to issue its final environmental-impact statement early this year, one of the last major hurdles before the four-year construction can begin in July.

That is how Washington Bureau correspondent Kyung Song begins the January 8th Seattle Times front page article Plan for new Navy wharf at Bangor fires up nuke debate.  The article takes a serious look at the crux question - "Is the nuclear-sub fleet a "Cold War relic" or a modern deterrent?"

Although the Navy and supporters like Norm Dicks, D-Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, claim the need to go full steam ahead with the new wharf, others are much more skeptical.  More than one expert questions the need for the new wharf when it is likely that Bangor will host fewer ballistic missile subs in the future.

Another voice against the project, Tom Rogers, is a retired Navy captain who commanded nuclear submarines during the Cold War.  Rogers puts it bluntly in The Times article:

"Why are we doing this? We're spending a whole lot of taxpayer money on a Cold War relic," Rogers said in an interview. "All we are doing is making defense contractors rich."

Rogers, 65, served three decades on attack submarines at Naval Base San Diego. He believes the massive American nuclear stockpile makes little difference to such unstable nuclear states as North Korea or possible would-be player Iran. And it encourages potential enemies such as Russia or China to keep up their own inventory.

"We're not deterring anyone with those weapons right now," Rogers said. "This is ridiculous spending."

The plan for a Second Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor is an integral part of the nuclear weapons debate.  It begs the question, What possible benefits could come from U.S. plans to build up its nuclear forces well into the end of this century??? It is time to ask the critical questions about what role (if any) nuclear weapons should play in the nations defense.   

Are nuclear weapons, to quote Representative Jim McDermott, an "outdated radioactive relic?"  Wouldn't the billions spent on nuclear weapons be better spent on programs of social uplift.  Do these omnicidal weapons ensure our security or do they risk the future of life on this planet?

Tom Rogers "contends that fears of a dangerous world and ignorance keep many citizens from asking hard questions about the Trident submarines."  It is time for us to overcome the ridiculous fears created by those who benefit from the perpetuation of a nuclear arms race.  It is time to ask the hard questions not only about Trident, but about all nuclear weapons.

Toward a world without nuclear weapons,

Leonard

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Read The Seattle Times article Plan for new Navy wharf at Bangor fires up nuke debate at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017193326_navywharf09m.html

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Bangor sub base fails to properly monitor its underground fuel tanks

The following news release indicates that Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor has failed in its duty to prevent petrochemicals stored on base in underground tanks from potentially leaking and contaminating surface and groundwater, and surrounding communities' drinking water sources.

While the Navy has not spent money on this critical environmental monitoring, it has nevertheless - since the 9/11 attacks - spent well over $100 million on a waterfront security force and facility, fences and guard towers, and other projects.

[News Release from the Environmental Protection Agency]

Naval Base Kitsap fails to properly monitor fuel tanks near Puget Sound for leaks

Release Date: 01/17/2012

Contact Information: Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, kader.hanady@epa.gov Anne Christopher, EPA Ground Water Unit, 206-553-8293, christopher.anne@epa.gov

Navy corrects violations and settles with EPA for nearly $161,000

(Seattle—Jan. 17, 2012) Naval Base Kitsap Bangor failed to properly monitor pipes and underground fuel storage tanks for leaks on its property in Silverdale, Washington in violation of federal laws that protect groundwater, according to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Navy will pay nearly $161,000 in fines.

“EPA is working hard to restore Puget Sound and fuel leaks near the shoreline could seriously set us back,” said Peter Contreras, Manager of the Ground Water Unit in EPA’s Seattle office. “Nearby communities also rely on groundwater for drinking water, so preventing releases protects both Puget Sound and public health.”

The violations occurred between 2006 and 2010. The holding capacity of the inspected tanks ranges between 170 gallons and 45,000 gallons.

The Navy has 53 underground storage tanks on the base it uses for storing diesel, used oil and gasoline. EPA inspectors identified 37 violations including failure to properly monitor the tanks and pipes for leaks; failure to have the proper leak detection equipment installed for the pipes; and failure to provide an adequate alarm system to prevent delivery drivers from overfilling the tanks.

Leaks from underground storage tanks allow toxic fumes and vapors to escape and collect in areas such as parking garages or basements where they can cause explosion or respiratory illness. Toxic contaminants can also leak into groundwater sources that people depend on for drinking water. Regularly monitoring tanks and pipes minimizes contamination risks.

To detect leaks quickly, underground storage tanks must be monitored monthly and the pipes must be equipped with a leak detector and tested annually or monitored monthly. The Navy had the appropriate monitoring equipment in place at most of the sites, but failed to check the monitors on a monthly basis and document that the tanks and pipes were not leaking.

Since the 2010 EPA inspection of the base, the Navy has corrected the violations. The Navy has agreed to provide EPA with documentation showing it is in compliance with proper monitoring.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and requires owners of underground storage tanks to regularly monitor their tank systems for leaks.

For more information on underground storage tanks, visit http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/WATER.NSF/UST/UST+LUST+home

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EPA News Release URL: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/bfe3ae5eebb99d2585257988007dd2ca?OpenDocument

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Courthouse interviews at January 4th trial

Nuclear resisters and their supporters were in a Kitsap County District Courtroom on January 4, 2012 for their participation in a nonviolent direct action at the Bangor Trident nuclear submarine base in August 2011. Todd Boyle videotaped folks coming out of the courtroom, getting their thoughts on the trial and the greater question - "what's up with all these nuclear weapons?" Check it out!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Activists have their say in court for abolition of nuclear weapons

Peace activists made their case for the abolition of nuclear weapons, specifically the Trident nuclear weapons system, while on trial in a Kitsap County courtroom on January 4th and 5th for blocking the entrance to a local nuclear weapons base.

The ten defendants in two separate trials were charged with being “pedestrians on Roadway Unlawfully,” a traffic infraction. On different occasions, May 7, 2011 and August 8, 2011, the activists blocked the entrance to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, symbolically closing the base as a statement against the U.S. government’s continued deployment of the Trident first strike nuclear weapons system.

The Trident submarine base at Bangor, just 20 miles from Seattle, contains the largest concentration of operational nuclear weapons. Each of the 8 Trident submarines at Bangor carries 24 Trident II (D-5) missiles, each armed with up to 8 independently targetable nuclear warheads. Each nuclear warhead has an explosive yield of between 100 and 475 kilotons (up to 32 times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb).

The defendants on trial January 4th were Anne Hall, Betsy Lamb, Brenda McMillen and Tom Rogers, who were arrested August 8, 2011. On trial on January 5thwere Mary Gleysteen, Anne Hall, David Hall, Bernie Meyer, Shirley Morrison, Dorli Rainey and Alice Zillah, who were arrested on May 7, 2012.
A lighter moment in the courtroom at January 4th trial.
Kitsap County District Court Judge James M. Riehl presided over the trials. All the defendants, except Bernie Meyer and Dorli Rainey who represented themselves, were represented by attorney William Joel Rutzick.

Rutzick attempted to demonstrate that the defendants were incorrectly charged, and therefore the charges should be dismissed. State Patrol officers, who had been present at both arrests, testified, and photos and video were shown by the defense to make its case.
Aside from the legal issues surrounding the charging statute, the primary reason for the defendants to be in the courtroom was to make their case against the continued deployment of the Trident first strike weapons system and the government’s continued reliance on nuclear weapons while neglecting to lead the way towards the global abolition of nuclear weapons.

Judge Riehl was attentive and conciliatory as he limited the extent of the defendants’ testimonies while allowing them to state their case, in which they spoke passionately, referring to precedents established by the Nuremburg Tribunal and humanitarian principles and law. The general question asked by defense counsel was “Why did you do what you did?”

Tom Rogers, a retired Navy officer who commanded nuclear submarines during the Cold War, testified that he had been responsible for nuclear weapons during his career, and that our country’s national security strategy based on the threat of nuclear annihilation is dangerous, militarily impractical, and unaffordable. He participated in the August action to bring public awareness and believes his actions were justified based on the Nuremburg principles.
Anne Hall with defense counsel William Joel Rutzick.
Anne Hall, a Lutheran minister, said that she “wanted to close that base for as long as possible… wanted to make people aware of the immorality and illegality of what was going on in that base.” When asked “What part did religion have to do with your motivation?” by Rutzick, she said "my calling is to follow Jesus… it is an anathema to God to kill children..."

Dave Hall: "…my commitment is to love justice and it is an anathema to be willing to incinerate an entire city..." Bernie Meyer: “…what I did was a citizen intervention." Alice Zilah: “Trident is a cold war era machine we can no longer afford. We can't afford them on a financial level or a moral level." Dorli Rainey: “[Our action at Bangor] is the only way we can get to the public to let them know the outrageous things being done in our name.” Shirley Morrison: “...these weapons are immoral and illegal..." Brenda McMillan: [Nuclear] “weapons are immoral, horrific.” Betsy Lamb: “[We] follow in the steps of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Jackie Hudson, and Jesus himself… feel called to take these drastic steps.”

In his ruling Judge Riehl said that the defendants’ compelling testimony "rings true,” and that it has been “a long battle in this courtroom for people working on this issue,” and remarked how Anne Hall has been engaged in this struggle for 30 years. Although the judge believes "... the cause is just..." he said that he must “uphold the rule of law." Consistent with both the rule of law and the circumstances surrounding the defendants’ actions he found them guilty of the traffic infraction, fined them the full $56, and mitigated that to $25.

The eleven defendants are participants with Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, which holds vigils and nonviolent direct actions at the Bangor base each year around Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

For over thirty-three years Ground Zero has engaged in education, training in nonviolence, community building, resistance against Trident and action toward a world without nuclear weapons.

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Note: Contact Leonard Eiger at subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com for more information.

Monday, January 2, 2012

County Trials This Week for Civil Resistance at Trident Submarine Base

Eleven nuclear resisters will appear in a Kitsap County courtroom this week in two separate trials for their acts of civil resistance to the Trident nuclear weapons system.

The Trident submarine base at Bangor, just 20 miles from Seattle, contains the largest concentration of operational nuclear weapons. Each of the 8 Trident submarines at Bangor carries 24 Trident II (D-5) missiles, each armed with up to 8 independently targetable nuclear warheads. Each nuclear warhead has an explosive yield of between 100 and 475 kilotons (up to 32 times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb).

Anne Hall, Betsy Lamb, Brenda McMillen and Tom Rogers, who were arrested for blocking the main entrance road to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on August 8, 2011, are scheduled for trial in Kitsap County District Court on January 4th at 1:15 pm.

They are charged with being “pedestrians in the roadway”, a traffic infraction. The four moved a 44 foot long inflatable Trident II D-5 missile replica onto the roadway in an attempt to symbolically close the base as a statement against the U.S. government’s continued deployment of the first strike nuclear weapons system.

Mary Gleysteen, Anne Hall, David Hall, Bernie Meyer, Shirley Morrison, Dorli Rainey and Alice Zillah, who were charged with the same traffic infraction for blocking the Bangor entrance road on May 7, 2011, have their trial on January 5th at 1:15 pm in the same court.

Kitsap County District Court Judge James M. Riehl considered several pretrial issues at a November 14th hearing for the August 8th defendants, including the government's motion in limine which would have prevented the defendants from mentioning nuclear weapons, international treaties the U.S. had signed, or any of the reasons they sought to symbolically close the base.

The judge ruled in the defendants' favor on all points. He said he would allow them to talk about why they blocked the road, although he withheld his ruling on exactly to what extent they could discuss international law and other issues covered in the motion in limine.

He also ruled that the group could show a video of the action, and that they could consolidate their cases. In addition, he implied that he would make the same rulings for the seven defendants from the May 7th action.

The defendants in both trials are pleased with Judge Riehl’s rulings, as the reason the resisters wish to stand trial is so they can speak to the very issues that our government continues to ignore as it continues a massive build up of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, including research and manufacturing complexes, and planning for a next generation ballistic missile submarine fleet to replace the current OHIO class fleet, all in contravention to both United States and international humanitarian law.

The purpose of the May and August vigils and nonviolent actions was to raise awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons and U.S. government’s continuing reliance on them (particularly the Trident nuclear weapons system), and the critical importance of working towards a nuclear weapons-free world.

The eleven defendants are members of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, which holds vigils and nonviolent direct actions every year around Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and the anniversaries of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

For over thirty-three years Ground Zero has engaged in education, training in nonviolence, community building, resistance against Trident and action toward a world without nuclear weapons.

The Kitsap County District Courthouse is located at 614 Division Street, Port Orchard, WA. Both trials begin at1:15pm in courtroom 105.  Directions at: http://www.kitsapgov.com/directions.htm.  Courthouse campus map (with parking info) at: http://www.kitsapgov.com/county/campus.htm.

Contact: Leonard Eiger, Media and Outreach
               Ground Zero Center for NonviolentAction
               www.gzcenter.org
               subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com
               (425)445-2190