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March 29, 2021 by Nukewatch Leave a Comment

Unpopular Missile Project Saved by Profiteers

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2021

Congressional plans for buying 400 new land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) have been slammed by such centrist groups as the Bloomberg News’ editorial board, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Arms Control Association, Defense News, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and former Secretary of Defense William Perry’s think tank. How does the program survive? An answer comes from the Center for International Policy’s Arms and Security Program’ February 9 report, “Inside the ICBM Lobby: Special Interests or the National Interest?” The report details the enormous sums spent by military contractors on lobbying and campaign contributions to influence senators from states that host ICBM bases or major ICBM development projects. Capitol Hill’s “ICBM Coalition”— from Montana, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming — are the beneficiaries that keep voting for a nuclear weapons program although, as report author William Hartung points out, there is “no militarily sound reason to build a new ICBM.” Among the report’s major findings:

● Northrop Grumman [which was awarded a $13.3 billion development contract Sept. 8, 2020] and its major subcontractors have given $1.2 million to the current members of the Senate ICBM Coalition since 2012, and over $15 million more to members of key Congressional committees that have a central role in determining how much is spent on ICBMs. 

● The top 11 contractors working on the new ICBM spent over $119 million on lobbying in 2019 and 2020 and employed 410 lobbyists.

— Center for International Policy, Arms and Security Program, March 9, 2021

Filed Under: Military Spending, Newsletter Archives, Nuclear Weapons, Quarterly Newsletter

March 29, 2021 by Nukewatch Leave a Comment

UK Base Would Dump 50 Times More Waste

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2021

The British Navy is being condemned for planning to increase up to 50 times its discharges of radioactive waste into the ocean from its giant submarine base near Helensburgh, Scotland. The Ministry of Defense has asked to increase the dumping as it plans to expand the number of submarines and nuclear weapons stationed at its Faslane and Coulport bases. The liquid radioactive waste comes from the reactors that drive submarines, and from the processing of their nuclear warheads. The waste would be discharged using a proposed new pipeline.

Proposed discharges of radioactive cobalt-60 — one of the main radioactive wastes from submarine reactors — are projected to be 52 times higher than the average annual discharges over the last six years. The Navy projects annual discharges of radioactive tritium to be 30 times higher than discharges in 2018.

The Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament accused the military of endangering the population it’s supposed to protect. “There is no safe dose of radiation for a pregnant mother or an infant. The local harms caused by weapon systems make a nonsense of defense,” said campaign chair, Lynn Jamieson. “Increases in radioactive discharges at Faslane are unacceptable,” she said.

Faslane houses four nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed Vanguard class submarines — which carry Trident missiles “leased” from the United States — a nuclear-powered Trafalgar class sub, and three new nuclear-powered Astute class subs. Four new Astute class subs are scheduled for the Clyde Naval Base, and in the 2030s may include a fleet of new Dreadnought class submarines armed with Trident missiles. — The Ferret (Scotland), March 1; and Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Feb. 19, 2021

Filed Under: Newsletter Archives, Nuclear Weapons, Quarterly Newsletter, Radioactive Waste

March 29, 2021 by Nukewatch Leave a Comment

Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Sentencing Update

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2021
By Christine Manwiller

Nearly four years after their heroic nuclear disarmament action, five of the KBP7 defendants have been sentenced and five are serving sentences. Last October Fr. Steve Kelly was sentenced to 33 months incarceration (he has been imprisoned since the 2018 action), three years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $33,501 (shared with other defendants); and Patrick O’Neill was sentenced to 14 months in prison, with the same probation and shared restitution. Carmen Trotta and Clare Grady were sentenced in a November hearing conducted by video conference. Carmen was given 14 months, and Clare was given “one year and one day.” Due to being a cancer survivor and a having a diagnosis of Lyme disease, Grady may be required to serve only half a year with credit for time already served. Martha Hennessy, was sentenced to 10 months incarceration. Martha, Carmen, and Clare received the same three years supervised probation and restitution.

Mark Colville has refused to waive his right to appear in open court, so has been granted a delay until Covid restrictions are lifted. He is scheduled for sentencing on April 9. Liz McAlister has already completed time served (17 months). Carmen and Martha both reported to federal prisons to begin their sentences Dec. 14, 2020. Patrick began his 14-month sentence on Jan. 14, and issued a statement that said in part, “I’m going in there with hope. There’s cause for optimism right now.” Clare started her sentence on Feb. 10, 2021. — To write the resisters, follow this link for addresses and instructions about mail restrictions: http://www.nukeresister.org/inside-out/; or https://kingsbayplowshares7.org/

Filed Under: Direct Action, Newsletter Archives, Quarterly Newsletter

March 29, 2021 by Nukewatch Leave a Comment

Bomb Test Blowback

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2021

Winds from the Sahara Desert blew north over Spain, France, the UK, and Ireland in February, carrying tons of the desert’s dust. The dust, heavy enough in places to tint the sky orange, caused a measurable spike in atmospheric radiation, and after investigating the French Association for Control of Radioactivity in the West (ACRO) announced that the dust is literally radioactive blow back from France’s colonial Cold War-era nuclear bomb tests. In 1960, France began detonating nuclear weapons above- and under-ground in the Algerian Sahara, contaminating local populations, the surrounding desert, and the French troops assigned to the experiments. (It detonated another 193 nuclear weapons on French Polynesia.) ACRO researchers gathered some of the dust from car windshields and its lab analysis found cesium-137, a radioactive isotope not found in nature but produced in great quantities by nuclear weapons blasts. How much was inhaled or ingested across Europe is unknown. ACRO said in a statement, “This radioactive pollution — still observable at long distances 60 years after the nuclear fire — reminds us of … perennial radioactive contamination in the Sahara for which France bears the responsibility.” — Guardian, Mar. 9; IFL Science online (UK), Mar. 4; and Euronews.com, March 1, 2021

Filed Under: Environment, Newsletter Archives, Nuclear Weapons, Quarterly Newsletter, Radiation Exposure

March 29, 2021 by Nukewatch Leave a Comment

Kill Bill Challenges Missile Contracts

Nukewatch Quarterly Spring 2021

Legislation to kill the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM) was unveiled March 4 by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut. If passed, the bill would prohibit research and development, production, and deployment of the new submarine-launched missile. The two said that the Obama White House decided that a similar weapon was redundant and had it retired. In a related matter, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged President Biden, March 2, to cancel the SLCM-N program, and asked the president to “pause further development” of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent — a planned $264 billion replacement for today’s 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. In their letter, Markey and Khanna also urged Biden to adopt a “no first-use” doctrine for nuclear weapons, reminding the president that “there is no such thing as a winnable nuclear war.” –Defense News, March 4, 2021

Filed Under: Military Spending, Newsletter Archives, Nuclear Weapons, Quarterly Newsletter

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