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Lifelines
of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANCER PATIENTS
Vol. I, No. 2 û July 1996
Success or failure in California has national implications
Ward Valley: Lynchpin of
national low-level waste management policy
Excerpts from a speech given by William W. Otterson to a waste management conference in Park City, Utah, June 14,
1996
IÆm a retired software company executive, a father of three, and a member of the Southwestern Compact Commission.
IÆm also a 16-year cancer survivor and am alive today due to medical uses of radioisotopes. I havenÆt earned a
penny managingûor even arguing aboutûradioactive waste, and donÆt ever intend to. I hope you will allow me a few
unvarnished remarks as a result.
I am concerned that future advances in medical careûas well as the prosperity of our nationÆs biotechnology industryûare
seriously threatened by the Clinton AdministrationÆs election year effort to torpedo the Ward Valley project. IÆm
also here because I believe a number of you might be able to help solve this problem.
My own perception, based on recent lobbying visits to Capitol Hill and the disappointingly short list of co-sponsors
supporting Ward Valley land transfer legislation is that precious few U.S. Senators and Members of Congress understand
that Ward Valley is not just a narrow California land use issue. Or that successful completion of the Ward Valley
project is important to the future of the Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Act. I also believe that unless a
concerted effort is made soon to raise consciousness levels in the Halls of Congress, both Ward Valley and the
Low-level Waste Policy Act are as good as dead.
Why do I say this? Because the President and his advisors have calculated that keeping Hollywood campaign contributors
happy, and Ralph NaderÆs candidacy at bay, is more important than properly managing radioactive wastes.
Because outside of Governor Pete Wilson, Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski, and my own CongressmanûBrian Bilbrayûtoo
little political leadership is being devoted to a legislative solution.
And because outside of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANCER PATIENTS, the American College of Nuclear Physicians,
US Ecology, and a few others, little effort is being made to broaden the congressional support base. Perhaps that
is because professional politicians and lobbyists donÆt want to lose face by backing a legislative effort that
is less than a sure thing!
Most of the radioactive waste talk in Washington today centers on high-level radioactive waste and, to a lesser
extent, the Texas Low-level Waste Compact. With all due respect, there seems to be a timing problem here. Neither
the DOE High Level Waste Program or the Texas Compact face extinction if Congress doesnÆt fix things this year.
Ward Valley does.
Governor Wilson has made it quite clear that heÆll be through trying to implement the Policy Act if the Ward Valley
site is still federal property come November. IÆve known the Governor for many years, and IÆve talked with him
personally about this on a number of recent occasions. I can assure youûhe means what he says!
That covers Ward Valley. Without the land transfer this year, itÆs dead. Now, what about the Policy Act? I donÆt
pretend to have any inside information, but a cool-headed business analysis of US EcologyÆs prospects tells me
the end of Ward Valley removes the company from the low-level waste picture. That means no Nebraska license application
for the Central States Compact. And no Richland, Washington, disposal site to serve the Northwest and Rocky Mountain
Compacts. Anyone who thinks itÆs a simple matter of transferring US EcologyÆs license to someone else might want
to talk to the companyÆs state regulators.
No doubt these developments would occasion happy celebrations in the offices of Greenpeace, the Nuclear Information
Research Service, Senator Boxer, and other opponents of the Low-level Waste Policy Act. That is, for the few seconds
before they shifted their new-found enthusiasm to Texasûthe new licensing front-runner! And next on the list would
be Barnwell, South Carolinaûthe only full-service disposal site in the nation!
ItÆs also fairly safe to predict an end to the Clive, Utah facilityÆs ôhoneymoonö period-particularly now that
the site is open to some nuclear power plant waste. Make no mistakeûPolicy Act opponents have focused their efforts
on the defeat of Ward Valley because they understand its national implications. While the ActÆs supporters could
verbally downplay the impact of Ward ValleyÆs demise, no amount of rationalization would change the basic facts.
The ActÆs viability would be badlyûprobably fatallyûdamaged.
Senator Murkowski recognized the practical importance of a Ward Valley victory in posing a rhetorical question
to electric utility executives attending last yearÆs Nuclear Energy Assembly: If you canÆt site a low-level waste
radioactive waste facility in a state where the Governor wants it, the Senator asked, how do you expect to solve
the high-level waste problem?
To reframe the SenatorÆs question, how could you continue to pretend the Low-level Waste Policy Act still works
after California threw in the towel because of federal interference? And how long would waste generators continue
to pay the bill to keep trying?
Consider the alternatives should the Policy Act collapse: How long will South Carolina enjoy the limelight? Will
Utah agree to be the national disposal site? Will Congress agree to force open DOE disposal sites in Washington,
Idaho, Nevada and South Carolina against certain state objections? If some Senators are now reluctant to cross
Senator Boxer, where will the intestinal fortitude come from to pull that one off?
When all is said, there is something very troubling about the notion that after 15 years of honest effort and a
solution close at hand, itÆs now acceptable to shrug our shoulders and look into other approachesûapproaches long
ago rejected for any number of good reasons. I hope you will agree with me that the time has come to send a message
to Washingtonûstay the course and transfer Ward Valley nowûor look forward to years of chaos.
Help!!$$$
NACP has undertaken an aggressive political agenda on behalf of cancer patients. But getting our message out costs
money, and frankly, the treasury is about bare.
We need financial help. Please become a member at $100/year, and ask your friends to become members. But most of
all, you can help by asking your company to provide a grant to support the work of NACP.
Call our Executive Director, Nicki Hobson, at (619) 598-8289 to share your ideas on how we can replenish the treasury.
WeÆre making progress on very important issuesûwe canÆt give up now. And weÆre depending on you.
New delay a political stall, Bilbray says
The Clinton AdministrationÆs demand for additional testing at the Ward Valley low-level radioactive waste site
is just the latest in a string of stalling tactics that have gone on for more than three years.
That was the message relayed by Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-CA) and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANCER PATIENTS
at a February news conference in Washington, DC.
In fact, Bilbray said election year politics is driving the AdministrationÆs action, not a genuine concern for
the environment or for the health and safety of Californians.
At a Washington news conference, Congressman Brian Bilbray
(R-CA) said temporary storage of low-level waste in California raises
health and safety concerns.
In spite of the favorable report on the site issued by the National Academy of Sciences, the additional testing
and new Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement being required by Interior will delay the project at least
two years, Bilbray said.
Lifelines is published by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANCER PATIENTS. Comments on its content and suggestions
for future articles are welcome.
Nicki Hobson, Editor
2070 Ridgeline Avenue
Vista, CA 92083
Phone: (619) 598-8289
Fax: (619) 598-7304
Who belongs to NACP?
The membership of NACP is made up primarily of cancer patients, the families and friends of cancer patients, and
physicians (especially oncologists) involved in the daily care of cancer patients or in research to find better
treatment regimens and a cure for cancer. It is open to anyone sharing the goals of NACP. You are cordially invited
to become a member. For more information, call (619) 598-8289.
Have we been busy? Oh, Yes!
 NACP President Keith Boesky (l.) and Director William Otterson at the UCSD
Faculty Club informational meeting held in February.
WeÆve been working hard the past six months to break up the logjam of political obstacles delaying the Ward Valley
project, influence pending legislation on FDA drug approval processes, supporting funding for important medical
research, recruiting new members and raising funds to support NACPÆs activities. Here are just a few of those activities:
- Held news conference in Washington, DC calling for congressional action to transfer the Ward Valley land.
- Co-sponsored three pro-Ward Valley ads in Roll Call and Los Angeles Times Washington Ed. Sponsored ads in The
Trade Union Courier, San Diego Union-Tribune, Sacramento Bee and San Jose Mercury News.
- Organized an informational meeting held in the University of California, San DiegoÆs Faculty Club which was
attended by scientists, academic leaders, Nobel laureates, leaders from the biotechnology industry, government
officials, and the media.
- Participated inWard Valley Stakeholders committee established by CaliforniaÆs Governor Pete Wilson.
- Organized three cancer patient lobbying trips to Washington, D.C.
- Contacted 700 county and city officials in California regarding the current on-site temporary storage of low-level
radioactive waste in California.
- Contacted more than 1,000 contributors to the Clinton-Gore Campaign, alerting them to serious consequences
of Clinton policy on Ward Valley.
- Organized a two-hour presentation to the Southwestern Low-Level Waste Compact Commission.
- Provided input to Vice President Gore on initiative to accelerate approval of cancer drugs.
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