ANA Blog
The Nuclear-Free Frontpage
A Native American Yucca Mountain Experience
By the year 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency set the radiation protection standards for Yucca Mountain without considering the comments of the Native Community Action Council challenging the Environmental Protection Agency standard for not being protective of...
Don’t NUKE The Climate
Nuclear is the most costly way to fail at climate and drive support away from sustainable renewables. Every step in the nuclear chain releases carbon dioxide (CO2). The enduring purpose of nuclear technology is the production of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)....
US is Ill-Prepared to Safely Manage its Nuclear Waste from Climate Threats
More than 150 sites across the country have to be managed for radioactive waste for centuries or millennia. But there’s no plan in place for how this will be done, says GAO report. The original cleanup was done “on the cheap,” says Bob Schaeffer, consultant to...
Top Ten List of Priorities for the Biden/Harris Administration from Nuclear Weapons Communities
Nuclear weapons will demand the immediate attention of the next Administration and Congress. The last remaining effective arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, the New START Treaty, expires on February 5, 2021. The two trillion dollar plan to modernize US nuclear weapons has triggered a new and dangerous global nuclear arms race. ANA offers ten conservative actions the Biden/Harris administration can take immediately to reduce the nuclear threat, make the nation more secure, and save hundreds of billions of dollars.
PRIORITIES FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMMUNITIES – TOP TEN LIST
Nuclear weapons will demand the immediate attention of the next Administration and Congress. ANA offers ten conservative actions the government can take immediately to reduce the nuclear threat, make the nation more secure, and save hundreds of billions of dollars.
CELEBRATING THE TREATY ON THE PROHIBITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS ON THIS HISTORIC DAY
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) today celebrates the 50th ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Under the terms of the treaty, it will enter into force, and become part of international law in 90 days.
Don’t Preach Nuclear Arms to Archbishop
In response to (the Aug. 13) editorial “Archbishop’s nuclear weapons view needs a homily on reality,” I was one of the speakers at the 75th anniversary commemoration of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, organized by Fr. John Dear, at which Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester...
Nuclear Blackmail in Illinois
David Kraft beyondnuclearinternational.org Exelon stranglehold on energy legislation runs long and deep Breaking news update: Today, August 10, a putative class of Commonwealth Edison customers filed a civil racketeering lawsuit against Illinois Speaker of the...
Nuclear Power Goes South in South Carolina
Linda Pentz Gunter beyondnuclearinternational.org Executive admits fraud in fleecing ratepayers and shareholders “It looks like crime might well pay after all.” That was the weary and only slightly tongue-in-cheek conclusion drawn by longtime anti-nuclear campaigner,...
East Bay Time Letter to the Editor on Hiroshima Anniversary “Hiroshima anniversary a time to reflect, act”
Militarization, violence and assault weapons permeate our culture. Sitting at the apex of violence are nuclear weapons of mass destruction. How can we promote a civilian life of compassion, inclusion and nonviolence while our government spends billions on new, “more...
75th Commemoration Events for Hiroshima & Nagasaki
On 75th Anniversary of Japan Nuclear Bombings, Sierra Club Continues Calls for Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
Today, the Sierra Club rises with the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings in continuing our call for an elimination of all nuclear weapons worldwide. The creation and storage of nuclear weapons is inherently risky, and accidents, testing, and use...
U.S. LAUNCHES MINUTEMAN III MISSILE TEST LESS THAN 48 HOURS BEFORE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIROSHIMA ATOMIC BOMBING
“The unnecessarily provocative test by the U.S. today is an important reminder that the nuclear threat remains very real, and that there are people in this country – along with a few other countries – who are willing to sacrifice us all in a battle that can never be...
The 75th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Renewed Call for Our Day
“A world of peace, free from nuclear weapons, is the aspiration of millions … ” — Pope Francis, Address at Atomic Bomb Hypocenter Park (Nagasaki), November 24, 2019. PEOPLE OF GOD – Santa Fe Archdiocese, August 2020 PRAY Pray with your community for the causes of...
Gov. argues against Holtec nuclear storage site
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, arguing against a proposed nuclear waste interim storage facility in southeast New Mexico. “The proposed (facility) would join the ranks of uranium mining, nuclear energy and...
LANL trolley that carries radioactive material broken down
“If LANL can’t drive a trolley or clean up old stuff without exposing people, how can they safely expand plutonium pit production?” asked Scott Kovac, research and operations director for nonprofit Nuclear Watch New Mexico. BY: SCOTT WYLAND | santafenewmexican.com An...
Trinity: 75 Years Later
On the 75th anniversary of the world’s first nuclear weapons explosion: The Trinity test near Alamogordo in 1945, KSFR News Director Tom Trowbridge spoke with a longtime New Mexico journalist about the anniversary. ORIGINAL BROADCAST - KSFR
Church Rock Uranium Spill July 16, 1979
In 1968, the United Nuclear Corporation initiated mining operations in the largest underground uranium mine in the United States. Located in Church Rock, New Mexico, in the Navajo Native American Reservation, the Church Rock Mill produced more than two million pounds...
Fifteen LANL Workers Being Evaluated For Possible Exposure To Plutonium-238 Following June 8 Glovebox Glove Breach
Los Alamos National Laboratory is investigating the possible exposure of Laboratory employees to plutonium-238 after a breach in a glovebox glove at the Plutonium Facility on June 8. BY: MAIRE O’NEILL | losalamosreporter.com The Plutonium Facility at Los Alamos...
Nuclear War Simulator Reveals the Dystopia We’ll be Living in if Nuclear War Breaks Out
https://ivan-stepanov.itch.io/nuclear-war-simulator "There are currently over 13000 nuclear weapons on this planet of which over 9000 are in military stockpiles. This software should help you answer the question: what will happen if Russia and United States or India...
Officials and NGOs Express Deep Concerns about Holtec
“Many commenters stated that the storage could be permanent because there is no disposal site.  They reminded the NRC that this is why the law requires that a permanent repository be selected before the designation of an interim facility like Holtec, and this has not...
Absolutely Unacceptable: Resumed US Nuclear Explosive Testing
A May 22 Washington Post story reported that in mid-May top national security officials discussed resumption of full-scale US nuclear explosive testing. The next day, the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons was holding, virtually, its annual...
As Work Resumes, Energy Dept. Weighs COVID-19 Impact on Cleanup Milestones
The 27-page document, signed June 4 by DOE Senior Adviser for Environmental Management William (Ike) White, directs managers at the agency’s 16 nuclear cleanup sites to make a list of missed contract milestones and a “path forward” for finishing the work on an...
CHAIN REACTION 2020: SECURING OUR FUTURE
Watch the full video of Chain Reaction: Securing Our Future, live-streamed June 8, 2020 Chain Reaction is Ploughshares Fund’s annual gala, gathering leaders in our field, devoted partners, and new advocates to generate a nexus of ideas, opportunities, and strategies...
BEYOND NUCLEAR FILES FEDERAL LAWSUIT CHALLENGING HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DUMP FOR ENTIRE INVENTORY OF U.S. “SPENT” REACTOR FUEL  Â
Petitioner charges the Nuclear Regulatory Commission knowingly violated U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act and up-ended settled law prohibiting transfer of ownership of spent fuel to the federal government until a permanent underground repository is ready to receive it....
Proposed Plutonium Bomb Plant at SRS in South Carolina Draws Criticism from Public; NNSA’s Nuclear War Plans Challenged
DOE's NNSA Quietly Plans for All-Out Nuclear War as Coronavirus Rages and Peace and Justice Demonstrations Grow; Plutonium Pit Production to Stimulate Arms Race "Savannah River Site Watch, Nuclear Watch New Mexico and Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive...
How Much Did the U.S. Spend on Nuclear Weapons in 2019?
According to a new report by the Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, or ICAN, the U.S. spent $35.4 billion on nuclear weapons in 2019. This figure includes $11.1 billion to the National Nuclear Security Administration, a...
OAK RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL PEACE ALLIANCE: NNSA Earthquake Analysis “Inadequate”
The Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance joined people from around the country in declaring the National Nuclear Security Administration’s environmental analysis of earthquake risks at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, “inadequate, in so...
What to Look For in the U.S. Department of Energy’s FY2021 Nuclear Weapons and Cleanup Budget Request
According to media reports, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the semi-autonomous nuclear weapons agency within the Department of Energy (DOE), has persuaded President Trump to increase its weapons budget by more than 20% in one year.
ANA Letter Opposing $20 Billion increase in NNSA Budget
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability is working against the reported $20 billion increase to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s 2021 budget. The NNSA budget, which has seen annual funding increases even as other agencies have been cut,now threatens to surge. This increase would throw good money after bad. NNSA’s longstanding structural problems, cost over-runs and delays cannot be fixed with more money.
DC Days 2019
Over sixty activists from around the United States gathered in Washington, DC for ANA’s 31st annual DC Days from May 19-22. Combining education, advocacy, networking, and fun; these activists held over 70 meetings with members of Congress and their staff, as well as the Trump administration. Our group effectively voiced our concerns about nuclear weapons, power, and waste — speaking power to power!
ANA Letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committees
On November 27, 2018, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability sent a letter to the Senate and House Armed Services Committee requesting that they act to defend the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, which is under threat from the Department of Energy.
ANA Sends Letter to Sec. Perry in Defense of DNFSB
On August 27, 2018, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.The letter addresses ANA's grave concerns regarding DOE Order 140.1 Interface with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (5/14/2018), which limits...
ANA Members Testify at California State Capitol
On August 14, 2018, two member groups of the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability were represented at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Marylia Kelley, Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs, and Rick Wayman, Deputy Director of the Nuclear Age Peace...
Major Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemorations at U.S. Warhead Facilities Across the Nation
Thousands of peace advocates, Hibakusha, religious leaders, scientists, economists, attorneys, doctors and others across the country will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki this August 6-9 at key sites in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex.
Questions About the U.S. Department of Energy FY 2019 Nuclear Weapons and Cleanup Budget Request
Prior to the Trump administration’s release of the FY2019 budget request, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability posed these questions about the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons budget request.
Using the Freedom of Information Act at DOE Nuclear Weapons Sites
Scott Yundt of ANA member group Tri-Valley CAREs has produced a new report that includes several sample requests and pieces of correspondence to which users can refer, as well as sections on how to craft an effective request, how to craft a fee waiver, and how to appeal a withholding based on any of the nine FOIA exemptions.
ANA Member Group Addresses Tunnel Collapse at Hanford Site
Tom Carpenter of ANA member group Hanford Challenge appeared on Democracy Now on May 12 to talk about the tunnel collapse at Hanford.
Accountability Audit: New Report from the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability has published its new report, Accountability Audit, in advance of its 29th Annual DC Days, and just one day after a tunnel containing radioactive waste collapsed at the Hanford Site in Washington State. The lack of investment in comprehensive cleanup at Hanford is just one of many issues ANA tackles in this important new report.
ANA Submits Comments on Consolidated Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
On January 27, 2017, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability submitted comments to the Department of Energy (DOE) on Private Initiatives to Develop Consolidated Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facilities.
Read ANA’s full comments.
Remembering Bill Mitchell
by Ralph HutchisonCoordinator, Oak Ridge Environmental Peace AllianceWhen I entered the room at Highlander Center in 1989, I was immediately overwhelmed. Everyone else in the room, it seemed, had been deeply immersed in activism for decades. They knew tons more than I...
In Memoriam: Bill Mitchell
In memoriam Bill Mitchell, visionary co-founder of the Military Production Network, the predecessor to today's Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. In his honor the Alliance has created the Bill Mitchell Next Generation Leadership Development Fund to attract and...
ANA Comments on DOE’s “Consent-Based Siting”
On July 28, 2016, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability submitted comments on the Department of Energy’s proposal for “consent-based siting” of highly-radioactive waste. The current DOE “consent-based siting process” is premature and should be terminated. Before any repository siting process can begin, there must be a public process to develop the new technical standards.
Click here to read ANA’s comments.
ANA Comments on DOE’s “Consent-Based Siting”
On July 28, 2016, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability submitted comments about "consent-based siting" of high-level radioactive waste.The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has held nine public meetings across the country since January, regarding so-called...
Trillion Dollar Trainwreck
Proliferation begins at home. That has never been clearer than now, as the United States embarks on what many scientists at its nuclear weapons laboratories are calling “the second nuclear age.” The United States plans to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years to “modernize” all aspects of its nuclear arsenal: the bombs and warheads, the production facilities, the delivery systems, and command and control systems.
Trillion Dollar Trainwreck: A New Report from ANA
Proliferation begins at home. That has never been clearer than now, as the United States embarks on what many scientists at its nuclear weapons laboratories are calling “the second nuclear age.” The United States plans to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years to “modernize” all aspects of its nuclear arsenal: the bombs and warheads, the production facilities, the delivery systems, and command and control systems.
U.S. Modernization Funding Threatens Disarmament Efforts
With the 2015 Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference approaching, the question of which nuclear-armed states are acting in accordance with their Article VI obligations is increasingly salient. The United States, despite President Barack Obama’s stated commitment for moving us towards a nuclear weapons free world, is currently at the helm of the largest expansion of funding on nuclear weapons since the fall of the Soviet Union. Find out what $1 trillion is buying the Untied States and how you can help stop this dangerous march towards a 21st century arms race.
U.S. is set to spend over a trillion dollars on nuclear weapons
According to a James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies report, the U.S. will spend over a trillion dollars modernizing the nuclear arsenal over the next 30 years. This spending sends a dangerous message to the international community and there are already signs that it is leading to an arms race between nuclear armed states. If we fail to stop these programs in their early stages, we will have wasted billions of dollars and we will stymie efforts to move towards a world free of nuclear weapons.
SANE / REIN-IN Acts seek to reduce U.S. nuclear footprint.
Sen. Markey and Rep. Blumenauer introduced the SANE / REIN-IN Acts to rollback many of the nuclear weapon modernization programs being considered over the next 10 years. The Acts, if passed, would save the U.S. around 100 billion dollars. More importantly, they would signal that the U.S. is serious about reducing its nuclear footprint and genuinely pursue a disarmament agenda.
Questions for the Department of Energy on FY2015 Budget
ALLIANCE FOR NUCLEAR ACCOUNTABILITYA national network of organizations working to address issues ofnuclear weapons production and waste cleanup Ashish Sinha: (301) 910-9405 asinha@ananuclear.orgBob Schaeffer: (239)...