Stop I-3 Coalition Newsletter
December 1, 2006
Notes from the chair — The Votes Are In
For those of us concerned with protecting the quality of our
environment and stopping Interstate 3 the results of November’s
election bodes well. Residents of the mountain region of Georgia
and North Carolina sent a clear message to Washington, D.C.
The people of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District chose
to reelect Rep. John Barrow, who was running against former
Congressman (and well known supporter of I-3) Max Burns. Voters
in North Carolina’s 11th District elected Heath Shuler
over Rep. Charles Taylor. A major plank in Shuler’s platform
was his dedication to environmental protection. For example,
he made it clear that he opposes construction of the infamous
North Shore Road through the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. Instead, he sided with the Swain County Commission and
the conservation community in support of a monetary settlement
for the county. It seems likely that Representative-elect Shuler
will oppose other proposals to build unnecessary, wasteful
and environmentally damaging roads like I-3.
Of course the most important change that took place on November
7, 2006, was that Democrats now hold a majority in both houses
of Congress. That change in leadership comes with a major shift
in priorities on the part of both the House and the Senate.
We are looking forward to working with the new leadership in
Washington, who have either proven or firmly stated positions
on environmental conservation and protection.
At the same time, we cannot lose sight of our mission to preserve
the integrity of our communities, mountains, lakes, streams
and forests by preventing the construction of Interstate 3
or any similar highway in the Southern Appalachian and Piedmont
Region. But we do have reason to be hopeful that we will make
significant progress towards our goal to stop I-3 during the
upcoming session of Congress.
—
Greg Kidd, Chairman
Nuclear Weapons Plans and Interstate 3:
Your Comments Needed on Complex 2030
In our last newsletter we mentioned two public meetings which
were held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Augusta, Georgia,
concerning the Department of Energy's planned expansion and
revamping of the nuclear weapons complex, which involves
concentrating activities in the Southeast at the Oak Ridge
Y-12 plant and at the Savannah River Site, just across the
river from Augusta in South Carolina.
The Stop I-3 Coalition has submitted a statement for the purposes
of this phase of the public comment process, pointing out in
particular that environmental impact statement for this proposal
should include nuclear transport as an integral part of the
Complex 2030 plans and that it should spell out the nature
of the transport intended. While the Stop I-3 Coalition is
not an anti-nuclear group, per se, and our members may have
diverse opinions about nuclear weapons and nuclear power, we
maintain that the pressure to build Interstate 3 would increase
with an increase in nuclear transport through the region. Interstate
3 would fit into the transportation plans of nuclear haulers
in that it would not go through the major population centers
of Atlanta, Asheville, or Charlotte – and thus would
become target for a lot of radioactive traffic.
We encourage everyone interested in stopping Interstate 3
to look into the Complex 2030 proposal and make comments before
a January 17 deadline. It will also be helpful to send copies
of any comments you make to your representatives in Congress,
as they will have a say in funding the proposals.
A great deal of information on Complex 2030 is available through www.ananuclear.org,
the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability.
The Department of Energy is soliciting comment on its
planned expansion of the nuclear weapons complex and especially
activity in the Southeast. Written submissions may be
made through the following websites:
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-17508.htm
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-17508.pdf
— John Clarke, Stop I-3 Coalition board member
What about that study?
A spokesman for the Federal Highway Administration reports
that the agency is still in the “procurement planning
process” as regards the study of the Interstate 3 and
Interstate 14 corridors mandated by Congress.
Apparently, the agency needs a fiscal go-ahead to proceed
from its fiscal people, but the process is tied in knots due
to Congress’ failure to pass appropriations bills before
adjourning for the year.
The upshot: The study has yet to begin.
Stop I-3 Coalition will keep the public informed of developments
regarding the study.
— D.J. Gerken, Stop I-3 Coalition board member
Bumper stickers available
Stop I-3 Coalition bumper stickers are still available from
a dedicated volunteer, Kathy Williams, for $1.00 per sticker.
Contact her at sauteewill@alltel.net,
or at 706.878.3349. This also is an excellent method of keeping
the issue in the public eye.
And some of our members have found that the eye-catching
stickers are an excellent gift to friends and family living
outside the I-3 corridors.
