Tri-Valley CAREs
Communities Against a Radioactive Environment
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On Saturday, September 8, Tri-Valley CAREs’ board, staff, interns and representatives from our membership met for an annual strategic planning retreat. Through expert facilitation, group planning exercises, a detailed analysis of strategic opportunities, and thoughtful discussion, the participants decided on the group’s program priorities for the coming 12 months.
1st Place: SAFEGUARD COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SAFETY.
This is about achieving a publicly accepted, comprehensive cleanup under the Superfund law of toxic and radioactive contamination in soil, groundwater and some surface waters at the Livermore Lab Main Site and Site 300. This priority also encompasses preventing bigger bomb blasts from being conducted in the open air at Site 300. Through this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will increase public involvement and empowerment in environmental decision-making.
2nd Place: STOP NEW NUCLEAR BOMBS AND BOMB PLANTS.
This is about preventing the development of new and modified nuclear weapons – and the new factories that would produce them. Under this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will focus on Livermore Lab’s warhead development programs, including the new W80-4 warhead for a new Long-Range Stand Off weapon and the novel-design Interoperable Warhead-1. This priority also addresses other new warheads in Trump Administration Nuclear Posture Review such as the low-yield “more usable” sub-launched nuke and an industrial-scale plutonium bomb core factory. Through this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will influence national nuclear policy and the federal budget.
3rd Place: INVESTIGATE LIVERMORE LAB FACILITIES AND PUBLICIZE FINDINGS
This is about “watchdog” activities to investigate key nuclear facilities at Livermore Lab. With this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will use right-to-know laws and other means to monitor whether Livermore is gearing up for another attempt to conduct plutonium bomb core “shake and bake” experiments at its hardened engineering test building (B334) and similar initiatives. This priority also involves seeking new information on earthquake deficiencies in the Lab’s main plutonium facility (B332), vulnerabilities in its tritium facility (B331) and whether the Lab is pursuing enhanced readiness to conduct nuclear-yield tests in Nevada in order to certify novel warhead designs.
4th Place: PROMOTE GLOBAL NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, NON-PROLIFERATION & THE “RULE OF LAW.”
This is about contributing to the global abolition of nuclear weapons. Under this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will focus on progress toward entry into force of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This priority also addresses our participation as a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the UN in proceedings such as the Preparatory Committee Meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and other similar instruments of international and humanitarian law.
5th Place: SAFEGUARD WORKER HEALTH AND SAFETY
This is about justice for Livermore Lab, and Sandia, Livermore, workers exposed to toxic and radioactive materials. Through this priority, Tri-Valley CAREs will assist nuclear workers and families of deceased workers obtain compensation under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA). With this priority we will also act to preserve ongoing worker health and safety measures, including by fortifying the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) against maneuvers to reduce its scope and weaken its oversight.