Reading Room


Bringing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to Livermore Lab

Posted on Monday, October 26, 2020

Posted by Marylia Kelley, Scott Yundt, Mary Perner and Raiza Marciscano-Bettis

Bringing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

On Saturday October 24, Tri-Valley CAREs welcomed the 50th ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). That honor goes to the nation of Honduras. Under the terms of the TPNW the 50th ratification triggers its entry into force in 90-days. It is binding on states parties to the Treaty and, moreover, the TPNW now becomes an integral part of international law.

Thus any nation that possesses or stages nuclear weapons, including the United States, stands outside the bounds of international law. The “norm” changes with the TPNW and nuclear weapons are illegal.

The Treaty expressly bans the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession or stockpiling, transfer, control or receipt, use of threat of use, stationing or deployment of nuclear weapons.

How should a peace group, located next to a U.S. nuclear warhead design lab, celebrate this momentous occasion? By bringing the news directly to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory of course!

At 8am on Monday morning, Tri-Valley CAREs’ Marylia Kelley, Scott Yundt, Mary Perner and Raiza Marciscano-Bettis brought two 8-foot long banners to the West Gate to greet the employees streaming in. The banners read in part, “Nuclear Weapons are Illegal. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Will Now Be Law.”

When the morning traffic subsided, one banner was hung on the gate itself where it remained, proclaiming the news, until Lab security came out and cut it down.

Bringing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Raiza summed up this morning’s action: “As someone who promotes worldwide peace, I was proud to participate in this historic milestone celebrating the Treaty. Now we can call out weapons of nuclear mass destruction for the criminal and indiscriminate humanitarian danger they represent. Now they will be outlawed by Treaty, similar to chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.

Raiza continued: “I was proud to hold up our banners today to let Lab employees know that nuclear weapons are prohibited - and that we are committed to their abolition. It is time for Livermore Lab to transition from nuclear development to civilian science missions. I call on the Lab to focus more on programs that improve renewable energy technologies, global climate modeling, and new methods to clean up hazardous wastes that have fouled the air, water and land of our community.”

Tri-Valley CAREs is a member group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to secure UN adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons earlier that year. Tri-Valley CAREs is also active with the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) a national network of organizations whose member groups are located downwind and downstream from sites in the Department of Energy nuclear weapons complex. Together with ICAN and ANA, Tri-Valley CAREs is planning a celebration on January 22, 2021, the date the TPNW formally enters into force. Join us!

If you would like to make your own copy of the banner, CLICK HERE to download the printable PDF.