RUBBER STAMPS and ROTTEN JUDGEMENTS

Use no. 15

Rubber Stamps

We were at the High Court in Leeds last Thursday to support Rory Walker in his challenge to the Government's insane push for cancer factories. New nuclear build and radiation linked diseases are terrible twins.

Judge McCombe refused to allow the case to go ahead because in his esteemed opinion it is perfectly OK for the Secretary of State, Chris Huhne to be both cheerleader for new build and the person authorised to rubber stamp the *safety. Following new "fast tracking" of the planning system at no other point will the safety of new reactors be under scrutiny.

Rory was granted legal aid - but the Legal Services Commission has asked for £16,250 towards court costs if this case does eventually go ahead to "prove that there is public support for his case" This money was raised in a short space of time from ordinary people - not big NGOs - but the Judge had the brass neck to say that health detriment from new build was "of no public interest." He also looked over towards us in the public gallery and said that the case being brought with legal aid was "unattractive" Hmmm.

Rory's legal team are considering whether to recommend an appeal against the judge's decision.

http://www.irwinmitchell.com/search/pages/newsviewer.aspx?f=Government-Faces-High-Court-Challenge-On-Nuclear-Power-Plans.aspx

*safety - The Secretary of State's defence lawyer declared on Thursday in court that the "best evidence suggests that there is no increase in cancers near nuclear power stations - that is the end of it" I suppose the "best evidence" is the recently published government COMARE report which did not include Sellafield ! And the real evidence of increased childhood leukemias (every week in the Cumbrian papers another "story" of another child's "brave fight") and other radiation linked diseases is nothing more than an inconvenient truth to be airbrushed out of history.

http://northern-indymedia.org/articles/1319

LEGAL CHALLENGES

Use no. 14

Legal Challenge to Nukiller New Build

FUNDS NEEDED FOR LEGAL CASE AGAINST "JUSTIFICATION" OF NEW NUKES

Rory Walker, a community worker from Lancaster has been granted legal aid for a Judicial Review against the government's "justification" decision which is a preliminary stage of approval required by the EU Euratom Directive before a final decision can be taken to build more nuclear power stations.

A hearing will be held at the High Court in Leeds on May 12th to decide whether the challenge will proceed to a full judicial review hearing.

The case centres on whether the government should first have measured "health detriment" including radiation linked diseases being inflicted on people, especially children in the vicinity of nuclear power stations.

Although Rory has won legal aid for the case, the Legal Services Commission has made a requirement that £16,250 should be made by other citizens who would benefit, should the case be successful. Rory's solicitors, Irwin Mitchell are still arguing against this large amount but its becoming apparent that a large sum will need to be met.

If the contribution cannot be found Rory will lose his legal aid and the protection that gives should the case be lost.

The fighting fund now stands at £8000 - all through contributions by people who do not want their health and their children's health damaged from new nuclear build.

All contributions are needed however large or small.

***New Video on Justification Challenge***

 http://www.youtube.com/user/SANEFILMVIDEOS#p/a/u/0/Mq58l2CkySg   

Donations can be made direct to the Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance 

(HANA) bank account, 

as follows  Account name: Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance  

Account reference: 616 322 406  Account number: 10091267  

Sort code: 16-12-27  

Donors, who wish it, will be sent a copy of the Application for Judicial Review.   

Please get in touch if you would like further information.  

Email Rory Walker : youllneverwalkalone@riseup.net  Telephone: 01524 381 394  

or Email Radiation Free Lakeland: rafl@mariannebirkby.plus.com Telephone: 015395 63671  

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/25/chris-huhne-court-nuclear-cancer-children   

***Court Support***  On Tuesday 12th of May at the High Court in Leeds there will be a 

procedural hearing about Heysham Anti Nuclear Alliance's challenge to the Governments 

'justification' of new nuclear power stations in the UK. 

(http://www.heysham-anti-nuclear-alliance.org/appeal.html) 

A judge will hear the arguments put forward by our QC and by the Government's QC 

and make a decision if the case should go to a full Judicial Review.

ANNIVERSARIES: WINDSCALE, CHERNOBYL, FUKUSHIMA - NEVER AGAIN?

Use 13

Anniversaries

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. We went to Carlisle Cathedral to lay three crosses:

Windscale- Never Again? Chernobyl - Never Again? Fukushima- Never Again?

A letter was delivered to the "nuclear is a green option" Bishop of Carlisle...

Dear Bishop Newcome,

CHERNOBYL - 25 YEARS ON.

Congratulations on your appointment as Lead Bishop on health care issues.

Today is the 25^th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe. Radiation Free Lakeland and representatives from other concerned groups will be laying three crosses outside Carlisle Cathedral. The crosses will read:

Windscale- Never Again? Chernobyl- Never Again? Fukushima- Never Again?

The Diocese is informed by the Churches Together Environment Group which is largely advised by Supporters of Nuclear Energy SONE. “Environment Group” publications reflect this pronuclear bias. We feel that the Diocese could do much more to seriously take on board legitimate concerns about nuclear power. For two hours on the morning of your enthronement in 2009 we spoke to 150 people who had come along specially to sign a letter voicing concerns at the Diocese’s pro nuclear stance. The letter asked:

“Will the Diocese of Carlisle consider listening to independent expert advice

(not from pro nuclear government or industry) on radiation risks of new build and geological disposal before making further pro-nuclear statements?”

Well, the Diocese did kindly agree to hosting a meeting on 6^th Feb 2010 We were however surprised that you chose at the meeting to reaffirm a commitment to new nuclear build. The hope was that people would have time to go away and reflect on all the points raised during the presentations. Even local Parish Newsletters present the Diocese’s pronuclear view as “the green route to secure, safe and reliable power” - no dissenting voices get a look in.

In July children from Belarus will be spending a month in the South Lakes to give their damaged immune systems a respite.

The damage will continue through the "children of irradiated parents for as many as seven generations." So "the genetic consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe will impact hundreds of millions of people."

Alexey V. Yablokov (Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow, Russia), Vassily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko (Institute of Radiation Safety, Minsk, Belarus). Consulting Editor Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger (Environmental Institute, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan).


““In Belarus cancer of the thyroid is so prevalent that the scar left after a thyroid operation is now chillingly referred to as a Belarussian Necklace, thus marking them forever as Chernobyl's victims. Since the disaster there has also been an increase of 800% in the incidence of cancers in children living near to the reactor plus there has been a dramatic increase in the rate of babies born with substantial physical disabilities. Babies born limbless, deformed and with severe brain damage.

There are so many other radiation related health crises occurring in the region that for the first time in Belarussian history , the death rate is HIGHER, than the birth rate”. The South Lakeland branch of Friends of Chernobyl’s Children

Given the ongoing Chernobyl catastrophe and since your enthronement, now Fukushima, will the Diocese of Carlisle withdraw its support for new build and geological disposal?

….. and join us in saying NEVER AGAIN!

Yours sincerely,

Marianne Birkby

On behalf of Radiation Free Lakeland

015395 63671

Note:

Sent by email attachment is the document :

Why a deep nuclear waste repository should not be sited in Cumbria: a geological review

by David Smythe Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, University of Glasgow 11 April 2011

Refs:

http://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2010/10/bishop-of-carlisle-appointed-as-lead-bishop-on-healthcare-issues.aspx

http://www.sone.org.uk/content/view/394/30/

http://www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk/UK%20Energy%20Policy%20and%20the%20Environment%20paper.pdf

http://www.churchestogethercumbria.co.uk/nuclear_energy_discussion.htm

Friends of Chernobyl’s Children

http://focc.org.uk/South_Lakes.html

Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment

Written by Alexey V. Yablokov (Center for Russian Environmental Policy, Moscow, Russia), Vassily B. Nesterenko, and Alexey V. Nesterenko (Institute of Radiation Safety, Minsk, Belarus). Consulting Editor Janette D. Sherman-Nevinger (Environmental Institute, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan).
Volume 1181, December 2009

http://www.nyas.org/publications/annals/Detail.aspx?cid=f3f3bd16-51ba-4d7b-a086-753f44b3bfc1