| The recent nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan and India highlight the need for immediate Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty(CTBT), a treaty that would ban nuclear test explosions and effectively constrain the development of nuclear weapons. Although signed by President Clinton in October 1996, the CTBT must be ratified by all of the 44 nuclear-capable countries to take force as international law.
The CTBT has been signed by 149 nations and ratified by two of the declared nuclear weapons states—Britain and France. Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) continues to prevent a hearing on the treaty within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, thereby effectively halting the ratification process. Senator Stevens and Murkowski have not yet taken a position on the treaty despite widespread public support for the ratification. The CTBT receives overwhelming public support, rising to 73% in a poll following the Indian tests. We consider the ratification of the CTBT as an environmental justice issue as Arjun Makhijani notes in Nuclear Wasteland: “the main sites for the testing of nuclear weapons for every nuclear power are on tribal or minority lands.”
In a June 3 letter to the U.S. Senate, 20 groups including Veterans for Peace, Methodists United for Peace and Justice, Physicians for Social Responsibility, American Friends Service Committee, 20/20 Vision, Union of Concerned Scientists and the Mennonite Central Committee stated:
“As the world's leading military super-power, the United States should provide leadership in both de-legitimizing nuclear testing and in de-escalating the current crisis on the Asian subcontinent. Senate ratification of the CTBT would be a positive sign that the U.S. is headed away from nuclear weapons build-up, and would give our nation greater authority and credibility in urging other nations to forego nuclear weapons development. The eyes of the world are on the Senate, watching your response to the recent tests.”
Alaskans have a long history of opposing nuclear testing at Amchitka and the proposed nuclear blasts associated with Project Chariot near Point Hope. The Cannikin nuclear blast in 1971 was the largest underground nuclear test in world history—detonated at 6,000 feet within the Aleutian island of Amchitka. It was the third in a series of nuclear blasts detonated on Amchitka by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Our recent report (February 1998) confirmed radioactive leakage from the Amchitka nuclear tests. Amchitka workers continue to raise concerns about potential radiation exposure and seek disclosure from the Department of Energy (DOE) and independent health assessments. The Aleut people actively opposed the Amchitka nuclear tests in the 1960s and 1970s and are now requesting answers from the DOE concerning long-term impacts to the marine environment, subsistence, and health.
In the fall of 1997, the National Cancer Institute published information demonstrating that the entire U.S. population was exposed to some level of radioactive iodine from nuclear testing conducted in the 1950s and 1960s. The report suggests that 10,000-75,000 cases of thyroid cancer nationwide, 70% of which have yet to be diagnosed, may be the result of over 100 above ground nuclear tests. The study does not evaluate the impacts of the more than 800 underground nuclear tests conducted by the U.S. between the 1960s and 1992. Distribution of atmospheric fallout from nuclear nations’ above ground nuclear tests due to wind patterns caused disproportionate concentration of radioactivity in the Arctic.
Please write letters to Senators Stevens and Murkowski to urge their public support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Tell the Senators that their leadership is essential for the U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and in setting a precedent for other nations to follow. The CTBT will:
· Stop the spread of nuclear weapons
· Establish a strict verification process
· Protect the environment and human health from further exposure to radioactive contamination
Ask the Senators to support the Specter-Biden “Sense of the Senate” resolution calling for the Foreign Relations Committee to hold hearings on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and for the full Senate to debate and vote on the treaty as soon as possible.
Send letters and comments to Senators Stevens and Murkowski by mail, fax, email or phone:
Senator Ted Stevens
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3004 (phone)
(202) 224-2354 (fax)
email: senator_stevens@stevens.senate.gov
Senator Frank Murkowski
322 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-6665 (phone)
(202) 224-5301 (fax)
email: email@murkowski.senate.gov
If you would like to be a part of our Alaska Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty action group coordinated by Alaska Community Action on Toxics, please call us! The Alaska CTBT action group includes Alaska representatives with 20/20 Vision, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Veterans for Peace, local churches, as well as individuals concerned about the continuing threats posed by nuclear weapons. We would greatly appreciate your good ideas and work to ensure ratification of the Treaty. Let us know your email address and/or address and phone number. |
