Pete Ashdown

I urge you to write an email to the BLM regarding PFS’s plan to store nuclear waste in Utah. The employee collecting these letters is Pam Schuller (pam_schuller@blm.gov).

Here is a sample letter:

Dear Ms. Schuller,

I oppose the dumping of spent nuclear fuel (rod nuclear waste) in Utah. Along with a polled 84% of Utah, I stand firm against sending waste from other states’ nuclear plants to our state. I believe that our federal government should take a realistic view on allowing private entities to safely recycle this waste onsite and also look to clean renewable energies as replacement for our aging nuclear plants.

I believe that the proposed inter-modal facility and road will not serve the broader public interest, but only narrow interests of PFS and not allow access for others who want to explore the newly-created wilderness area. However ill-advised or ill-fated the Cedar Mountain Wilderness Area is, it remains a Federally-protected wilderness area which the Bureau of Land Management is obligated to manage for all Americans, not a consortium of corporate entities. Questions remain as to the future use of the Cedar Mountain Wilderness Area; I feel that granting a right-of-way, so soon after the creation of the wilderness area, limits the public’s ability to enjoy the land designated for their appreciation. I would hope that the BLM is able to craft regulations that will facilitate public use of the land, but not as a conduit for further pollution.

I also understand the difficulty of your position. As an employee of the BLM, you probably never expected to be the filter for public sentiment, something that should be reserved for our elected representatives. It is also of deep concern to me that although some of our elected officials widely advertise the power of their seniority, the public is left to petition an agency via email to get our will enforced. Nevertheless, I welcome this opportunity and I sincerely hope that you are a more receptive listener and a more powerful executer than the people who purport to represent Utah.

Sincerely,

Pete Ashdown