Page 34 RAIN March/April1985 Nuclear Free Zone in Portland On May 1 the Portland City Council will conduct public hearings to decide about making Portland a nuclear free zone (NFZ). Three hundred and fifty people showed up at similar hearings last October, and New Clear Vision, a Portland group spearheading the free zone campaign, expects an even better showing at the May hearings. If passed, the Portland ordinance would be an important step forward for the free zone movement. First of all, the Portland ordin'ance would be the first one_in the country that would actually affect existing weapons production. Two companies, OECO and Precision Cast Parts, would probably be affected by the ordinance. , In additidn, there is.reason to believe that the Portland ordinance would have a'better chance than most NFZ ordinances of standing up in court if challenged, which it probably would be. The reason for this is that the Portland ordinance bans production o,nly,.unlike most NFZ ordinances, which ban some combination 6f production, transpo_rtation, storage, and deployment ot nuclear weapons or their component parts~ The constitutionality of a ban on transportation and deployment of nuclear weapons could be challenged on the basis that it interferes with national milita~y policy, which is strictly the prerogative of the federal government. A focus on production may be narrow enough to withstand a court challenge. New Clear Vision organizers are optimistic about the chances of the council passing the ordinance. For further information, contact New Clear-Vision, 1928 NE 40th, Portland, OR 97212; 503/2S7-7584. In addition to the PortlandNFZ effort, a number of organizat.ions from all around the stat~ of Oregon have been meeting to plan a statewide NFZ campaign. The current plan is to simultaneously pursue legislative action and a statewide ballot drive for 1986. For more information, contact New Clear Vision, listed above, or the Ashland Peace House, PO Box 524, Ashland, OR 97520; 503/482-9625. Peace Gathering The Northwest Spring Peace Gathering will be held at Breitenbush Retreat Center, 70 miles east of Salem, on the spring equinox, March 21-23. "The gathering will unify peace, environmental, and social justice concerns," said event organization Laura Powell. About 300 people are expected to attend the gathering, which would make it the largest event of its kind ever held in Oregon. Personal healing as well as healing of human society will be emphasized at workshops. Participants are invited to enjoy hot tubs and steam baths fed by over 40 natural hot springs, an'd to experience the wilderness of the upper Breitenbush River. The four-day event costs $25. People are asked to bring bulk fruit and vegetables for community meals. Childcare, meal prepa~ation, and clean-up will be done cooperatively: To get more information or to preregis,ter, contact any of the following: Breitenbush Retreat Center, PQ Box 578, Detroit, OR 97342, 503/854·-. 3501; Eugene CALS, 454 Willamette Street, .Eugene, OR 97404, 503/6896691; Laura Powell, New Clear Vision, 1928 NE 40th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212, 503/287-7584; or Don Skinner, Peace House, PO Box 524, Ashland, OR 97520, 503/482-9625. -Cecilia Ostrow· ~ellingham· to Host Bioregional Conference The Environmental Center and the Peace Resources Center at Western Washington University in Bellingham are sponsoring a bjoregional conferenc;e on the weekend of April 26 through 28. Speakers include Peter Berg from the Planet Drum Foundation; Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia; and David Haenke, convenor of the North American Bioregional . Congress. For additional details, contac~ Laurie Stephan, Environmental Center, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225; 206/676-3460. Coalition Builds Around Hanford With the reopening of Hanford's PUREX plant for plutonium production (see RAIN X:5, page 31), and the looming possibility of locating the nation's permanent d~mp for highlevel radioactive waste at Hanford, efforts are underway to bri,ng together a united Northwest regional resistance. Representatives from peace, environmental, church, and Native American groups from Oregon and Washington met in early Februaty to coordinate s.trategy. At the time of this writing, it is expected that the new coalition will not only oppose the Hanford dump, but will oppose siting a permanent dump anywhere. Instead, f).Uclear plants could continue storing wastes above ground while scientists develop safer methods of disposal. The actions the coalition will take toward this end will probably include lobbying, lawsuits, ballot initiatives, public educa-· tion, and direct action. Perhaps more than any other. regional issue, Hanford brings together peace, ecological, and social jlJ.stice , concerns. Peace groups are concerned about weapons production. Environmental and Native American groups worry about radioactive pollution of the Columbia River and the airshed. Social justice groups oppose the massive diversion of resources required for uclear power and weapons production. So the coalition that can be built around Hanford is potentially very broad. Groups currently involved include the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Greenpeace, Forelaws on Board, Northwest Action for Disarmament, the American Friends Service Committee, the Columbia Intertribal Fish Commission, and the Warm Spring Tribal Confederation. For more informatic:n, contact any of the following: Eileen Buller, Hanford Oversight Committee, 206/7477495; Chuck Bell~ Fellowship'of Reconciliation, 503/222-7293; Joanne Oleksiak, Hanford Clearinghouse, 503/295-2101; Larry Shook, Hanford Education and Action League, 509/ 747-8776. Community Communications Services .Community Communications Services is a cooperative service that provides access to computer and communications technology to !ndi-
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