# Ward Valley Anti-Nuclear Waste Campaign

The Ward Valley Anti-Nuclear Waste Campaign successfully fought the planned construction of a low-level nuclear waste landfill in Ward Valley, within the Mojave Desert.

## History

The Ward Valley Anti-Nuclear Waste is a longstanding campaign regarded the attempted proposals by institutions like the U.S. Ecology, Inc. to relocate waste sourced to southwestern states like California and Arizona. This campaign has continued avoid the proposals to turn the desert into a nuclear dumping site. Ward Valley is a Southern California/Arizona bordered desert located near the Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. For “decades” Ward Valley had constantly faced dangers of becoming a disposal site for nuclear waste. In 1994, there had been push-back from many different organizations, especially Native communities like the Native Nations Alliance, and organizations like the Greenaction. They spread information about the potential dangers of these dumping sites. Ward Valley became prominent in environmental, indigenous, and cultural justice.
Many voices were involved in this movement, including entertainers like Bonnie Raitt and Edward James Olmos,as well as activists like Jesse Jackson. They were involved in one of the various events, making their pleas against the nuclear dumping in the desert. These voices, along with tribal leaders, made a plea at news conference in Westwood, Los Angeles to stop the nuclear dumps. More notable voices of the movement included District Judge Marilyn Patel who halted the transfer 1,000 acres of Ward Valley land that had been planned to become a nuclear dumping sight.

## Purpose of the movement

The movement, in the Native American perspective, prioritized the importance to save mother earth. They show this that by holding prayers and sacred ceremonies throughout the movement such as the Spirit Run.
The Spiritual Run in 1998 involved various Indigenous tribes and organizations is one event celebrating success as they had prevented nuclear testing site. River Native Nations Alliance, the Indigenous Peoples Alliance, and the Save Ward Valley Coalition who aimed to come together and do a spiritual run in honor of the success of stopping the Nuclear dump 18 miles from the Colorado River.
The ceremonies describe Indigenous origins which will make their message more clear to their point of view when valuing mother earth. However, many aspects of the movement mention the various potential dangers of the dumping, pointing to the scientific and environmental dangers.

## Environmental dangers

A large portion of the movement mentioned the evidenced scientific and wildlife dangers of turning Ward Valley into the waste site. Much of the campaign highlighted the tortoise endangerment within the site. Biologists found that tortoises are experiencing Upper Respiratory Distress disease which is endangering the species residing in the desert.
In addition to this, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reported that the dumping site was safe, which had been proven incorrect five months after the report released. There was a discovery in a Beatty, Nevada site of Tritium migration. Tritium is a radioactive substance, it was found to have leaked into the soils. Leading to the biggest concern which was potential leaks into the Colorado River which is a water source to a large portion of Californians and much of the Southwest. The U.S. Ecology made the point that the Ward Vally water source does not distribute groundwater, proving the unlikeliness.
Many scientists from the United States Geological Survey like Howard Wilshire, Keith Howard, and David Miller found that radioactive material is a serious concern with these sites and the possible leaks that might have made its way into the Colorado River.
Many of these dumps were permitted by the State Department of Health Services to allow "low-level nuclear waste from hospitals and nuclear plants" to become disposed of in area such as Ward Valley.

## Anti-nuclear movements in California

Ward Valley Campaigns are seemingly connected to the anti-nuclear movement in California that gained momentum in the 1970s. The movement had been amidst rising public awareness of nuclear safety issues, particularly after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, which heightened fears regarding nuclear energy. Various grassroots organizations emerged, such as the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, a group that played pivotal roles in advocacy and mobilization efforts against nuclear power in Diablo Canyon. The goal being spreading awareness of the safety and environmental concerns of nuclear powers. The movement influenced state legislation, contributing to the implementation of stricter safety regulations and requirements for public disclosure regarding nuclear facilities. However, these issues continue as California has been behind the dumping in over 1,000 acres of land, going against the environmental mandates the government has set in place.

## Involved groups and organizations

Involved groups and organizations have been identified as actively involved and in Ward Valley Campaign throughout the decades:
* Fort Mojave Tribe
* Chemehuevi
* Quechan
* Cocopah
* Colorado River Indian Tribes
* Bay Area Nuclear Waste Coalition
* Greenaction
* Sierra Club
* CalPIRG
* Abalone Alliance