U.S. Congressman Conyers honors Beyond Nuclear at Fukushima commemoration
U.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (pictured, left), one of the longest serving members of Congress in U.S. history, and ranking Democrat on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, honored Beyond Nuclear not only with his presence, but also his kind words, at a March 11th Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe commemorative event held in Livonia, Michigan, near the Fermi 2 atomic reactor, the world's largest Fukushima Daiichi twin design reactor, a General Electric Boiling Water Reactor with a Mark I containment.
The event, "Will Fermi 3 Radiation 'Into Eternity?'," featured a screening of the documentary film Into Eternity, about Finland's proposed high-level radioactive waste dumpsite. Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps followed the film with a presentation on the radioactive waste and atomic reactor risks plaguing the Detroit area, as well as the Great Lakes region beyond.
Congressman Conyers spoke first during the discussion afterwards, stating that this powerful event marked a turning point for anti-nuclear activism in the area. He said the event was one of the most important he had attended in some time, and that he would look into conducting congressional hearings on such important subject matter in the near future.
The event was organized by BetterWorld Happenings, founded by Keith Gunter, a Beyond Nuclear launch partner. About 80 people attended, including a number of long-time veteran anti-nuclear campaigners in Michigan representing Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination, Peace Action of Michigan, Don't Waste Michigan, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Southeast Michigan Group, Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Great Lakes, and other organizations.