Imagine being able to get real-time radiation readings from YOUR community in the event of a nuclear disaster at San Onofre!
WHO: Fellow citizens who are concerned about radiation in our communities.
WHAT: We want you to request Real-Time Radiation Monitoring
(Click here for LIVE SAFECAST RADIATION READINGS one mile from the beachfront nuclear waste dump at San Onofre)
WHEN: Now.
WHERE: Every City Council and County Board in San Diego and Orange Counties
WHY: Southern California Edison has refused to publish live, real-time radiation readings at San Onofre on the Internet. Our goal is to get live radiation readings in every community. Below is an Action Kit that you can use to reach out to your community leaders and elected officials to deamand real-time radiation monitoring. Technology has made this type of monitoring easy (get live safecast readings near San Onofre here).
HOW:
How to Mobilize Your Community – A Community Action Kit.
Public Watchdogs and Residents Organized for a Safe Environment (ROSE) are reaching out to other community groups and concerned citizens to develop real-time radiation monitoring in our communities.
(Click here for live readings one mile from San Onofre courtesy of Darin McClure at Decommission San Onofre).
1) Lists of Political Leaders and Centers of Influence. The first step in the process of “kicking butt” is taking names. Public Watchdogs has assembled lists of San Diego and Orange County leaders.
Orange County Leaders List in Excel
San Diego County Leaders List in Excel
2) Write a letter requesting real-time radiation monitoring.
Here is a sample draft letter. Download it and fill in the blanks!
Sample Letter in Word. Sample Letter in Rich Text Format
3) Visit your City Council Members and talk to them. Remember, they are public servants. Not only is it their job to talk to you, but they expect and usually appreciate hearing from ordinary voters. We suggest calling them ahead of time to make an appointment. In some cases, you may be asked to meet with a staff member, who will brief the Council Member later on.
4) Go to your local City Council meetings. Find out when the next public meeting is (they are usually held weekly). Let the clerk know you would like to address the council. Most City Councils have an open microphone policy where the public is allowed to speak for three to five minutes either before or after the meeting.
5) Get the support of your friends, even two or three makes a difference. When politicians see more than three people who are concerned about a particular topic, they usually pay attention. They know that if three people take the time to speak out that there is probably a huge number of voters who feel the same way.
6) Finally, Know what you are asking for. In this case, we want our local cities and County Supervisors to pass an ordinance (a law) demanding independent “real-time “as it happens” radiation monitoring at the failed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station.
For a more in-depth guide on how to deal with elected officials and government bureaucrats, see “Getting to Know Your Elected Officials.“