Linked Arms

Thomas V. Peterson

Description

Through character development, snappy dialogue, and vivid scenes, Linked Arms tells the story of a rural people's successful struggle to keep a major nuclear dump out of Allegany County in western New York. Five times over a twelve-month period hundreds of ordinary people—merchants, teachers, homemakers, professionals, farmers, and blue collar workers—ignored potential jail terms and large fines to defy the nuclear industry and governmental authority by linking arms in the bitter cold to thwart the siting commission through civil disobedience.

The hearts and minds of the resisters emerge in the narrative, as we find out why these people found civil disobedience compelling, how they organized themselves, and what moral dilemmas they addressed as they fought for their convictions. While becoming more engaged in the resistance, they confronted critical issues in contemporary America: democratic decision making, environmental policy, legal rights, corporate responsibility, and the technology of nuclear waste.

Some of the book's highlights include: conversations that took place between Governor Cuomo, Assemblyman Hasper, and the protestors, which thoughtfully probe who should bear the financial burden of a failed and dangerous technology; the scientific and technological issues discussed between Ted Taylor, a nuclear physicist who was one of the key people in the Manhattan project, and the leaders of the resistance; and the citizens' initiation of a lawsuit that eventually reached the Supreme Court and abrogated the central provision in the 1987 congressional law that mandated states build low-level nuclear dumps across the country. These dialogues and vignettes illustrate how the civil disobedience and dogged determination of the people of Allegany County changed the course of history.
List of Maps and Illustrations
Preface
Prologue

1. The Struggle Begins

2. Birth of Nonviolent Resistance

3. Declaration of War

4. Vigilance and Rage

5. Defiance in the Bitter Cold

6. Linked Arms

7. Defending the Sites

8. Outside the Law

9. Grandparents, Horses, and Masks

Epilogue
Sources
Appendix: People Arrested in ACNAG Actions
Index of Names and Identifications

Sujets

• Engineering & Technology
• Types of rural communities
• Environmental science

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791489789
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

LINKED ARMS

This page intentionally left blank.

LINKED ARMS

A Rural Community Resists Nuclear Waste

THOMAS V. PETERSON p h o t o g r a p h s b y S T E V E M Y E R S

S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W Y O R K P R E S S

CoverArresting Death© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Sheriff Caught in the Middle© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Ad Campaign© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Reproduced courtesy of Steve Myers Studio produced for CCAC’s advertising campaign. Allegany County Fourth of July© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. West Almond Encampment© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. The Siting Commission’s Van: Street Theatre© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. The Siting Commission’s Van: Skunked© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Grandparents on the Line© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Mushroom Defiance© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Snow Boulders: Using Natural Resources© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Mounting Civil Disobedience© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Warning to State Troopers© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. Cover photoAuthor’s Portrait at End of Struggle© Steve Myers 1990; all rights reserved. “Possible Sites for Waste Dump”—NewYork Times, 1988. Permission by NYT Graphics. “Potential Dump Sites: Allegany County Map” © Craig Prophet 2000; all rights reserved. “Allen Site” © Craig Prophet 2000 ©; all rights reserved. “Caneadea Site © Craig Prophet 2000; all rights reserved. “West Almond Site” © Craig Prophet 2000; all rights reserved. Published by S TATE U NIVERSITY OF N EW Y ORK P RESS A LBANY © 2002 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis- sion. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or oth- erwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY 12207

Production, book, and cover design, Laurie Searl Marketing, Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data Peterson, Thomas V., 1943– Linked arms : a rural community resists nuclear waste / Thomas V. Peterson ; photographs by Steve Myers. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–7914–5131–3 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0–7914–5132–1 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Low level radioactive waste disposal facilities—Location—New York (State)—Allegany County. 2. Low level radioactive waste disposal facilities—New York (State)—Allegany County—Public opinion. 3. Public opinion—New York (State)—Allegany County. 4. Environmental protection—New York (State)—Allegany County—Citizen participation. 5. Civil disobedience—New York (State)—Allegany County. 6. Nonviolence—New York (State)—Allegany County. I. Title.

TD812.3.N7 P48 2001 363.72'8953'0974784—dc21

10

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

2001049332

For Robert McAfee Brown, mentor and friend, whose example showed me that a scholar often has the ethical duty to become an activist,

and

for Carol Burdick, colleague, author, and friend whose belief in my writing abilities gave me confidence to write this nonfiction account in a novelistic style,

and

for the people of Allegany County whose many personal sacrifices preserved the environment and pro- vided a unique model of nonviolent resistance for people everywhere.

This page intentionally left blank.

Contents

List of Maps and Illustrations

Preface

Prologue 1 B E G I N SS T R U G G L E T H E 2 O F B I R T H N O N V I O L E N T R E S I S T A N C E

3 O F W A RD E C L A R A T I O N 4 R A G EA N D V I G I L A N C E 5 C O L DB I T T E R T H E I N D E F I A N C E 6 L I N K E D A R M S 7 D E F E N D I N G T H E S I T E S 8 T H E O U T S I D E L A W 9 H O R S E S , G R A N D P A R E N T S , M A S K SA N D

Epilogue

Sources

Appendix: People Arrested in ACNAG Actions

Index of Names and Identifications

ix

xi

1

9

37

61

89

111

127

145

173

193

223

233

253

259

This page intentionally left blank.

Maps and Illustrations

P H O T O G R A P H S

Sheriff Caught in the Middle Ad Campaign Allegany County Fourth of July

West Almond Encampment

The Siting Commission’s Van:

Street Theatre

The Siting Commission’s Van: Skunked

Grandparents on the Line

Mushroom Defiance

Snow Boulders:

Arresting Death

Using Natural Resources

Mounting Civil Disobedience

Warning to State Troopers

ix

4

24

66

100

168

169

201

204

208

211

216–217

221