News archive of Divine Strake test 

DIVINE STRAKE WAS CANCELLED ON FEB. 22, 2007.  FOR FOLLOW-UP ON THE CANCELLATION GO TO IDEALIST.WS 

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February 1, 2007 - Government's fallout prediction inaccurate, Divine Strake foes say By ADRIENNE PACKER REVIEW-JOURNAL

Hager said that if particles 10 microns in size are blown 10,000 feet into the air, they will settle as far as 1,250 miles away from the test site. Particles smaller than 1 micron are not affected by gravity and will remain suspended in the atmosphere indefinitely.

"That's why we have plutonium from the test site in glaciers in Switzerland," Hager said, referring to tests performed previously at the site 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Hager said the explosion is an "international issue" because particles could reach Mexico and Canada.

Jan. 28, 2007- DIVINE STRAKE MAY KILL YOU - Editorial by Donald J. Moore - The Spectrum

Jan. 27, 2007 - Citizens speak out against Divine Strake - Salt Lake Tribune

Jan. 19, 2007 - Hearing like a rally as Utahns rail against Divine Strake test By Judy Fahys The Salt Lake Tribune

"It always surprises me we have to fight this," said Claudia Peterson, whose family has been plagued with cancer that she believes is caused by the atomic testing. "I don't think we should have to fight so hard to have a happy, healthy life."

Dixie residents crowd public hearing on Strake -  Many jeers, boos heard as Utahns comment on test By Nancy Perkins Deseret Morning News

"I did not vote for you, Governor Huntsman," one woman said, addressing her remarks to Nielson. "If this experiment happens, I will tell people not to move here [St. George] because you (those moving in) will die."

"..There are people growing up here that are terrified of this. That's not democracy. We should not fear our own government."

Opposition mounts - St. George residents gather at DSC to debate Divine Strake test By Patrice S. Germain The Spectrum

"We have done environmental impact statements. They're called our cemeteries all over Utah," Thomas said.

January 10, 2007 - A Letter to the NNSA from Utah Democratic Chair, Wayne Holland Jr.

January 10, 2007 - "Divine Strake" Mushroom Cloud - KOLO Nevada - A professional engineer who specializes in air quality says he found fatal flaws in federal plans for a weapons test that U.S. officials say will generate the first mushroom-shaped dust cloud in decades at the Nevada Test Site.

A draft environmental assessment on the "Divine Strake" test didn't look at the likelihood that the smallest measure of dust and debris, 2.5 microns, could be churned up and sent airborne, Algirdas Leskys said.

"The modeling is inaccurate," said Leskys, 44, a data analyst with the Clark County Department of Air Quality and Environmental Management who stressed that he was not acting in his official capacity.

He provided eight pages of comments Tuesday to officials for the National Nuclear Security Administration and Defense Threat Reduction Agency hosting a public "open house" in Las Vegas about the proposed weapons test. Similar sessions were planned Wednesday
in Salt Lake City and Thursday in St. George, Utah.

"Given the right meteorological conditions, it is possible that some portion of the PM 2.5 emissions generated by the proposed detonation could settle in either Utah or Las Vegas," Leskys said in an interview late Tuesday.

Michael Skougard, an NNSA official overseeing compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, acknowledged that test planners and analysts looked at larger, 10 micron, particles in making a crucial determination that a 10,000-foot cloud will dissipate within 13 miles.

That finding has federal officials predicting that any contaminated dirt will fall harmlessly to the ground before reaching the Test Site boundary.

Leskys called the smaller particles "the most likely pollutant that would carry radionuclides."

"They could stay in the atmosphere for weeks, and settle hundreds of miles from here," he added.

Skougard said Leskys' concerns will be included in a final environmental assessment before officials decide whether to authorize the Divine Strake test.

"We are going to look at that," Skougard said, adding that the draft environmental assessment released last month met requirements of existing Nevada state air quality permits for the Test Site.

Leskys was one of 40 people who turned out for the meeting, which resembled a trade show more than a public hearing. Seven people provided written comments and a stenographer took three individual oral comments during the 2 1/2 hour affair at a Las Vegas convention hall.

Public affairs officers from the two federal agencies narrated in front of 12 display boards showing the design, reasons and plans for exploding 700 tons of a fuel oil and fertilizer mixture over a tunnel at the Test Site, some 85 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Officials say the blast will provide crucial data on the kind of shock needed to destroy deeply buried or hardened targets.

Opponents call it a surrogate for a nuclear test, and a step on the path of developing a new generation of low-yield "bunker-buster" nuclear weapons. They have raised concerns about the blast kicking up radioactive debris from Cold-War era nuclear testing and casting it downwind toward Utah and beyond.

No date has been set for the blast, which was initially scheduled for June 2006.

It has been postponed indefinitely by a lawsuit filed in Las Vegas by Western Shoshone tribe members and "downwinders" in Utah and Nevada.

January 10, 2007 - Discussing Divine Strake - Patrice St. Germain at The Spectrum

January 9, 2007 - Demand answers: Guv, congressmen should get tough on bomb - Salt Lake Tribune

January 6, 2007 - Foe of test site blast: Agencies admit displacement of radioactive particles - Keith Rogers at Review-Journal

January 5, 2007 - DELEGATION CALLS FOR DIVINE STRAKE MEETING IN IDAHO

January 5, 2007- Expert questions Divine Strake - Patrice St. Germain at The Spectrum

January 5, 2007- Downwinders call for additional Divine Strake public meetings - Jennifer Dobner at Salt Lake Tribune

January 5, 2007- Lawyer links Strake to cancer potential - Joe Bauman at Deseret Morning News

January 5, 2007 - Group Demands 'Real' Hearings on Divine Strake Meetings

December 28, 2006 - Stop the bomb: Divine Strake's threat is real - Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

December 20, 2006 - Pentagon says bomb test safe for downwind Utahns [Oh! Please]  -Robert Gehrke at Salt Lake Tribune

December 11, 2006 - LWVGF and AAUW-Flagstaff asks for Public  Hearings - 

December 11, 2006 - The Spectrum - OPINION

Attempt to push Divine Strake noticed

In June, a precursor test, Divine Strake, to develop mini-nuke bunker buster weapons was postponed. Public scrutiny raised debate about the possible release of radioactive debris remaining at the test site into jet stream. And the government was forced to admit its lackadaisical "environmental assessment" of Divine Strake.

And now, Divine Strake is set for Nevada again.

The federal government promised Utah politicians to hold meetings. The mid-December deadline is nearing and no meetings have been scheduled. Also, in November, a government lawyer told a federal judge that she could not keep a promise to give 60 days notice to the public before Divine Strake is carried out sometime after Feb. 1.

The message and intent is clear from the Pentagon. It does not feel obliged to keep its promises. It won't hold meetings or even tell us exactly when it plans to conduct Divine Strake. It is attempting to rush Divine Strake through as fast as possible.

Stewart N. Thorpe

Salt Lake City

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December 10, 2006, DTRA, keep your promise - Editorial board of The Spectrum

December 5, 2006 - Lawmakers fight Divine Strake bid - Robert Gehrke at Salt Lake Tribune

December 5, 2006 - Utah leaders ask for public meetings to explain 'Divine Strake' - Jennifer Talhelm at Daily Herald (Central Utah)

November 28, 2006 -  Letter from Nevada Governor Guinn to Energy Secretary Bodman insisting on the completion of an EIS (for the Divine Strake experiment)

November 18, 2006 - Divine Strake back in Nevada - Ed Kociela at The Spectrum

November 17, 2006 - Plans for blast on track - Mushroom cloud explosion again slated for Nevada Test Site - Keith Rogers at Las Vegas Review-Journal

November 17, 2006 - Nevada test site back in play for Divine Strake - Scott David Johnson at The Spectrum

November 17, 2006 - Utah's D.C. delegation airs strong opposition to nuclear test - Suzanne Struglinski at Deseret Morning News

November 16, 2006 - New Mexico out; Nevada most likely site for test explosion - Robert Gehrke at Salt Lake Tribune

November 16, 2006 - Divine Strake: An Infernal Mistake - Deanna Taylor at one utah

Nov. 1, 2006 - BBC News - Depleted uranium risk 'ignored' - UK and US forces have continued to use depleted uranium weapons despite warnings they pose a cancer risk, a BBC investigation has found.

for more about DU concerns, see our New Mexico page

Oct. 22, 2006 - The Spectrum - Country's Nuclear Memory Forgotten (oped)

October 17, 2006 - OpEdNews - GI Joe vs Albert Schweitzer

When Albert Schweitzer ultimately decided to voice his concerns about the seriousness of the consequences of radiation and the testing of nuclear weapons, he called upon the world in his "A Declaration of Conscience" to muster the courage "to leave folly and to face reality." Yet, nearly 50 years later, we haven't left folly. We are still blurring the lines between play and reality. ...

October 12, 2006 - The Spectrum - Thyroditis linked to fallout

October 12, 2006 - - Deseret News - Fallout-thyroid link gets boost - New downwind study headed by U. professor

October 11, 2006 -Las Vegas Sun - Concerns over NTS tests 'premature' -- Citizens' group worries that North Korean blast could lead to further U.S. testing

October 10, 2006 - Desert News (Utah) - Nuclear predicament — Tremors: Utahns, others voice shock

"The last thing this world needs is another nuclear-armed state, since none of the existing nuclear nations can apparently behave themselves properly" in terms of ridding the world of all such weapons, commented J Truman, a resident of Malad, Idaho, and a member of Downwinders United.

...  "The language that is being used by the international community to condemn North Korea's actions should apply equally to all nations' intention to test," said Dickson, "including our own."

October 10, 2006 - The Spectrum (Utah) - Downwinders concerned over nuke

'....Dickson is suspicious of North Korean claims that the underground test did not result in any leakage of nuclear waste. She said nobody can ever be 100 percent positive that there are no leaks from underground tests and asks who was monitoring the site and what they were measuring....'

October 9, 2006 - Las Vegas' KLAS-TV rescinds transcript of irresponsible story after only three hours   

KLAS-TV posted the transcript of this story by Melissa Duran on their website, LasVegasNOW.com on the early afternoon of October 9th.  The transcript was taken down and another reporter - Ashanti Blaize - put together this story by early evening featuring an interview with Troy Wade, President of the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation.  Great job on one-sided reporting, KLAS-TV!

October 4, 2006 - AfterDowningStreet.org, North Korea's nuclear ambitions provoked by U.S. nuclear experiments 

Sept. 15, 2006 - Albuquerque Journal - Bunker-Buster May Be Tested in N.M.

....Mello also questioned whether sufficient attention is being given to the potential environmental impacts of the test on the New Mexico missile range.
    "It's very difficult to find out information about this test, even environmental information, let alone program information."

Sept. 14, 2006 - Albuquerque Tribune - White Sands may host bunker-buster bomb test

Sept. 13, 2006 - The Spectrum  - Divine Strake fight not over

Sep. 12, 2006- Domenici says N.M. site could host blast

By Steve Terrell | The New Mexican
September 12, 2006

A test of a powerful new bomb that has aroused intense public opposition in other states might be in the works for New Mexico, U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici said Monday.

The federal Defense Threat Reduction Agency could be considering testing the ``bunker-busting'' weapon known as Divine Strake at White Sands Missile Range, Domenici, R-N.M., told radio reporters. ``To my knowledge, this is the principle site and the only site being considered, but don't hold me to that,'' Domenici said.

The senator stressed this would be a ``non-nuclear test of bunker-busting technology.'' He said some critics have ``without propriety'' related the Divine Strake with nuclear testing.

Divine Strake involves detonating 700 tons of explosive ammonium-nitrate fuel oil.

Greg Mello, executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group, said Monday that his group is opposed to any test of the bomb in New Mexico. He said besides environmental concerns, his organization is concerned the Divine Strake is a precursor of low-yield nuclear earth-penetrating attack weapons.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said to conduct such a test, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency would first have to conduct an environmental impact study, which involves a public process. ``What the senator has said is if there is any attempt to short-circuit this process, he would oppose it legislatively,'' Jude McCartin said.

McCartin said she believes the agency still wants to conduct the test at the original site in Nevada, above a tunnel about 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Later news reports said the agency was considering testing the Divine Strake at a limestone quarry in southern Indiana, about 30 miles south of Bloomington. Following a public outcry, however, the agency said there were no such plans.

The test would create a dust cloud that could reach an altitude of 10,000 feet, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency has said.

Some critics have worried the bomb would disperse radioactive material from previous nuclear tests.

The first atomic bomb was tested in 1945 at Trinity Site in New Mexico, which is now part of White Sands.

Among the opponents of the Nevada plans were many Utah residents who feared environmental damage from a test in the neighboring state.

Among the opponents there was U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who wrote an opinion piece in the Spectrum newspaper in St. George, Utah, that concluded: ``The bottom line is this -- I oppose any kind of testing anywhere that will have a detrimental effect on human life. We still have no assurance that Divine Strake can be conducted safely.''

Contact Steve Terrell at 986-3037 or sterrell@sfnewmexican.com.

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Sep. 6, 2006 - U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) answered questions on a variety of topics including Divine Strake during his weekly radio press conference with New Mexico radio reporters. 

Follow this link: http://bingaman.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=262528 and click on 'Hear my comments.'

Bingaman: ...Connie are you there.  I guess Connie did not...

Connie: No, yes sir...

Bingaman: Oh, you are here...go ahead...

Connie:  ...Good Morning Senator Bingaman.  What is your position on testing to simulate bunker-busters at White Sands?

Bingaman: Well, that's an issue that is not part of this defense bill at the current time.  There's nothing in this defense bill that's pending on the Senate floor related to that and my understanding is the Pentagon has not determined where to conduct any such test, whether to do it at White Sands or to, once again, go back and try to do it in Nevada or some other location.   Uh, so, uh, if they did determine to go ahead at White Sands, they would have to do an Environmental Impact Statement and at that time we would see the details of what they're proposing and at that time I would be able to take a position on it.  But it's not an issue pending in the legislation that we're considering today.

Connie:  So, if they were to introduce that legislation, would you introduce legislation to block it?  What is your position on that?

Bingaman: If someone were to introduce legislation calling for the test at White Sands absent the...all the ....the Environmental Impact Statements and all that I described, then clearly I would oppose going forward with that.

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Sep 6., 2006 - Indianapolis Star - The bomb that wasn't -- was it?

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Sep. 1, 2006 - truthout -  By Sarah Olson  - Bush Pushes Nuclear Weapons Development in US

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Sep. 1. 2006 - Leisure reading? “Divine Strake” vs. ‘Divine Strike’ –  Did Extraterrestrials Deter the Pentagon from a Preemptive Nuclear War Against Iran ? published on Aug. 12

'...At this point, it can be asked whether the Pentagon’s announcement of an indefinite delay of Divine Strake on May 25/26, was in any way deterred by a possible Divine Strike by extraterrestrials....'

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Aug. 31, 2006 - Salt Lake Tribune - Divine Strake blast won't be detoured to Indiana

... Pentagon budget documents said the test was designed to help war planners choose the smallest possible nuclear weapon to destroy underground targets, but Pentagon officials later said the reference to nuclear weapons was a mistake.
....  The test had been scheduled for June 2, but was postponed after members of Congress questioned the planning and a lawsuit was filed by a Nevada tribe and a group of Downwinders, individuals who say their cancers and other illnesses were caused by Cold War nuclear tests in Nevada
....also reiterated earlier statements that some renewed nuclear tests might help improve nuclear weapons reliability.

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Aug. 30, 2006 - Herald Times (subscription) - No big bomb blast coming to Mitchell - Federal government says it has 'no plans' to detonate 700 tons of explosives in Indiana

"The Defense Threat Reduction Agency has no plans to conduct Divine Strake in the state of Indiana," Michael Evenson, the agency's acting director, said in a letter dated Tuesday. "Any discussion to the contrary is incorrect."

[The letter referenced in the above article is DTRA's letter to U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar that was received on Aug. 29.   Lugar wrote Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on August 16 asking about reports in the August 2 Las Vegas Review-Journal that indicated Indiana was being considered as a possible test location.  Secretary Rumsfeld wrote Lugar on August 22, saying that the agency would be providing Lugar with an answer, which they did yesterday, saying " DTRA has no plans to conduct DIVINE STRAKE in the State of Indiana.  Any discussion to the contrary is incorrect."]

[Also, this link was on the Herald-Times' front page:]Audio: Guy Loftman's 'Test it in Texas!'

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Aug. 30, 2006 - Times-Mail - [Letters To The Editor] Call U.S. senators about bomb test

"If Gould and Rogers are willing to provide a solemn pledge that they will not allow this test on their property, that will be welcome indeed. They have not yet done so...."

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Aug. 29, 2006 - Times-Mail - Rogers: Blast won't happen

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Aug. 29, 2006 - Herald Times (subscription) - 'Mitchell mayor joins in protest of bomb test' - [same article as printed in Times-Mail on Aug. 28 except this:

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Aug. 28, 2006 - WISH-TV - Mitchell Residents Concerned Over Possible Bomb Testing 

...They say when workers set off a blast to loosen rocks, it rattles nerves in nearby Mitchell. "I can't even keep pictures straight in my house. I straighten them up and they're all messed up again," Mitchell resident Leanna Hanks said....

"I think it's more than just a concern. They're worried about....the cave systems that some of them live on top of," said Mayor Chastain.

....Mitchell residents don't want to see a new bomb set-off in their collective backyard.

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August 28, 2006 - Times Mail - Crowd protests bomb test; Mayor says people worried about safety

“People are worried about their homes, their sewer systems and the cave system” 

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