From the Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson

MATHESON NEWS
Second Congressional District

For Further Information
Alyson Heyrend: (801) 455-5593 (cell)
www.house.gov/matheson

November 16, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Matheson: Divine Strake Test Unwelcome

Purpose, health risks troublesome

Washington DC-Congressman Jim Matheson said a decision by a federal defense agency to detonate a 700-ton conventional blast at the Nevada Test Site, not in New Mexico, still leaves many questions unanswered and remains a non-starter for him.

Matheson joined the other members of the Utah Congressional Delegation at a meeting with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Wednesday to receive an update on the so-called "Divine Strake" test plans.  The non-nuclear, open air explosion is expected to hurl dirt and debris thousands of feet into the atmosphere. Objections raised by Matheson and others resulted in several postponements.  DTRA also agreed to look at alternate test locations, including the White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico.

But the agency now says the Nevada Test Site is its preferred location.

Both open air and underground nuclear tests were carried out in areas surrounding the location selected for the upcoming blast.  Nevada environmental officials have refused to issue air quality permits required before its detonation, saying it has received incomplete environmental data.  A lawsuit pending in federal court in Nevada has also challenged DTRA's plans.

Matheson grilled DTRA's director regarding the dual purpose of the gigantic ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosion. Matheson remains concerned about the agency's admission that Divine Strake is an experiment designed to simulate both nuclear and conventional weapon effects. He notes Congress has already voted to eliminate funding for development of nuclear "bunker-busters".

Utah residents living downwind of the test site are frightened by the prospect of more contaminated materials being released into the atmosphere.

"Just last month we received additional scientific evidence- from Dr. Joseph Lyon's study - of the link between radioactive fallout and illness.  The more we look, the more damage we uncover from this era, even as the federal government was telling us it was safe then.  I remain skeptical when they tell us it is safe today," said Matheson.

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Alyson Heyrend
Communications Director
240 East Morris Ave. #235
South Salt Lake, UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 (phone)
(801) 455-5593 (cell)
(801) 486-1417 (fax)