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#landislife — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #landislife, aggregated by home.social.

  1. Honoring the #Movements and People who Inspire us. #Warriors, #Writers and #Dreamers -- A Thread Runs Through Them. #CensoredNews 20th Anniversary.

    'Know who you are, and never let anyone take your power from you.'

    By #BrendaNorrell, Censored News, August 30, 2026

    "We're coming up on our 20th anniversary at Censored News, and we are honoring the warriors, leaders, writers and dreamers who make Censored News possible.

    When the Mohawks came for the border summit in 2006 and 2007, it was, as they say in the movie Casablanca, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

    Along with the Mohawks, leaders, writers and dreamers through the years became a sort of collective which makes Censored News what it is, a service to #IndigenousPeople and #HumanRights.

    We lost many of our best, #Lakota Warrior Woman #DebWhitePlume, our longtime friend #KleeBenally, our French translator #ChristinePrat, and many more. But thanks to those who keep sharing their work, we keep Censored News going. This summer our page views increased by millions, thanks to their labors of love.

    Today, we celebrate the movements and people who inspire us, as we celebrate our 20 Year Anniversary at Censored News."

    Read more:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/08

    To donate - [email protected] via PayPal. Link to donations page:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2019/08

    #IndigenousNews #ReaderSupportedNews #MicheleCook #OfeliaRivas #FloydWesterman #TohonoOodhamNation #BorderPatrol #Diné #Navajo #IndigenousActivists #LandDefenders #WaterDefenders #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #MniWiconi #Marcos #Mexico #Chiapas #Maori #Aotearoa #IndigenousResistance #NoBorders #LeaveItInTheGround #StandWithStandingRock #StandingRock

  2. #Mississippi homeowners blame a noisy #DataCenter plant for sleepless nights. The mayor's advice? "Consider selling."

    By Lauren Fichten, July 16, 2026

    "It was 4 a.m. on a Sunday and 46-year-old Jason Haley was once again wide awake.

    "The suburban silence that Haley had grown used to in his two decades as a resident of #SouthavenMS, had, for the last few months, been replaced by a constant whirring, like an airplane hovering over his home, he said.

    "The noise keeping Haley awake was coming from a plant powering #ElonMusk's #xAI #datacenters in the area, according to a lawsuit filed in June against the company and its subsidiary, #MZXTech. Haley and two other #Southaven residents, who live within a mile of the plant, allege in the suit that 'near-constant' noise and vibrations are causing negative physical and psychological health effects.

    "The filing comes amid growing #resistance toward data center development, with the majority of Americans opposing local construction of a data center, according to a Gallup poll published earlier this year.

    "Similar disputes are playing out across the country, like in #MountPleasantWI, where a lawsuit this month filed by residents alleges a data center emits 'unreasonable and excessive noise' onto residents' properties and in #LowellMA [a city with a large #Latino population -- #EnvironmentalRacism], where noise from a data center's cooling center 'disrupts neighbors' sleep,' according to an April suit.

    "There are more than 4,000 data centers in the U.S., according to a recent United Nations report. To power the data centers, developers are building their own plants, sometimes with little warning to residents like Haley.

    "Haley reached out to Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite about the noise in emails he shared with CBS News. In one last November, he urged Musselwhite to drive through the neighborhood 'and take a listen to the constant #HighPitch noises.' "

    " 'I am aware of the noise and working on a solution with xAI officials,' Musselwhite had responded to Haley an hour later. 'It is a problem,' he said in another email later in the day.

    "But soon, another sleepless night rolled around and Haley was emailing the mayor again.

    ""Anyone else I can reach out to?" Haley wrote to Musselwhite. "It's almost 4 am and I can hear it from my bed. The high pitch and roaring combined is full force at this time. My ears are ringing. I can't live in this. How was this ever approved?"

    [In a later email, this was Musselwhite's response] "I know they want houses for employees, so you may want to consider selling your home." 😡

    Read more:
    cbsnews.com/news/mississippi-e

    #ElonSucks #BigDataSucks #NoisePollution #BigData
    #CorporateColonialism #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #USPol
    #AISucks #DatacenterMoratorium
    #AIDatacenters #EnvironmentalRacism
    #PreyingOnThePoor #EnergyVampires #ResistAI

  3. #Indigenous at the #UnitedNations Expose #AIDatacenters and Racially-Biased #Misinformation

    By #BrendaNorrell, #CensoredNews, July 14, 2026

    GENEVA -- "The mediocre, middle-of-the-road approach to #AI at the United Nations was countered by testimony today from #IndigenousPeoples pointing out that #ArtificialIntelligence is not a solution, and is doing great harm to Indigenous with derogatory misinformation and massive #datacenters that are poisoning the #land, #water and #air.

    "#JaimieWilliams, #MiamiNation in #Indiana, speaking on behalf of the Society of Native Nations, at the U.N. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, responded to the A.I. summary presented this morning. Williams said the summary does not reflect the true impact of artificial intelligence, particularly in the way the technology is powered.

    " 'AI data centers are rapidly being constructed on the land of Indigenous Peoples without free, prior and #InformedConsent from us.'

    " 'My people came out of the water, the #SaintJosephRiver in the southeast of #LakeMichigan, along that river there are several data centers,' she said, pointing out that Indigenous across #TurtleIsland share similar stories.

    " 'These sacred waterways and lands are being used for A.I. data centers.'

    " 'I was once convinced artificial intelligence could help my tribe build our language and culture, but AI is not a sustainable solution.'

    " 'There is currently no available technology available to power A.I. without poisoning the water, drying up the rivers and causing further contamination in the territories of Indigenous Peoples, who are already disproportionately affected.' "

    Read more:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/07

    #BigData #BigDataSucks #CorporateColonialism #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #ProtectTheSacred #USPol

  4. 25 years ago, I interviewed #ChiefLookingHorse about World Peace and Prayer Day, and was inspired to organize a solidarity event in #PortlandME (in conjunction with #PeaceActionMaine) where we made art, spoke truth, played music, and fed the #Unhoused. It took a lot of work to organize, but I'm glad it happened. It's was all about #BuildingCommunity and #MutualAid, and that's what's needed #InTheseTimes!

    #WorldPeaceAndPrayerDay: The Power of Spirit

    Article by @bsnorrell.blogspot.com , Censored News, noon, June 21, 2026

    #MathóPahá (Bear Butte) South Dakota -- "Chief #ArvolLookingHorse, Chief began by saying the riders are coming from Green Grass and then they will proceed to the Little Big Horn.

    " '#MotherEarth is sick, and we are sick, because we nourish from Mother Earth' Chief Looking Horse said.

    "With a message of hope, Chief Looking Horse said his people are a people of peace and today, more than ever, the youths are singing their songs and on the ride from Green Grass.

    "As World Peace and Prayer Day began, now in its thirtieth year, Chief Looking Horse said, 'Pipestone is the Blood of our People,'

    "We need peace in this world more than ever."

    "As World Peace and Prayer Day begins today, an elder from #Alaska speaks on the impact of a typhoon at #HooperBay. She spoke on the power of prayer, and efforts to recover. 'Their homes are totally destroyed.' Now, the federal government is depriving them of their funds."

    "#Paiute #JoshDini and youth honor #MyronDewey, Paiute, and his efforts at #StandingRock. They are sharing what is happening at #ThackerPass, the #LithiumMining in Nevada.

    "On the ride, now from Green Grass in South Dakota, Josh said they are able to share what is happening in Nevada and that Thacker Pass is a place of massacres.

    "#Datacenters are being pushed without consultation with the tribe. The data centers are taking the land and water, even now in a #drought, the data centers are coming for the water, Josh said.

    "Dr. #ValeriahBigEagle, #Nakota / #HunkpatiDakota, speaks on the power of prayer and protection of the land and water. At Sacred #Pesla, two drill rigs were stopped from going in. An injunction, and preliminary injunction was filed to stop the drilling for graphite. Then, 'they started drilling around the clock.' On May 8, the permit was rescinded.

    "There were drones and helicopters overhead, but the occupation went forward with prayer, she said. The protectors had their own drone as well, for security. Big Eagle said it was an honor to be a part of this.

    " 'The only weapons we had were our prayers,' she said, describing the lock downs to equipment to halt the drilling.

    " 'When we are in #solidarity and #unity, we can make things happen,' she said, speaking on ongoing efforts to protect the Sacred #BlackHills."

    Read more:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/06

    #ArvolLookingHorse #WorldPeaceAndPrayerDay #SummerSolstice #ProtectTheSacred #DefendMotherEarth #StandWithStandingRock #NoDatacenters #NoMining #RespectTheSacred #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife

  5. From 2022: #NSW Police Use #AntProtest Laws to Monitor Tour Groups

    by Paul Gregoire & Ugur Nedim,13 Oct 2022

    Excerpt: "#SilencingDissent

    "Back in 2014, then NSW premier Mike Baird told a NSW mining industry dinner that his government was going to 'crackdown' on those who choose to break the law when they protest. And he singled out '#protesters who unlawfully enter #mining sites.'

    "A little over a year later, the Coalition government followed through with the premier’s promise when it passed a series of harsh #AntiProtestLaws, under the Inclosed Lands, Crimes and Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Interference) Bill 2016.

    "The legislation created the new offence of aggravated unlawful entry on inclosed lands. Section 4B of the #InclosedLand Protection Act 1901 provides that interfering, or attempts to interfere, with the conduct of a business on enclosed land can land a #protester with a fine of up to $5,500.

    "Under the provisions of the bill, police were provided with additional powers to stop, search, detain, and seize the property of protesters, as well as being given the power to shutdown a peaceful protest if it is #ObstructingTraffic.

    "And the bill also inserted a definition of #mine into section 201 of the #CrimesAct 1900, so that the offence of interfering with a mine includes #coal seam #gas exploration and extraction sites. This offence carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

    "The #WilpinjongThree

    "Bev Smiles, Bruce Hughes and Stephanie Luce are the first people to be up on protesting charges since the laws were changed. In April last year, the three were arrested for protesting outside the #Wilpinjong #CoalMine in #Wollar.

    "The three are up on charges of rendering a road belonging to a mine useless and hindering the working equipment belonging to a mine. These are both offences that carry the penalty of seven years imprisonment.

    "When the trio appeared at Mudgee Local Court on February 9, the presiding magistrate rejected police claims that the Wollar-Ulan Road, where the defendants were arrested, actually belonged to the mining company.

    " 'They have pleaded not guilty, and are awaiting a judgment on the case,' Mr Phillips explained. 'The outcome of that case will be important.” If the three have 'the book thrown at them' then it’s likely to discourage the protesting of coal mines in NSW."

    Read more:
    sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/b

    #AustraliaPol #AusPol #CriminalizingProtest #NoMining #CoalMines #UraniumMines #Australia #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandBack

  6. The #HonourableHarvest: Guiding Principles to Restoring Our Relationship to the #NaturalWorld

    Apr 12, 2021

    "We need acts of #restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings."

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author, Environmental Educator, & Plant Ecologist

    thegaiaproject.ca/en/the-honou

    #SolarPunkSunday #Haudenosaunee #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalWorld #Restoration #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

  7. The #HonourableHarvest: Guiding Principles to Restoring Our Relationship to the #NaturalWorld

    Apr 12, 2021

    "We need acts of #restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings."

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author, Environmental Educator, & Plant Ecologist

    thegaiaproject.ca/en/the-honou

    #SolarPunkSunday #Haudenosaunee #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalWorld #Restoration #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

  8. The #HonourableHarvest: Guiding Principles to Restoring Our Relationship to the #NaturalWorld

    Apr 12, 2021

    "We need acts of #restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings."

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author, Environmental Educator, & Plant Ecologist

    thegaiaproject.ca/en/the-honou

    #SolarPunkSunday #Haudenosaunee #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalWorld #Restoration #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

  9. The #HonourableHarvest: Guiding Principles to Restoring Our Relationship to the #NaturalWorld

    Apr 12, 2021

    "We need acts of #restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings."

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author, Environmental Educator, & Plant Ecologist

    thegaiaproject.ca/en/the-honou

    #SolarPunkSunday #Haudenosaunee #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalWorld #Restoration #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

  10. The #HonourableHarvest: Guiding Principles to Restoring Our Relationship to the #NaturalWorld

    Apr 12, 2021

    "We need acts of #restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings."

    by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Author, Environmental Educator, & Plant Ecologist

    thegaiaproject.ca/en/the-honou

    #SolarPunkSunday #Haudenosaunee #RegenerativeAgriculture #NaturalWorld #Restoration #LandIsLife #WaterIsLife #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

  11. [Thread] #Wikipedia: #SacrificeZones

    "A sacrifice zone or sacrifice area (often termed a national sacrifice zone or national sacrifice area) is a geographic area that has been permanently changed by heavy environmental alterations (usually to a negative degree) or economic disinvestment, often through locally unwanted land use (#LULU). Commentators including Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco, and Steve Lerner have argued that corporate business practices contribute to producing sacrifice zones. A 2022 report by the United Nations highlighted that millions of people globally are in pollution sacrifice zones, particularly in zones used for heavy industry and mining."

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrific

    #Industries #IndustrialUse #Mining #PollutionSacrificeZones #GlobalSacrificeZones #CorporateColonialism #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #SacrificeZones

  12. WTF! #Navajo Reporter #MarleyShebala Violently Arrested by #NavajoPolice, After Filing Ethics Complaint on Navajo President #BuuNygren

    By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, October 16, 2025

    WINDOW ROCK, Navajo Nation -- "Navajo Police were sent today to evict Marley Shebala, Dine' Zuni Pueblo reporter, from her home. Marley, 73, screamed in pain as she was arrested by police. Marley had filed an ethics complaint against Navajo President Buu Nygren, and was reporting on the ongoing #corruption in the Navajo tribal government.

    " 'I am 73 years old, and they have me handcuffed in my home with my daughter, our Navajo police, to
    serve and protect' Marley says, as she continues to livestream. Navajo police used a locksmith to enter her home, before the violent arrest."

    Read more:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/10

    #Diné #Dineh #ACAB #Journalists #ReaderSupportedNews #Journalism #BuuNygrenSoldOutHisPeople #UraniumMining #NavajoNation #IndigenousNews #SilencingDissent #CoalMining #TrumpSucks #BeautifulCleanCoal #Cancer #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #EnergyFuels
    #Dineteh #NukingTheNavajo
    #Havasupai #UraniumMines
    #EnvironmentalRacism #WhiteMesaMill #NukingTheNavajo #NukingTheUte #Ute #Paiute #Hopi #BidiiRoots #DineCARE #PinyonPlainUraniumMine #AirIsLife #UraniumMine #UraniumTransport #RadioactiveDust #RememberKleeBenally #BigCoal #DishonoringTheMemoryOfKleeBenally
    #HaulNo #NoMiningWithoutConsent

  13. House Republicans look to help Trump strip tax-exempt status of nonprofits he says support terrorism

    By ALEXA ST. JOHN and MATTHEW DALY
    Updated 1:37 PM EDT, May 13, 2025

    WASHINGTON (AP) — "A proposal by Republicans in Congress would allow President Donald Trump’s administration to remove the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that it says support #terrorism, creating what some #nonprofits say is an arbitrary standard to financially punish #charities that advocate for issues that don’t align with his agenda.

    "Unusual language added Monday to a reconciliation bill from the House Ways and Means Committee — the tax-writing committee — would allow for terminating the tax-exempt status of groups the administration deems 'terrorist supporting organizations.' The language mirrors a bill from the last Congress that passed in the House but did not pass the Senate.

    "The definition and criteria for determining whether or how an organization supports terrorism are unclear. The bill also targets nonprofits in other ways, echoing complaints by Trump, who has called the tax-exempt status a 'privilege' that has been 'abused.' Trump has threatened to revoke tax-exempt status for groups that don’t abide by his directives or agree with his views."

    [...]

    "Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, which represents hundreds of former scientists and regulators, said last month 'we all pay the price' when charitable organizations are silenced based on politics.

    "For example, the move to revoke #TaxExempt status could choke off funding for groups that urge greater action to promote clean air, water and land, work to help communities most affected by industrial pollution and advocate for projects and policies to combat #ClimateChange — among other issues.

    " 'It threatens the rights, health, and future of every community,' Roos said in a statement.

    Last month, Trump said he could target environmental groups and the ethics watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington."

    Read more:
    apnews.com/article/congress-no

    #Environment #Ethics #AirIsLife #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #MAGADeathCult #TrumpHatesTheEnvironment #TrumpHatesThePoor #AntiLife #Greenpeace #Indivisible #FreePalestine #CREW #PeaceAndJustice #CorporatePolluters #Corporatocracy #CharacteristicsOfFascism #SilencingDissent #USPol #HR9495 #TaxPackage #Authoritarianism #AuthoritarianRule #StopHR9495 #FightForTheFuture #Section112209

  14. #Diné Coalition Opposes #Navajo President's Push for #CoalMining and #Uranium Transport

    Dine' Coalition Press Statement, #CensoredNews, April 17, 2025

    WINDOW ROCK, Arizona -- "A coalition of grassroots groups released a statement in response to recent announcements and actions by #NavajoNation President #BuuNygren regarding coal development, carbon market deals, and potential new mining projects.

    "The coalition will host a Press Conference from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (MDT) on Monday, April 21, 2025, outside the Navajo Nation Council Chambers during the first day of the Navajo Nation Council’s Spring Session. Please bring a folding chair, water, hats, and sunscreen, and dress appropriately for the weather to keep yourself safe and comfortable during the Press Conference.

    "Summary of full statement:

    ● We call on the Navajo Nation President to stop making deals that degrade our land, water, and future.

    ● We urge tribal leaders not to repeat historical mistakes with respect to uranium extraction: Leave this Nayee’, Łeetso, in the ground. The cleanup and remediation of hundreds of abandoned mines must be completed, prioritizing public health safety and ecosystem health.

    ● We stand against the transport of uranium ore across the Navajo Nation because it is inconsistent with the intent of the Navajo Radioactive and Related Substances, Equipment, Persons and Materials Transportation Act of 2012, regardless of jurisdictional limits on our highways and roads.

    ● We steadfastly OPPOSE coal development, which negatively impacts the lands, water, and health of the Navajo people and contributes to #ClimateChange.

    ● We stand in protection of our water, health, traditional lifeways, Earth bundles (#Jish), and #MotherEarth.

    "We call on all Diné #LandDefenders, #WaterProtectors, healers, young leaders, #matriarchs and warriors to stand together at WINDOW ROCK on APRIL 21, 2025. Together, we will make our voices heard and remind our Navajo Nation government that they are entrusted to make decisions that protect our People and protect our sacred homelands.
    Statement from Diné Coalition of Grassroots Organizers in response to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s recent statements and actions regarding uranium, carbon markets, coal, and
    other harmful extractive processes.
    We are a coalition of Diné organizers, land defenders, water protectors, traditional knowledge holders, matriarchs, and young leaders. We are calling on our Diné people to stand united in protecting Mother Earth and our sacred homelands and waterways.

    "The Nygren Administration’s recent statements and actions do not reflect the
    will of the Diné People, and we call on our Navajo Nation Council to ensure that such actions are not taken in violation of our Free, Prior, and Informed Consent.

    "With the Trump administration’s announced intent to ramp up production of 'mission-critical' uranium,
    the private energy offenders are again targeting Diné lands with no intention of ensuring public health, safety, or environmental health. Diné land and water protectors understand that energy offenders operate through systematic #racism that does not adhere to
    #PinyonPlain uranium mine,
    radioactive haul trucks, in #GrandCanyon."

    Read more:
    bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04

    #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #Dineteh #NukingTheNavajo #Havasupai #UraniumMines #EnvironmentalRacism #PinyonPlainUraniumMine #AirIsLife #UraniumMine #NoMiningWithoutConsent
    #DontNukeTheGrandCanyon #DontNukeThePlanet #WeAreTheFuture #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #DontNukeTheFuture #ReaderSupportedNews

  15. #Trump’s federal cuts threaten #Indigenous communities

    They told U.S. House lawmakers that the administration’s “chainsaw approach” to government cuts will disproportionately harm #IndianCountry

    by Shondiin Silversmith, Mar 6, 2025

    "From securing funding for #IndianHealth Services and ongoing #WaterSettlements to increasing investments in infrastructure, education and law enforcement, many Indigenous leaders and organizations are raising the alarm about the devastation that federal funding cuts could bring for #NativeAmericans.

    "More than 60 tribal leaders and organizations from across Indian Country testified over three days to a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee on the federal funding needs of Indigenous people and their communities nationwide.

    "'I know there’s never enough funding to go around,' Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said, and he appreciates how the subcommittee has consistently set aside several days to hear Indian Country’s funding priorities.

    "'It is the process that starts the funding decisions for tribal programs, staffing and priorities for this administration,' he added. Tribal leaders and organizations gave five-minute testimonies to the subcommittee from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27.

    "Lewis used his five minutes to discuss the Trump administration’s actions and their impact on his community.

    "There is 'real fear' within tribal communities about what is happening in Washington, D.C., he said, referencing the freezing of federal funding and the mass firing of federal employees across the government.

    [...]

    "He added that the cuts are being made without considering how they will impact services. Rather than making the government more efficient and effective, it is 'creating a federal workforce that is paralyzed by fear.'

    "Lewis called the administration’s actions #destabilizing and said they will have a disproportionate impact on Indian Country.

    "'The government-to-government relationship is only as strong as our federal partner,' he said. 'And right now, there is a real concern that the federal side of this partnership has the real potential of being dismantled.'"

    Read more:
    ictnews.org/news/tribal-leader
    #USPol #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #RespectTheTreaties #USGovtCleanUpYourMess #UraniumMining #UraniumMilling #IndigenousHealth #IndigenousNews #BadDOGE #DOGE #HealthCare

  16. Risky Revival: How #Michigan’s #Palisades #NuclearPlant could impact agriculture

    While state leaders champion the Palisades reopening as an energy solution, local farmers remain divided over the potential threats to their land and water.

    by S. Nicole Lane, for Investigate Midwest December 10, 2024

    COVERT, Michigan — "The Palisades Nuclear Generating Station, long synonymous with safety lapses and regulatory oversight, is poised for an unprecedented comeback under Michigan Gov. #GretchenWhitmer’s plan to reopen the shuttered plant by 2025 — the first attempt of its kind in U.S. history.

    "However, in this robust agricultural region, there are fears about how reopening a problematic plant could impact area farmers and the food they produce.

    "Approximately 6,362 farms are within 50 miles of Palisades. In Van Buren County alone, where the plant is located, there are 838 farms. Michigan’s southwestern corner, home to 80% of the state’s farms, is often called the 'blueberry capital of the world.'

    "'A leak (and) this 150-year-old farm is done,' said Bill Adams, who runs Adams Blueberry Farms in Hartford, Michigan, 16 miles south of the plant. 'Why would they restart something that old and sitting this long?'

    "Opened in 1971, Palisades, which is located along #LakeMichigan, once generated 5% of Michigan’s electricity, enough to power 800,000 homes. But a litany of mechanical issues plagued its operations for decades.

    "In 2013, the plant leaked 79 gallons of diluted #RadioactiveWater into Lake Michigan, forcing a five-week shutdown — its ninth closure in just two years.

    "Federal regulators repeatedly flagged the plant for safety concerns, from undetected #RadiationExposure among employees in 2008 to persistent cracks in its 300,000-gallon storage tank that leaked for over a decade. In 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) described Palisades as having some of the worst cases of nuclear fuel container weakening in the nation.

    "The plant was permanently shut down on May 31, 2022, with its owners citing financial and safety concerns. But just months later, Whitmer announced a plan to revive Palisades, reigniting debates over the risks and benefits of #NuclearEnergy in a state still grappling with its troubled legacy.

    "Typically, after 40 years, a nuclear power plant is closed and undergoes a complex decommissioning process that can take up to 30 years to complete. Globally, the only plants that have reopened are in Japan.

    "#Holtec Decommissioning International bought Palisades in 2022 with the goal of dismantling it. Now, with Whitmer’s support, they have since decided to reopen the plant, something Holtec has never done.

    "Neither Holtec nor Whitmer’s office responded to multiple requests for comment. "

    Read more:
    investigatemidwest.org/2024/12

    #NoNukes #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #RethinkNotRestart #RenewablesNow #Holtec #HoltecLies #USPol #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies #NuclearPowerPlants