Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (Ground Zero) held a peaceful vigil and nonviolent direct action at the main gate to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Silverdale, Washington. They protested the U.S. government’s continued deployment and upgrading of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

On Saturday afternoon the group maintained a peaceful vigil on the roadside outside the base entrance. Four protestors walked onto the roadway and unfurled a banner stretching across all entrance lanes. The banner read, “Give PEACE a chance. No, seriously.”

All four protestors complied with Washington State Patrol officers when ordered to leave the roadway. Elaine Hickman, Seattle; Tom Rogers, Poulsbo; Bert Sacks, Seattle; and Carlo Voli; Edmonds, were cited for “Pedestrian in Roadway Illegally” (a traffic offense) and released at the scene.

Earlier in the day participants learned about nuclear weapons effects (with an emphasis on the Trident system) and U.S. nuclear weapons policy. They also participated in nonviolence training as is customary before every GZ vigil and action.

Throughout the Saturday protest trained peacekeepers from Ground Zero ensured the safety of all participants, communicating with State Patrol and base security personnel as needed.

“Moms Against Bombs” was the theme of the day planned to honor the original intention of Mother’s Day for Peace. During the roadside vigil women took turns reading Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870.

Ground Zero holds three scheduled vigils and actions each year in resistance to Trident and in protest of U.S. nuclear weapons policy. The group has been working to stop the Navy’s plan to build a $715 million Second Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor. Ground Zero is also working to de-fund the Navy’s plans for a next generation ballistic missile submarine, estimated to cost $99 billion to build.

For nearly thirty-five years Ground Zero has engaged in education, training in nonviolence, community building, resistance against Trident and action toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Contact: Leonard Eiger, subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com, (425) 445-2190

Tom Shea, tomshea@centurytel.net, (425) 289-9023

Media and Outreach

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

www.gzcenter.org

Kitsap sub plans raise security questions

The full day’s schedule, downloadable flyers, and more are available here.

Gagnon is the Coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space, and long-time member of Veterans For Peace. (A link to a detailed bio on Gagnon is below.)

View The Events Calendar

Gagnon Bio

The April Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action Newsletter is hot off the presses and looking mighty fine. Newsletter Editor Alice Zillah has done a great job (as always); just wait till you see the front page!!! But hey; why should you have to wait??? Get it here!. Read it tonight with your milk and cookies; guaranteed good dreams.

Moms Against Bombs flyers

I’ve attached the two flyers for our upcoming Mother’s Day weekend event at Ground Zero (and the infamous Bangor base) - Moms Against Bombs!!! 

One is the full page version, and the other is a quarter page version (four to a page) that you can print and cut up.  They’re great for handing out at ferry terminals, long movie lines and Occupy gatherings (just to name a few).  They are both in color, although they print quite well in grayscale too.

GZ_Moms_Against_Bombs_flyer_rev

GZ_2012_Moms_Bombs_qtrpager_rev

Contact: Leonard Eiger, Media and Outreach

Groundzero Center for Nonviolent Action

www.gzcenter.org

subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com

This involves three different types of environmental reviews and two different agencies. The Joint Public Notice, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Ecology, is at

http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/documents/REG/NWS-2009-572-PN.pdf

Also see USACE News Release

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/14/army-corps-seeks-comments-on-proposed-navy-wharf

The deadline for comments is February 26, 2012. I think we should ask for a public hearing and a time extension because the Navy again failed to adequately notify citizens. So far I only know of one person who was notified.

The environmental reviews are for the entire second Explosives Handling Wharf and related buildings. We can discuss any aspect of the Draft EIS or Supplemental EIS in our comments. Environmental concerns are the most likely to be considered. The Navy’s website, with the Draft EIS and Supplemental EIS, is at https://www.nbkeis.com/ehw.

To ensure proper consideration of all comments, responders must include the following name and reference number in the text of their comments:

U.S. Navy (Bangor) NWS-2009-572

In order to be accepted, e-mail comments must originate from the author’s e-mail account and must include on the subject line of the e-mail message the permit applicant’s name and reference number as shown above.

First of the two groups of review: US Army Corps of Engineers

Environmental issues in accordance with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act are reviewed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I believe the Section 10 review gives us the opportunity to raise new issues such as navigation concerns in Hood Canal, economic impact for the region and recreational concerns. These comments go to:

US Army Corps of Engineers

Regulatory Branch

Post Office Box 3755

Seattle, WA 98124-3755

Telephone (206) 764-3273

Attn: Ms. Catherine Blackwell, Project Manager

or by e-mail to catherine.m.blackwell@usace.army.mil

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, see

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/sec404.cfm

Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, see

http://www.fema.gov/plan/ehp/ehplaws/cwa.shtm

http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/sect10.cfm

Also see http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/permithandbook/permitdetail.asp?id=36

Second of the two groups of review: Washington State Department of Ecology

Environmental issues in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, with applicable provisions of State water pollution control laws and the Coastal Zone Management Act, are reviewed by the Washington State Department of Ecology. These comments go to:

WA Department of Ecology

SEA Program

Post Office Box 47600

Olympia, WA 98504-7600

Telephone (360) 407-6068

Attn: SEA Program, Federal Permit Coordinator

or by e-mail to ecyrefedpermits@ecy.wa.gov

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, see
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/fact24.html

Also see http://apps.ecy.wa.gov/permithandbook/permitdetail.asp?id=43

Contact: Glen Milner

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

www.gzcenter.org

Read About SANE ACT 2012

Read Seattle Times Article.

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action held a peaceful vigil and nonviolent direct action at the main gate to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Silverdale, Washington. Thegroup protested the U.S. government’s continued deployment of the Trident nuclear weapons system. Its continued reliance on nuclear weapons as an instrument of foreign policy is in contravention of both U.S. and international laws.

The Trident submarine base at Bangor, just 20 miles from Seattle, contains the largest concentration of operational nuclear weapons in the US arsenal. Each of the 8 Trident submarines at Bangor carries up to 24 Trident II (D-5) missiles, each capable of being armed with as many as 8 independently targetable nuclear warheads. Each nuclear warhead has an explosive force of between 100 and 475 kilotons (up to 30 times the force of the Hiroshima bomb).

On Saturday afternoon the group maintained a peaceful vigil on the roadside outside the base entrance. Nine protesters entered the roadway carrying banners and blocked all inbound traffic lanes. One banner had a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “When scientific power outruns spiritual power, we end up with guided missiles and misguided men.” One side of the second banner read “Care for Sailors & Marines: Peaceful Jobs for All.” The other side read “Enriching the Few at Everyone’s Expense: Occupy Trident.”

Trained peacekeepers from Ground Zero ensured the safety of all participants during the vigil and action, and communicated with base security personnel as needed.

Traffic into the main gate was turned away for approximately 26 minutes. Once Washington State Patrol officers arrived the protestors complied with the order to move off the State roadway. All were cited for “Pedestrian in Roadway Illegally” (a traffic offense) and released at the scene.

Those arrested were Louise Bollman, Larry Kerschner, Gabriel La Valle, Peggy Love, Jack Smith, Carlo Voli, Marion Ward, Robert Whitlock, and Alice Zillah. Arrestees’ ages range from 33 to 73 years.

The day planned in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. began in the morning at Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action where participants learned about nuclear weapons effects (with an emphasis on the Trident system) and U.S. nuclear weapons policy. They also participated in nonviolence training and discussed the implications of the Occupy movement in relation to the movement to abolish nuclear weapons.

Participants in the vigil and action included activists from the Kitsap Peninsula, Olympia, the Greater Puget Sound area, the Interfaith Peace Walk for MLK Day, and Occupy Seattle.

Ground Zero holds three scheduled vigils and actions each year in resistance to Trident and in protest of U.S. nuclear weapons policy. The group has been working to reverse the Navy’s plan to build a Second Explosives Handling Wharf at Bangor. Ground Zero is also working to de-fund the Navy’s plans for a next generation ballistic missile submarine, estimated to cost $99 billion to build.

For over thirty-three years Ground Zero has engaged in education, training in nonviolence, community building, resistance against Trident and action toward a world without nuclear weapons.

Contact: Leonard Eiger, Media and Outreach

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

www.gzcenter.org

subversivepeacemaking@gmail.com

(425)445-2190