Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance

(OREPA) Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance is a non-governmental environmental organization located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States. OREPA states its goal is to end the production of nuclear weapons at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant located at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge. OREPA uses direct action and advocacy to pursue its goal of ending nuclear weapons production in the United States.

History

Origins

Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance began with the organization of a nonviolent direct action event in 1988 to commemorate the bombing of Hiroshima. The event took place at the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant in Oak Ridge. This event was the start of the ongoing direct action campaign entitled, "Stop the Bombs!"

The sister organization, "Oak Ridge Education Project (OREP)" was also established in 1988. A project of the Foundation for Global Sustainability, its purpose was to monitor the Oak Ridge Nuclear Reservation, provide information to the public regarding environmental restoration activities, the production/dismantlement of nuclear weapons and disposition of highly enriched uranium, and public health issues at the Oak Ridge Reservation. In 1993, OREP merged with the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA).

Partners

OREPA has cooperated with numerous organizations and individuals, including the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, Nipponzan Myohoji Atlanta Dojo, Footsteps for Peace, Mayors for Peace and many others who share a vision of a nuclear weapons-free world.

Activities

As part of ongoing advocacy for nuclear disarmament and the cessation of nuclear proliferation at Y-12 in accordance with the international (NPT) Non-proliferation Treaty, OREPA has attended public hearings, symposiums, and spoken before small groups to large crowds in Tennessee and around the country. Additionally, OREPA teaches techniques of non-violent protest and civil disobedience toward the goal of peace, human and environmental justice, and sustainability. All direct actions are planned so as to adhere to a strict standard of non-violence as well as minimize harm to animals, plants and land and will, to the maximum extent possible, rely on sustainable sources of materials and energy.

As part of its Stop the Bombs! Campaign, OREPA hosts weekly peace vigils at the gates of the Y-12 National Security Complex and various small events to advocate for peace, justice, and environmental issues. It also hosts a direct action protest event at the gates, preceded by a peace pilgrimage to the event, and a ceremony afterward in remembrance of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although in the past, the major direct action event took place on August 6th (Hiroshima Day), in 2010, the event is scheduled to take place in April.

OREPA also assists and attends events hosted by other organizations that it has a cooperative relationship with, throughout the year.

Current Issues

2010 is an important year for the fight against nuclear weapons.

President Barak Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

Non-Proliferation Treaty

Early in 2010, nation representatives will gather at the United Nations to review the (NPT) Non-Proliferation Treaty, ratified in 1968.

Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty

This agreement between the U.S. and Russia expired in December 2009. Although a tentative agreement was made to replace that agreement in 2009, as of January 2010, the terms had not yet been agreed upon.

New Bomb Plant at Y-12

The Department Of Energy has announced plans to build a new, $3 billion bomb plant at Y12 that will produce nuclear weapons for another century. President Obama has publicly embraced the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons, but said he also believes in a safe, secure, reliable stockpile and a policy of nuclear deterrence. Vice-President Biden promised in the Wall Street Journal a massive increase in funding for nuclear weapons production: “Our budget devotes $7 billion for maintaining our nuclear weapons stockpile and complex, and for related efforts. This commitment is $600 million more than Congress approved last year. And over the next five years we intend to boost funding for these important activities by more than $5 billion."