[If we all followed this brave little woman’s example and used the courts to stop all of this B.S. that the government is ramming down our throats, we would tie-up the courts and probably send an undeniable signal to our corrupt leaders that, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!” We truly are “mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!!!”]
Private Citizen Petitions Court Against State’s Experimental Nuke
Dear Anti-Nuke Friends and Allies,
Today was a first for me, as I filed in the Baltimore City Circuit Court as a private citizen for the first time in my 50 years. You see, I have a real beef against a pro-nuke decision made by an employee of the State of Maryland.
At court, I petitioned a judge to review the decision made by the Maryland Public Service Commission Hearing Examiner, who approved an application to construct an experimental, BOMB-Plutonium-fueled, double-sized reactor to sit on – and dump into – our already dead and dying Chesapeake Bay.
With no legal experience, I studied cases on the Internet and learned all I needed to know about writing a judicial review. And by no means independently wealthy, I forked over money in court fees that could have instead been spent on a couple of tasty dinners out at The Cheesecake Factory.
Admittedly, filing in court took more than a few hours of my time, and I still have no idea whatsoever whether or not a Baltimore City judge will grant my plea and actually review the State’s decision.
But there is one thing I do know with absolute certainty. I can go to sleep tonight and I will sleep like a baby.
Today, as the official beginning of the second half of my life, (that is, my second 50 years) I came of age and grew up. I did not sulk and moan that others were not joining me in court in, to me, what is a total “no brainer.”
I just went and did the right thing today.
While it’s true I’m a bit more tired and have a few less bucks in my wallet, I feel I’ve invested in something more priceless – and far, far tastier than even a couple of great dinners ending with rich, luscious slices of gourmet fudge brownie cheesecake.
Today my conscience is free and clear. And the inner feeling of knowing “I done good” (regardless of outcome) is far more delicious than anything on the end of a fork… even from The Cheesecake Factory, I swear!
For probably the first time in my life, I did not look around for someone else to try to save the day on my behalf. I decided that since the State was making a decision that is clearly *not* in the best interest of those who live within hundreds of miles of a proposed, experimental, monster-sized, nuke reactor – and certainly not in the best interest of the struggling-for-its-very-survival Chesapeake Bay – I simply could not live with myself if I did not do everything in my power to stop the deadly reactor from being built.
I truly have no idea if any other citizen or organization also filed in Court to try to stop construction of this “reference” [i.e., test] reactor that Electricite de France (owned 85% by the French state) and Constellation Energy have proposed to build and, eventually, run with highly lethal, volatile, surplus BOMB-plutonium fuel in it.
For the first time in my life, I did not make excuses. I did not complain that others were not with me. I did not look around to see what groups in the area were doing – or, more to the point, not doing.
After countless hours of research, I became convinced that the State of Maryland had done wrong by us all… and by “us” I am referring not just to Marylanders
but to all those who breathe the [same] air in this country and who enjoy the Chesapeake Bay and live or vacation down the Atlantic coast.
I write of my experience to encourage each and every one of you to think about taking your own actions against all those paid with our tax monies who are clearly *not* doing the right thing by our people, by our environment, and by all forms of life in America.
We must all take a stand. We can not – and must not – merely sit back and expect our non-profit organizations to do the work for us and take our place in fighting
against the mighty and powerful nuclear industry and all of its helpmeats, enablers, and pushers in positions of power in our government.
Each and every one of who realizes that nuclear power is dangerous, unhealthy and flat out damn expensive, too, must stand up and do the right thing as an individual. The time for action is NOW… before dozens of new experimental nuclear reactors using BOMB-Plutonium in their fuel are approved for construction throughout this unsuspecting nation!
If you do not think you can do this alone, please call me and I will tell you that you can. If I can do this, quite literally anyone can! Please know I did not become active in community or environmental activism until I was in my mid-40s.
Today I learned that the only thing stopping us all from being more effective in fighting back is in having the confidence in ourselves and knowing that we can succeed by taking bold and righteous action.
The children of today and tomorrow and all future generations are depending on us – just regular, ordinary, busy people like you and me to “do the right thing” and go the distance boldly and with the certain conviction that we must be the ones to protect what’s left of our health and the environment.
The actions of every single citizen actually *does* matter because, by speaking up and out? We then effectively give permission and encouragement for others to do the same.
Enough private citizens both can and MUST stop this Nukuler Insurgency being shoved down our throats. True, we will need to fight tooth and nail, but if we don’t all do it? It simply ain’t gonna happen!
We must never, ever forget the Almighty, Formidable Power of One.
You, me, and the next guy and gal are the Mighty Change the world simply must now see.
Thank you for all you do. And thank you even more for committing to “go the distance” even though you may be the only one you know who is doing so!
In the event you are considering taking legal action, my petition to the court is below. But please remember that annotated codes that spell out the specifics of legal actions vary from state to state.
Remember, I’m just an average, middle-aged woman who learned what is going on and decided to stand up and speak out boldly because I finally said, Enough’s Enough! And if you want to do something and you’re trying to get your courage up, call me and we’ll have a nice chat.
Our kids of today and tomorrow need you and me like they have never, ever needed anyone to stand up on their behalf before. This is their air, water, and food sources that are being polluted and contaminated for all eternity.
Like I keep saying, we’ve got to do this for the kids. Because after all, the children of tomorrow have done absolutely nothing to deserve having to grow up in this ever more polluted, ever more contaminated Radiation Nation we’re about to leave behind.
Cathy Garger
(301) 710 – 0405
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CIVIL ACTION No.________ |
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR BALTIMORE CITY, MARYLAND
Cathy Garger
Petitioner
FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW OF DECISION ORDER NO. 82741
OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND
16 Saint Paul Street, 16th floor,
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
IN THE CASE OF THE APPLICATION OF UNISTAR
NUCLEAR ENERGY, LLC AND UNISTAR NUCLEAR
OPERATING SERVICES, LLC FOR
A CERTIFICATE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCE
AND NECESSITY TO CONSTRUCT A POWER PLANT
AT CALVERT CLIFFS IN CALVERT COUNTY, MARYLAND
CASE 9127
ORDER NO. 82741
INTRODUCTION
The Petitioner, Cathy Garger, states as follows in her Petition for Judicial Review:
(1) This petition for judicial review is filed pursuant to the provisions of Maryland Annotated Code that applies to Public Utility Companies §3–201 (b) which states the petitioner’s ability to “challenge a decision by the Commission to act by order rather than regulation shall seek judicial review of the Commission’s decision within 30 days after the Commission issues a final order in that proceeding.” This petition is timely as it is submitted within 30 days from June 26, 2009, the day the final Order 82741 was rendered.
(2) According to Maryland §3–202, Petitioner Garger has standing to request a judicial review as she is named as a “person in interest” and, as such, is listed on the Service List of Maryland Public Service Commission Case 9127. Furthermore, as stated in §3–201, Petitioner Garger is “A party to a Commission proceeding,” having participated in the Case 9127 Public Hearing on August 19, 2008, as well as having submitted testimony on the matter of the Air Quality Hearing held on March 9, 2009.
ThereAreNoSunglasses 