Russian Chernobyl experts make timely visit to the U.S.

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http://www.beyondnuclear.org/home/2011/3/21/russian-chernobyl-experts-make-timely-visit-to-the-us.html

Russian Chernobyl experts make timely visit to the U.S.

Four Russian experts with firsthand experience of the Chernobyl reactor tragedy have arrived in the U.S. for the start of a pre-arranged informational tour organized by Beyond Nuclear. The speakers – liquidator, Natalia Manzurova; scientist and former Yeltsin advisor, Dr. Alexey Yablokov; prominent anti-nuclear leader, Dr. Nataliya Mironova; and Chelyabinsk spokesperson Tatiana Muchamedyarova, will be in Vermont, Seattle, the Southeast and Washington, DC, during their visit which ends April 6. They plan to share their Chernobyl experiences in light of the nuclear power crisis in Japan. Full press release here.

The press release (pdf): http://www.beyondnuclear.org/storage/documents/Russians_US_March19_2011.pdf

BEYOND NUCLEAR:
March 19, 2011, For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Cindy Folkers, cell: 240-354-4314; Kevin Kamps, cell: 240-462-3216

Chernobyl witnesses and scientists visiting U.S. as similar disaster unfolds in Japan

TAKOMA PARK, MD – Four Russian experts with firsthand experience of the Chernobyl reactor tragedy have arrived in the U.S. for the start of a pre-arranged informational tour organized by Beyond Nuclear. The speakers – liquidator, Natalia Manzurova; scientist and former Yeltsin advisor, Dr. Alexey Yablokov; prominent anti-nuclear leader, Dr. Nataliya Mironova; and Chelyabinsk spokesperson Tatiana Muchamedyarova, will be in Vermont, Seattle, the Southeast and Washington, DC, during their visit which ends April 6. They plan to share their Chernobyl experiences in light of the nuclear power crisis in Japan.

Please contact Cindy Folkers for interviews in Washington, DC or Kevin Kamps for interviews in Vermont, at the numbers above. Yablokov will be in DC from March 21-25. Manzurova, Mironova and Muchamedyarova will be in Washington DC from March 29 to April 6. Speaker bios follow.

Natalia Manzurova is one of the few survivors involved directly in the liquidation process for five years, and today advocates for the rights of victims of radiation exposure internationally. Dr. Alexey Yablokov has researched thousands of studies to co-author Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment that synthesizes the results of these studies on the effect of Chernobyl on people, animals and the environment. This is the only work of its depth and breadth on this subject to date. Dr. Nataliya Mironova, one of the most prominent leaders in the anti-nuclear movement in Russia, is available to share lessons learned from Chernobyl and how we can apply them to environmental, human rights, and peace advocacy today. Tatiana Muchamedyarova is an outspoken voice in bringing attention to the consequences of nuclear accidents in her native region of Chelyabinsk.

Speaker bios:

Nataliya Manzurova was a lead engineer in cleaning up the consequences of the accident at Chernobyl atomic power station for over 5 years. Three years after returning from Chernobyl, her work as an engineer at a Russian nuclear facility was interrupted by a serious illness caused by radiation. In 1997 she organized the Chernobyl Union non-profit to defend the rights of the victims of radiation exposure. She also works at the Planet of Hope NGO to advocate for the rights of people exposed to radiation such as liquidators of radiation accidents and catastrophes, nuclear weapons testers, people living in radiation areas, and workers in nuclear facilities. Natalia is the author of numerous articles on radiation ecology, and she speaks at international scientific conferences and collaborates with international environmental and human rights organizations on radiation issues.

Dr. Alexey Yablokov, a marine biologist by training, was chair of the Russian National Security Council’s Interagency Commission for Ecology under President BorisYeltsin and a member of the Russian Academy of Science. Yablokov is an Honorary Foreign Member of the American Academy of Art and Science (Boston.) In 2009 he co-authored a book, first published in English by the New York Academy of Sciences, that synthesizes the results of research studies on the effect of Chernobyl on people and animals. This is the only work of its depth and bredth on this subject to date.

Dr. Natalia Mironova is a prominent leader in the human rights and anti-nuclear environmental movement in Russia. She founded the Movement for Nuclear Safety and was one of the first organizers to press for government openness on pre-Chernobyl nuclear catastrophes. Through her work in regional Parliament, she made public information on the 500,000 victims affected by the activities of the first plutonium production in Russia and on the catastrophes in the Mayak plutonium production plant. As a Member of the Supreme Environmental Council of the Russian State Parliament from 1997-2006, she organized broad public discussions for federal referendums on radioactive waste issues. In 2002, Natalia won in the Supreme Court case against the Government of Russia to stop the import of 370 tons of Hungarian spent fuel for storage and reprocessing in Russia. An author of several books and over 70 articles, she has examined the roots of nuclear proliferation and the role of non-governmental organizations in abolishing Weapons of Mass Destruction, particularly nuclear. She advocates for public participation in governance to promote environmental justice and human rights.

Tatiana Muchamedyarova has been an outspoken voice in making public the horrible consequences of the nuclear accidents in her native region of Chelyabinsk, Russia. A member of the Movement for Nuclear Safety since 1992, she has worked with Russian and foreign journalists to cover the fate of the victims of radiation exposure. She took part in US-Russia negotiations on nuclear issues and participated in international conferences against atomic bombs in Japan to draw attention to the victims of nuclear production. She also worked with the Women of Europe for a Common Future non-profit organization on radiation and chemical pollution and sustainable development.

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Beyond Nuclear aims to educate and activate the public about the connections between nuclear power and nuclear weapons and the need to abandon both to safeguard our future. Beyond Nuclear advocates for an energy future that is sustainable, benign and democratic. The Beyond Nuclear team works with diverse partners and allies to provide the public, government officials, and the media with the critical information necessary to move humanity toward a world beyond nuclear.

Contact information: Beyond Nuclear, 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 400, Takoma Park, MD 20912 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail], website: www.beyondnuclear.org