Hundreds of people, including a group from in Summertown attended Oak Ridge hearings Tuesday as the federal government gathered input on plans to modernize, downsize and, perhaps, rebuild the nation’s facilities for making nuclear weapons in the 21st century.
Registration to speak at the first of two sessions was cut off early after nearly 100 people signed up to speak during a three-hour comment period, guaranteeing it would run long. Others who wanted to address the public meeting were asked to return for the night session, which also was crowded.
The meetings took place at the New Hope Center near the entrance to the Y-12 National Security Complex, one of the key cogs in the U.S. weapons program. At both sessions, the center’s 400-seat auditorium was overflowing.
Speakers included a large pro-Y-12 contingent, including a steady stream of plant workers and business and civic leaders in the region. Peace activists came from near and far to voice their opposition to production of nuclear weapons, including a group from The Farm School in Summertown. The youngest speaker of the day was 9-year-old Inca Nicholson from Summertown, who stood before the presiding federal official and said, “You have got to be insane. … We need trees, sun and clean air. Not another nuclear weapon.”