The Mighty Mississippi: A Lifeline Under Siege
The Mississippi River isn't just a river; it's the lifeblood of America. Coursing through the heart of our nation, it provides drinking water to tens of millions, sustains critical habitats, and carries the weight of our history and culture. Yet, this vital artery is facing an unprecedented threat – one that is both irreversible and being intentionally concealed from the public. The same entrenched culture of negligence and corporate and political indifference that brought us the 3M PFAS disasters and the Flint water crisis is now endangering the Mississippi River. Multiple oil pipeline leaks, radioactive water leaks, and untold environmental damage threaten to poison this vital waterway, and time is running out to prevent the next catastrophe.
The Time to Act is Now! 15 minutes can make all the difference!
The Mississippi River faces a critical moment. Pipeline breaches and radioactive leaks threaten this vital waterway, endangering countless communities. We need your help now to prevent catastrophic consequences. Just 15 minutes of your time—signing our petition and sharing this message—could make all the difference. Join us in this urgent fight to protect the Mississippi, ensuring it remains a source of life and prosperity for generations to come. Your voice matters. Sign our petition today and be part of the solution. Sign the Petition HERE!
◉ OPEN LETTER TO XCEL ENERGY ◉ OUR FINAL WARNING!
◉ OPEN LETTER TO XCEL ENERGY ◉ OUR FINAL WARNING!
Coalition for a Nuclear-Free Mississippi River: Unveiling the Truth and Demanding Change
We are a growing coalition of concerned citizens, including youth and families, environmentalists, experts, scientists, engineers, and Indigenous leaders determined to expose the truth and protect the Mississippi. Sign the Petition HERE!
Our mission is to:
Maintain the Promised 2030 Shutdown Date: We will advocate for the permanent closure of the leaking Monticello nuclear power plant by 2030 and educating the public about the risks associated with nuclear power and the safe, sustainable, and proven alternatives available.
Uncover the Extent of the Damage: We will reveal the true impact of the tritium leak$ and pipeline project$ (the Black Snake), ensuring that the public understands the stakes.
Demand Accountability: Those responsible for endangering our water supply and weakening its protections must be held accountable.
Protect Our Water: We're in a fight for stricter regulations and policies to safeguard our drinking water from harmful contaminants, especially nuclear radiation. Science now confirms that women and children are most vulnerable to the health risks of contaminated water, making their protection an urgent priority. We will collaborate with organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to leverage their expertise and advocacy in setting safer standards. We demand clean, safe water for all!
Preserve Critical Habitats: The Mississippi's ecosystems are vital for countless species, including several endangered species. We will defend these habitats from further destruction.
Honor Sacred Sites: We stand with Indigenous communities in protecting their sacred sites and burial grounds from further desecration.
Nuclear Liability Insurance/Community Superfund/Community Bond with Community-Specific Provisions: As a condition of its license extension, Xcel Energy would be required to obtain significantly higher liability insurance coverage or establish a Superfund or Community Bond to protect the Monticello community from risks and provide assurance of Xcel's promises regarding taxes, liabilities, health, and other community concerns. This would exceed currently mandated coverage. The policy or financial instrument would explicitly include provisions to cover:
• Long-term health impacts and environmental remediation costs in case of an accident.
• Economic losses to the community, including lost tax revenue and property devaluation.Partners in Power: To cultivate a broad and inclusive movement grounded in the shared values and priorities of our community, where we actively engage with and support the diverse goals of our coalition partners, recognizing that progress is measured by our collective efforts and the positive impact we create together.
Leak to Legacy: A Roadmap to a Brighter Future for Monticello
SavetheMississippi.com, a project of the Rainbow Warrior Collective MN, is dedicated to protecting the Mississippi River. We raise awareness, advocate for action, and promote proven solutions from other regions to address the river's and our communities challenges. Our goal is to replace outdated approaches to the Xcel Energy extension and radioactive leak, with innovative, effective solutions, as Buckminster Fuller wisely said, "To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
We, like many others surrounding the Monticello Xcel Energy Nuclear Power Plant, have a growing list of unanswered questions and concerns about the safety of our water, our food, our air, and our future. We've sought answers and transparency, but too often, our concerns have been dismissed or ignored with malice. This lack of accountability is what drives us to demand change. We are the Water. We are the Land. We are Rising Up!
We collaborate with various organizations and individuals as part of a Coalition for a Nuclear-free Mississippi River and share our collective updates on our platform. Our focus is on community, environment, and family. We are driven by truth and integrity to create a better future for the Mississippi River and the communities it nourishes. We believe that solutions exist, many of which we will be presenting to the Attorney General's Office and other leaders, based on decades of experience and lessons learned from past tragedies. Our approach is to present violations alongside viable, and even superior solutions.
Integrity is the foundation of our work. We believe in truth and transparency, acknowledging past mistakes, and actively seeking positive solutions and a path forward. This is especially important when it comes to a powerful plant such as a nuclear power plant. As Albert Einstein said, "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters."
History teaches us that major accidents, especially those in the nuclear industry, are often preceded by ignored warnings and two or more smaller accidents. This "blindness" stems from a lack of safety culture and compromised integrity. While these lessons are widely understood and applied across many fields, continuous improvement requires us to confront past mistakes, however uncomfortable. The responsibility for preventing future tragedies, and safeguarding countless lives, rests with us all.
We believe that progress requires acknowledging past wrongs, addressing current challenges, and implementing solutions that invest in our collective future.
This webpage is a comprehensive resource for reliable information on the situation and threats that we are collectively facing. We've curated a collection of updates, news articles, pamphlets, scientific research, and health studies, along with concise summaries of key findings. To make learning more engaging, we've also included videos featuring experts and leaders in the field, offering both entertainment and scientific accuracy. We remain hopeful that by acknowledging the truth and the dangers we face, we can work together to create a positive future. This is not something we can afford to sit out; we especially can't when we have better options than the current plans that are threatening our communities. Join us in demanding a safer, healthier Mississippi River for all.
Quick Summary:
Xcel Energy is seeking a 20-year extension for the aging Monticello nuclear power plant, despite its recent radioactive leaks in our community. Originally reported as a 400,000-gallon leak, the actual amount of tritium-contaminated water that leaked in 2022 was more than 800,000+ gallons, significantly threatening the Mississippi River, which supplies drinking water for 20 million people. As we dug deeper, more red flags emerged: Xcel and the NRC revealed that the leak may have released up to 900,000 gallons and over 14 curies of radioactivity. Shockingly, they waited months to notify us and still withhold key data. One glaring issue is contamination in the Mississippi River basin, where soils showed at least 14 trillion picoCuries (14,000,000,000,000 pCi) of radiation. Groundwater near the river contained 195,000+ pCi/L of tritium—far above the EPA limit of 20,000 pCi/L and the ODCM threshold of 30,000 pCi/L. Some wells measured up to 4,220,000 pCi/L, and the contamination plume shifted rapidly in spring, posing a serious risk to the river and possibly traveling upstream as well. These are all key concerns the NRC and Xcel denied were ever an issue, yet they refuse to explain how they reached such conclusions or share the critical missing data.
Tritium exposure has been linked to cancers in newborns, pregnancy loss, and birth abnormalities. Alarmingly, Xcel concealed this leak for months, depriving Twin Cities residents of the opportunity to avoid possible contaminated tap water and failing to alert municipalities to the dangers. This is fundamentally about our right to Free and Informed Consent regarding the contents of our public drinking water. If a serious nuclear incident were to occur, how can we be assured that we would receive timely warnings?
Xcel even went so far as to omitting it from their license extension application to the US NRC. This leak and the radioactive plume of water in the Mississippi soil basin that regularly exchanges water with the river, is a concern that should be highlighted and focused on, not omitted along with critical data and facts surrounding the accidents. It was only after pressure from local citizens and NukeWatch.org that the NRC admitted the contamination had reached the Mississippi River. Xcel and the NRC continue to withhold crucial data and alarming facts about the leak and have failed to address concerns about unsafe tritium risks and pathways to our drinking water and the air we breathe.
We demand a rejection of Xcel's extension request. We say NO to further endangering our children, our environment, our drinking water, and our food with deadly radioactivity. We say NO to extending the life of this aging and dangerous plant.
We need to see the cancer studies! We need to see the data! We have a right to the facts!
Scroll to the bottom for: David vs. Goliath: Can We Beat Xcel Energy?
-
Transparent Assessment: This requires an immediate and honest assessment of the leak's severity, releasing all facts to set the record straight. We need to know the potential for future water contamination, accidents, and the risks to public health and the environment. There should be no downplaying or hiding of information.
Historical Accountability: If previous safety lapses or negligence contributed to the leak, these must be acknowledged. This includes taking responsibility for any cost-cutting measures or regulatory failures that may have played a role.
Community Concerns: Listen to and validate the fears and concerns of those living near the plant and potentially affected by the contaminated water, especially those in Monticello. Address their questions openly and honestly, even if definitive answers are not immediately available.
-
Immediate Safety Mitigations: Focus on simple yet effective procedures and guidelines that mutually benefit Xcel Energy and the surrounding community. This includes:
Promises to promptly report future leaks and accidents along with critical details.
Clear timelines for making information public and allowing for "informed consent" with regards to drinking water.
Agreements to include community representatives and water municipalities in decision-making to ensure the safety and effectiveness of actions.
Scientific Collaboration: Bring in experts from various fields—nuclear engineering, environmental science, public health—to review, develop, and implement effective solutions and safety guidelines.
Economic Collaboration: Work with economic specialists, energy regulatory attorneys, and community rights advocates to develop the best strategies and measures to maximize community benefits. This collaboration should also establish best-practice standards for Xcel Energy's operations within our community.
Remediation Efforts: Commit to long-term remediation efforts to clean up any contaminated water and soil, and restore the environment to its pre-leak condition. This may involve water filtration, soil removal, bioremediation, and ongoing monitoring. It may also require establishing a Superfund site.
-
Safety Upgrades: Invest in upgrading the safety features of the affected plant and other nuclear facilities to prevent future leaks. This includes implementing stricter safety protocols and investing in new technologies.
Renewable Energy Transition: In the long term, consider accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources to reduce reliance on nuclear power and minimize the risk of future nuclear accidents. This is especially important because the current Xcel Energy license extension may hinder the clean energy transition and curtail wind and solar generation. We should also focus on community-based solutions like community energy projects that allow the community stakeholders to share in the economic and environmental benefits, as other communities across the nation are doing with their utilities.
Public Health Monitoring: Establish a long-term public health monitoring program to track the potential effects of radiation exposure on the affected population. Provide necessary medical care and support to those impacted.
Click Images to Learn More!
Click Images to Learn More!
A Betrayal of Our Government and “Our Regulators"
Hidden beneath the surface, multiple radioactive tritium leaks and the relentless push for countless pipeline crossing$ (the Black Snake) are jeopardizing our safety and security to access affordable, clean, and safe drinking water. This is no accident. It's a calculated decision that puts profit ahead of the safety of countless communities. Ignoring decades of new research on the dangers of radiation, especially to vulnerable populations like women, children, and unborn babies, our leaders are pushing the biggest nuclear power expansion ever seen. They've chosen corporate gain over public health. This prioritization is evident in recent law changes that further betray the public's trust. These recent law changes have stripped “our regulators” of their responsibility to protect us, instead mandating them to promote a reckless, large-scale adoption of nuclear power with dangerously lax radiation standards. It's a disturbing echo of the Marshall Islands tragedy, where communities were exposed to harmful radiation levels in the name of progress. Some fear this is a deliberate tactic in the global water wars, pushing us towards a future reliant on expensive, commercially controlled water sources. A disturbing trend growing nation wide.
Our current regulatory agencies, tasked with safeguarding our rights, have been essentially mute or have simply parroted misleading claims and information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Established by the Atomic Energy Act, and modified following the passage of the Advance Act, the NRC appears mandated on enabling this massive nuclear expansion, blind to the proven risks and long-term consequences of such a rapid transformation, prioritizing its adoption at all costs.
Union of Concerned Scientists: “ADVANCE Act” Actually a Retreat on Nuclear Power Safety
What IF you drank radioactive Tritium?
What If is a mini-documentary web series that takes you on an epic journey through hypothetical worlds and possibilities. Join us on an imaginary adventure through time, space and chance while we (hopefully) boil down complex subjects in a fun and entertaining way.
Produced with love by Underknown in Toronto: https://underknown.com
The Dangers of Tritium by Dr. Ian Fairlie
Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World @manhattanprojectforanuclea3424
This is a recording of the presentation of Dr. Fairlie, who was a speaker at the Global CoP26, or the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Event “No Radioactive Water Dump into the Pacific” that was held on November 3, 2021. Dr. Fairlie talks about the underreported hazards of tritium and concerns over proposed tritium discharges from Fukushima.
Dr. Ian Fairlie, Vice President of Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) UK and an independent consultant on radioactivity in the environment. He has studied radiation and radioactivity at least since the Chernobyl accident in 1986. He has a degree in radiation biology from Bart’s Hospital in London and doctoral studies at Imperial College in London and (briefly) Princeton University in the US concerned the radiological hazards of nuclear fuel reprocessing.
Poisoning Our Creation Story:
a sacred Plea for Bdote
"For me and my Native kin, born on this land, the Mississippi and Bdote near the Twin Cities hold a sacredness unmatched anywhere else on Grandmother Earth. This is where our ancestors lived, died, and were laid to rest, their spirits mingling with the river. Their bones lie scattered along the river, making it a sacred burial ground for our ancestors. Bdote is our creation story, our Garden of Eden. We were driven from this sacred ground through genocide, a tragedy echoing in places like Palestine today. Now, to see these waters and lands poisoned with radiation adds another layer of unbearable desecration. It is my heartfelt prayer that someone will rise to the occasion and make the morally correct decision and action.”
Ta Pe’juta Wi’chac’pi Win, Erica Jones (Star Medicine Women), member of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
From Flint, Red Hill, 3M, and now the Mississippi River watershed
Flint, Michigan, stands as a stark reminder of what can befall communities along the Mississippi River if a larger, third, unchecked nuclear disaster occurs. There's no turning back from contamination on such a massive scale. The ongoing national and even global PFAS disaster with 3M serves as a warning: continuing with the status quo is a gamble we cannot afford to lose. The stakes are too high; nuclear power demands the utmost maturity, integrity, and accountability! Without these, it's not a source of clean energy, but a ticking time bomb or a massive “dirty bomb” planted right in our backyards, threatening our communities, our children, our very future.
As the physicist Robert Oppenheimer famously said, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."
We must not repeat history; we must evolve from our mistakes, we must act now to prevent irreversible catastrophe. This lack of transparency and integrity, a core injustice being displayed by the NRC and Xcel Energy, cannot be allowed to continue, especially when the stakes involve the immense power and potential for destruction of nuclear energy.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
We need leaders who are willing to take bold action, not just offer empty campaign promises or placate us with 'polite violence' to get elected. We need regulators who actually regulate, not make excuses for polluters. We need true leadership, but until then, We the People have a moral obligation to rise up and hold them accountable. The time for action is now!
A New Paradigm: Granting Nature Legal Rights, Safeguarding Our Shared Resources
The Rights of Nature movement seeks to rectify this imbalance by recognizing the inherent rights of ecosystems to exist, thrive, and regenerate. By granting legal personhood to rivers like the Mississippi, we can empower communities to defend them in court, challenge harmful projects, and ensure their long-term protection.
It's time to recognize that our rivers, like all of nature, are not just resources to be exploited, but complex interconnected and interwoven living entities deserving of respect and protection. By embracing the Rights of Nature, we can create a more just and sustainable future for all. Learn more about Rights of Nature HERE.
David vs. Goliath: Can We Beat Xcel Energy?
Yes, we can! History is filled with stories of communities rising up to defeat corporate giants, especially when our water, our children's health, and the well-being of our communities are at stake. From holding polluters accountable to challenging corporate negligence, people have proven time and again that even the biggest giants can be brought down.
We've Been There, Done That:
Our various coalition members and organizations have firsthand experience winning seemingly impossible battles. For one coalition member, John Miller (Turtle), this fight is also personal. A husband and father to four children, Monticello native (Class of 2000), former Navy nuclear specialist, global Solutionary, a 2022-2024 Mária Telkes Fellow with the Clean Energy Business Network (CEBN) & Cleantech Leaders Roundtable (CTLR), and Mississippi River coalition member, John has returned home to protect the community he loves and grew up with. Though John has had to make the difficult decision to relocate his young children and granddaughter (ages 3, 8, and 10) to shield them from further radioactive contamination, he remains dedicated to ensuring Monticello's safety and helping the community until this fight is over. Especially because this hits close to home for John in more ways than one. His father, LeRoy Miller, a beloved figure in Monticello and longtime president of the Monticello Lions and Riverfest treasurer, passed away earlier in the year. Adding a poignant twist to this struggle, it was on LeRoy's birthday, November 22nd, that the leak at Xcel was first discovered. Now, with the second leak occurring on his own birthday, March 24th, John is left with a heavy heart as this crisis threatens his home.
John, along with our coalition members and organizations, has firsthand experience winning seemingly impossible battles. He knows that together, we can hold Xcel accountable, demand a safer nuclear future, and build a more sustainable Monticello. This means lower costs and greater safety for residents and businesses, as well as safeguarding our drinking water and the Mississippi River ecosystem.
Enabling Communities to Achieve Their Own Success:
Collaborate forcing the US Navy to defuel the Red Hill fuel tanks in Hawaii that poisoned the drinking water of 93,000 residents. Through relentless community organizing, legal action, and unwavering pressure on elected officials, we forced the US Navy to defuel the Red Hill fuel tanks in Hawaii, despite their baseless insistence that these 'National Security Assets' were vital and irreplaceable. This victory, achieved after months of determined effort, demonstrates the power of communities to hold even the most powerful global institutions, including the world's largest navy, accountable.
Co-developed the first community-owned solar projects in Hawaii on the island of Molokai, overcoming major utility roadblocks and statewide criticism that development is impossible on the island of Molokai. News: Utilities move ahead with Hawaii’s first two community solar and storage projects on Moloka’i - PV Magazine
Full Film: Off-Grid- A Molokai Story - the Convergence a Documentary Short - The story of a predominantly native Hawaiian island community fighting to restore energy and economic sovereignty amidst an electric utility monopoly.
‘Off-Grid’ Trailer - A Molokai story of Energy Sovereignty - by the Convergence
Clip: John Miller illustrating the fossil fuel dependence across the Pacific islands.
Co-hosted key discussions at UN Climate Change Conferences COP26, COP27, and the Our Oceans Conference, contributing to landmark legal victories like the Vanuatu International Court of Justice “ICJ advisory opinion” on climate change and the introduction of Ecocide at the International Criminal Court (ICC) – global achievements many thought were impossible:
◉ Pacific islands submit court proposal for recognition of ecocide as a crime
◉ Small island states hail 'historic' victory in UN climate case
◉ ICJ to Rule on States’ Climate-related Obligations: How Did We Get Here?
Don't let Xcel Energy dictate our future! This is our home, our water, our children, and our future. We can't just wear pink and stand by our loved ones as they suffer and fight for their lives battling cancer. We need to fight cancer at its source! Join us and together, we'll prove that even Goliath can fall AND be held financially and legally liable!
This is about more than just a power plant; it's about our future! We have the power to protect our community—financially, environmentally, and in terms of public health—but only if we stand together and demand it. If we yield to corporate pressure and accept Xcel Energy's lowball deals, we'll be sacrificing the well-being of our community for the sake of THEIR shareholders.
The Time to Act is Now!
The Mississippi River is at a tipping point. If we fail to act now, the consequences will be catastrophic. We urge you to join us in this fight for the future of our nation's most vital waterway. Together, we can ensure that the Mississippi remains a source of life and prosperity for generations to come. SIGN THE PETITION!
Stand with Us. Protect the Mississippi. Protect our Future.
Sign up to be the first to know about our events, latest discoveries, or latest actions you can participate in!