Mothers for Nuclear Informational Flyer

Large-scale investments in land are spreading faster than ever before across the global south. Often these investments target lands governed by customary rights that are not adequately recognized and protected under national laws, or sites where governments lack the capacity to enforce the law. Land deals that change the use of land and natural resources have wide implications for indigenous peoples and local communities who depend primarily on these resources for their livelihoods, welfare and cultural identity.

Policy makers and local land use officials have long struggled to cope with the "not in my backyard" (NIMBY) syndrome in attempting to site "locally undesirable land uses" (LULUs), such as homeless shelters, drug or alcohol treatment centers, and waste disposal facilities. In general, LULUs are considered beneficial to society at large,' and many agree that they should be located somewhere. Those same citizens protest vigorously, however, when such a use is sited near their homes. This protest is quite rational.

As a result of the 2007 ruling by the U.S. District Court of Northern California that the DOE must prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate alternatives for cleanup of Area IV of the SSFL, DOE has implemented major changes in its management of SSFL Area IV. As an initial step, this community involvement plan (CIP) outlines a series of activities and programs that intend to engage the public, establish transparency in DOE actions and decisions, and increase input from the community.