Linked Arms: A Rural Community Resists Nuclear Waste

6. Linked Arms

6 Linked Arms Allegany, rise to your feet. Lock arms and stand for the people and the land you love. Never let the poison spread. Those who lie would see you dead. No radiation without representation. Let the ones making it, know people just aren’t taking it. We’re not expendable and neither is the land. —B.A.N.D.I.T.S. song by Sue Beckhorn, Co-Chair Concerned Citizens of Allegany County D E C E M B E R 1 3 , 1 9 8 9 , A F T E R N O O N — PEOPLE ON ALL THREE SITES became increasingly anxious as the day wore on. A little before noon, fearful that the technical team had somehow slipped onto the Allen site, Stuart suggested to Bill Coch that he go out to check the site. The doctor had come to the county as part of the National Health Service Corps, a federal government plan to entice doctors into rural areas where there were not enough physicians. A portion of the doctors’ medical school debt was forgiven each year that they remained in the corps, service that would also fulfill any future military obligation. Bill and Carla, his wife, had chosen to go to the village of Andover. Although rurally isolated, the village was only ten miles from Alfred University .They hoped that the intellectual and cultural stimulation of the university would make rural life tolerable. Both fell in love with the area and the people, and they became active in their communities. Carla not only taught part-time in the English department atAlfred University but was currently serving as president of the Alfred-Almond School Board. Bill had a large private practice, served as the medical consultant to the County Health Department, 127 SUNY_Pet_ch06.qxd 9/13/01 2:07 PM Page 127 and had just been named the medical director of Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville. As Bill started to leave the Millers’ house, Stuart suggested that Marilyn Ostrander accompany the doctor to check out the site. Since Marilyn lived there, she would know where the siting commission might have pulled onto some other farmer’s land and hidden their vehicle. They drove toward the Chaffee house and began to circle around the area, stopping briefly to exchange notes with Drew, who was parked on the high side of the site next to state forest land. They had nearly completed the loop when they noticed cars parked along the road. Bill looked across a field and saw people disappearing into the woods. He slammed his car to a stop and handed the keys to Marilyn. “Go back and tell people they’re here. I’m going to go up in the woods and chase them.” He jumped out of the car and tore across the field. Upon entering the woods, Goodale pulled out his map, trying to figure out where they were. The county historian, who had followed the group up into the woods, watched as somebody picked up a stick and poked it through the snow. Another kicked at a stone.They were as much out of their urban element , Craig Braack thought, as were the Spanish explorers who had been 128 L I N K E D A R M S Allen Site Map design by Craig Prophet SUNY_Pet_ch06.qxd 9/13/01 2:07 PM Page 128 searching for the Fountain of Youth in the swamps of Florida. The sheriff could see no pattern to what they were doing, and he wondered whom they were trying to impress.They certainly weren’t persuading him that they were engaged in some important study. He supposed that they were trying to create a convincing show for the two newspaper reporters who had tagged along. The people on the technical team were bending over a map when Bill Coch burst onto the scene. “Mr. Miller sent me up here and said that you are to leave his property right now.” Bruce Goodale nervously glanced up at Bill and responded. “The courts have given us the legal authority to do our studies on the site.We don’t need the owner’s permission.” “But you don’t even know where you are. Show me the border of the property.” Bruce turned his back on the doctor and tried to ignore him. Bill wondered how he could singlehandedly stop the technical team from exploring...