Skagitonians Concerned About Nuclear Plants Records, approximately 1960-1997

This collection documents the history and activities of Skagitonians Concerned About Nuclear Plants (SCANP), and other peace and anti-nuclear groups in Skagit County, Washington from the 1970s through the 1990s. SCANP records include newsletters, press releases, and research and educational materials relating to the group's campaign against the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant at Bacus Hill, near Sedro-Woolley. Newspaper clippings and research files contain substantial information about the proposed plant and local opposition efforts, and reflect the group's related concerns about the operations, environmental, and health impacts of the nuclear plant at the Hanford site. Records document local concerns to protect farmland, fisheries, and the scenic beauty of the Skagit River. The collection includes administrative and promotional records from the "Magic Skagit Festival" which was held annually to raise funds for SCANP and later other peace groups.

The collection also includes peace and anti-nuclear group materials which document the broader concerns of Skagit Citizens for Nuclear Disarmament and its successor organization, Skagit Peace Education Fund. These files include copies of financial records; minutes; copies of the "Skagit Network" newsletter; and a small number of newsletters from peace and anti-nuclear groups in Portland, Oregon, the Hanford Education Action League, and Physicians For Social Responsibility. The files also contain a variety of research and educational materials including clippings, articles, pamphlets, notes, posters, and speeches about nuclear power, waste, and weapons. These materials also comprise a small amount of information regarding Washington State ballot Initiative 325 (defeated in 1972), responses to President Reagan's "Strategic Defense Initiative"(Star Wars), copies of remarks by Dr. John Gofman, and materials related to one individual's travels to China in 1991.

In addition, the records include extensive files documenting SCANP's legal efforts to oppose the construction of the nuclear plant at Bacus Hill. This series is comprised of documents collected by Roger Leed, the lawyer representing SCANP, which cover the duration of the legal fight from 1974 to 1979. The materials include transcripts of Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) hearings, detailed PSPL plans for the proposed plant, aerial and ground photographs of the proposed plant site, geological and environmental reports analyzing the impact of the plant at the proposed site, and news clippings documenting popular reaction and public opinion towards the project. The collection also contains information related to other legal fights such as the 1997 NRC hearings on the matter of Portland General Electric Company and PSPL.

Researchers should note that there is considerable overlap between the SCANP records and those of the peace/anti-nuclear groups.