Takoma Park, Maryland Celebrates 20 Nuclear Free Years

by Tom Roberts
Former Member, Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee

In December 2003, the City of Takoma Park Maryland celebrated its 20th year as a nuclear free zone. The act that brought this about, Ordinance No. 2703, declares Takoma Park a nuclear free zone (NFZ) in that "work on nuclear weapons is prohibited within the city limits and that citizens and representatives are urged to redirect resources previously used for nuclear weapons toward endeavors which promote and enhance life...." . Known as the Takoma Park Nuclear Free Zone Act, the legislation establishing the City as a nuclear free zone is fairly unique, and is an interesting example of politically-principled municipal legislation with adequate tools to enforce its goals.

Enacted December 12, 1983, and modified several times since, the Act:

• Prohibits the production of nuclear weapons in the City of Takoma Park;
• Prohibits the City from purchasing or leasing products produced by a nuclear weapons producer or from granting any award, contract, or purchase order to any nuclear weapons producer;
• Directs the City Council to establish and publish a list of nuclear weapons producers to guide the City in implementing the Act;
• Directs the City to develop and implement a socially-responsible investment policy prohibiting investments in industries and institutions engaged in nuclear weapons production;
• Provides for a waiver of the purchasing prohibitions, under certain conditions; and
• Establishes the seven member Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, to oversee implementation of and adherence to, the Act.

Within the text of the ordinance is language detailing the City's concern for the then still-accelerating nuclear arms race, the obligation of the United States to be as responsible for the disarming of the world as it had been in arming it, and recognition of the illegality of nuclear weapons under the Nuremberg Principles. Looking farther back into the nuclear disarmament movement, the City of Takoma Park had already been on record supporting bilateral nuclear weapons freeze, and had expressed opposition to civil defense crisis planning for nuclear war. However, it may be the operational requirements for this legislation that make the Ordinance most interesting.

The Nuclear Free Zone Act requires that both the investment of City funds and eligibility for City contracts be guided by the ordinance. City funds may not be invested in "industries and institutions which are knowingly and intentionally engaged in the production of nuclear weapons or their components." In reviewing contracts for services, the City may grant no "awards or contracts for any purpose to any person, firm, corporation or entity which is knowingly or intentionally engaged in the development, research, production, maintenance, storage, transportation and/or disposal of nuclear weapons or their components." Compliance requirements are required to be included in all Requests for Proposals issued by the City. To guide compliance to the Act, the Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee (NFTPC) has approved use of the listing of corporations invested in or developing nuclear weapons or components published by Nuclear Free America.

The original ordinance did not offer waiver or other exemption from any requirements of the Act. As modified, a request for exemption may be brought to the Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee for recommendation to the Council for action. During the summer of 1998, some preliminary conversations were held with the municipal library over the library's possible purchase of privacy screens for use on public computer terminals. At the time, the library was considering purchase of screens from Minnesota's 3M, a company invested in nuclear weapons manufacture, and they would have required a waiver from City Council to proceed. After some additional research, the library found a vendor with a comparable product who was not on the list of banned corporations. A waiver was however granted in 2002 to the Takoma Park Police Department for its purchase of Motorola Police radio equipment in conjunction with the implementation of a new public safety radio system throughout Montgomery County. The Committee continues to review purchases that might violate the ordinance and takes seriously its charge to make certain that waivers are provided only under appropriate circumstances.

The NFTPC is pleased that Takoma Park has begun its third nuclear free decade!

Is your community a nuclear free zone? Interested in more information about Takoma Park's ordinance or the Nuclear Free Takoma Park Committee? Send a note to current NFTPC Chair, Jay Levy.

Takoma Park Code, Chapter 8A, Takoma Park Nuclear Free Zone Act

Originally published in 1999 on PeaceNET, at http://www.igc.org. Article updated in May 2004.