Justice for Jana Elementary Act of 2023

Summary

To provide financial assistance to schools impacted by radioactive contaminants, and for other purposes.

Context

This bill acknowledges the measurements conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers, which have determined that the radiation levels are within acceptable limits. However, it solely suggests a reevaluation of the remediation levels to align them with natural background radiation. It should be noted that this proposal does not offer an assessment of whether the current radiation levels pose any immediate danger. According to the Army Corps’ final report, the structures in question meet the protectiveness requirements set by CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) and exhibit radiation levels consistent with background levels. The report’s findings are based on various survey results, analytical data, and risk assessments.

Principle

The biblical principle of restitution is generally based on the idea that those who cause harm should repay the appropriate amount corresponding to the harm inflicted. This principle is exemplified in the well-known verse Leviticus 24:17-22, often referenced as “eye for eye”:

Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, and whoever kills a person shall be put to death. You shall have the same rule for the sojourner and for the native, for I am the Lord your God.

In the case of damage caused to children in the school or residents of the area, the responsible party should rectify the harm. However, given the nature of radiation and its potential long-term effects, specific damages may not be immediately apparent, particularly with prolonged exposure. Without evidence demonstrating harm caused by radiation exposure, there is little basis for restitution. It is worth considering the broader principle found in Exodus 21:29, where the individual is aware of the danger but fails to address it:

But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death.

In this analogy, the radiation can be equated to the dangerous ox if there is a known risk that is left unaddressed. However, the extent of this known danger should still be quantified to prove that it can cause death or harm. If the established safety standards have been met, further remediation should not be necessary.

Other Questions

It is important to raise the question of why only the school is being prioritized for restoration, while potential health impacts on the surrounding community are not addressed. It would be prudent to consider providing financial assistance to affected households and residents alongside the public facility, especially if the contamination’s origin is undisputed and attributed to the federal government’s Manhattan Project.

Furthermore, there are additional aspects that require more extensive analysis, such as our involvement in foreign wars and the general nature of public schools. I will provide links to these topics as they are further developed.

Conclusion

Considering that the radiation levels have been deemed safe through multiple measurements and no harm has been proven or reasonably anticipated, it is difficult to argue that this bill aligns with biblical principles.