December 13, 1989
In response to the State of New York’s decision to build a nuclear waste dump, the Allegheny County Nonviolent Action Group (ACNAG) was formed by concerned residents who determined that nonviolent resistance was the only way to stop the dump from being built. On this date, members of ACNAG prevented a technical team from carrying out their tests. ACNAG surrounded the technical team along with their sheriff escort. They promised to keep their arms linked until the technical team agreed to stop their work and leave the county. When the landowner complained that the technical team hadn’t asked his permission to enter the land, the Sheriff cited the technical team for trespassing. The campaign, called “Bump the Dump,” ended in April of the next year when Governor Cuomo dropped the nuclear waste proposal.
