In December of 1988, Cortland County was listed as a site considered for the disposal of New York state’s low-level radioactive waste. Gary and Patti Michael were founding members of Citizens Against Radioactive Dumping (C.A.R.D.), a grassroots citizens group that worked hard to keep the dump out of their county. The Michaels were also members of Don’t Waste New York which had similar goals in the rest of the state. Over the course of six years, C.A.R.D. would engage in non-violent protests, and work hard to educate the public and voice their dissent to Governor Mario Cuomo until a United States Supreme Court ruling declared it unconstitutional to make states, rather than the waste generators, assume ownership or title to the waste upon the event that the state does not have a means of disposal by January 1, 1993. The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Siting Commission was abolished in 1995, signaling a decisive end to the fight.