On Tuesday, August 9^th the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission will hear virtually a petition for review of the groundwater discharge permit, DP-1132, filed by non-governmental organizations CCNS and Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE).  DP-1132 allows Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to handle, store and discharge treated radioactive and hazardous waters from the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility into Effluent Canyon, a tributary of Mortandad Canyon.  Noting procedural errors in the permitting process, the NGOs request the Commission to send the permit back to the New Mexico Environment Department Secretary James Kenney for the required administrative action on his part.  Further, the NGOs state the Secretary was required to find that the facility manages hazardous waste, and so it must be regulated under the Hazardous Waste Act, instead of the Water Quality Act.

ACTION ALERT

To download the August 9^th agenda, which can be revised up to the meeting time, please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/water-quality-control-commission/ .  To read the pleadings, please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/ and scroll down to WQCC 22-21, Petition for Review of DP-1132. 

Please consider submitting the attached comment letter – with your concerns – to the WQCC in support of the Petition for Review of DP-1132 submitted by CCNS and HOPE.  Contact information on letter.  220803 DP-1132 public comment to WQCC

CCNS first raised concerns about the discharge from the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility in 1994 – that’s right – 28 years ago.  In the interim, there have been many errors in the permitting process.

For example, a public hearing about a draft permit was held in November 2019 before a Hearing Officer.  Following a hearing, a report by the Hearing Officer to the Secretary is required.  The Secretary then has 30 days to make his decision.

On March 4, 2020, the Hearing Officer delivered his report to the Secretary and recommended issuance of DP-1132.  The Secretary did not act within 30 days.  Instead, on June 24, 2020 the Secretary issued a non-final order, sending the matter back for consideration of financial assurance.  He directed the Hearing Officer to submit a revised report after the hearing, which has not been presented to the Secretary.  Further, the Secretary has not expressed his position on the March 4, 2020 report, in any revised Report, nor did he provide a response to the voluminous public comments.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/ , scroll down to Ground Water Quality Bureau 19-24 – Proposed Discharge Permit No. 1132 for RLWTF at Los Alamos National Labs.

On May 5^th, 2022, the Environment Department issued DP-1132 under the New Mexico Water Quality Act, with no reference to the Hearing Officer’s March 4, 2020 Report. 2022-05-05 – WPD GWQB DP-1132 FinalDP

A complete Administrative Record must contain the Hearing Officer’s report to the Secretary, the action by the Secretary that includes such a report, and the Secretary’s responses to all significant public comments.  Without these elements, the Administrative Record is incomplete.

CCNS and HOPE respectfully request that the Commission return DP-1132 back to the Secretary to complete the administrative processes.  They also request the Secretary determine that the Hazardous Waste Act is the proper regulatory vehicle for the Facility, not the Water Quality Act.

Lindsay A. Lovejoy, Jr., represents CCNS and HOPE in this matter.

1. Friday, August 5^th from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference negotiations going on right now at the United Nations (Aug. 1 to 26, 2022).  Attend to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament!

2. Friday, August 5^th at 9 am to 5 pm MT – Live and Virtual NM Interim Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee meeting at Clovis Civic Center, 801 Schepps Blvd., Clovis. See agenda for links to view and make public comments.  Agenda includes WIPP, PFASs, Holtec, Produced Water Act, Carlsbad Brine Well Remediation Authority, State Emergency Response Commission.   https://www.nmlegis.gov/committee/Interim_Committee?CommitteeCode=RHMC

3. Saturday, August 6^th from noon to 2 pm in the historic shelter on the southside of Ashley Pond in Los Alamos. The Santa Fe Chapter of Veterans for Peace, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, Nuclear Watch NM, Nonviolent Santa Fe and others will host the 77^th commemoration of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. 

Please bring signs, banners, and other pro-peace displays.  Also bring water and protection from the sun and/or possible rain.  Encourage your friends and family to join the commemoration.  Wage Peace and Nuclear Abolition!  http://nuclearactive.org/august-6th-and-9th-live-and-virtual-events-to-commemorate-the-u-s-bombings-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-in-1945/

4. Tuesday, August 9^th at 5:15 pm Live and Virtual Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Virtual and Live Panel Discussion with Prominent Interfaith Leaders at 6:15 pm. Join Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe.  The 5:15 pm Mass will be live streamed at https://youtu.be/M4SnixeGwyE

His homily will be centered on his pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace:  A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.”  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace

At 6:15 pm, a panel discussion with prominent interfaith leaders about the growing need for nuclear disarmament will be held followed by a question and answer session.  The 6:15 pm panel discussion will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/U88tJwq7yNs

For more information,  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace  or contact the Office of Social Justice & Respect Life at (505) 831-8205.  http://nuclearactive.org/august-6th-and-9th-live-and-virtual-events-to-commemorate-the-u-s-bombings-of-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-in-1945/

5. Monday, August 8^th at 1 pm to 2:30 pm MT – Webinar with Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) about matters of war, peace, art, and activism, followed by questions and answers. For more information, https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-with-roger-waters

The war in Ukraine and Russia’s repeated nuclear threats are a painful reminder that nuclear weapons pose a catastrophic risk to humanity every day.

But this weekend, on the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we all have the opportunity to share a powerful message that a more peaceful future is possible—one where the world is no longer vulnerable to the threat of nuclear destruction.

Between August 5 and 9, we invite you to join people around the world: Fold an origami crane and share it on your social media with the hashtag #CranesForOurFuture.

To learn how, go to: https://www.cranesforourfuture.org/fold

Last August, the #CranesForOurFuture campaign inspired thousands of people to mark the Hiroshima and Nagasaki anniversaries, reaching millions worldwide. This August, diplomats from around the world will gather at the United Nations to make progress on reducing nuclear risks. It is more important than ever to show these leaders that we are united around a shared hope for a more joyful, peaceful world.

That’s why, in your #CranesForOurFuture post, we also ask you to share a short message about what a future without nuclear weapons means to you. Is it a more peaceful world for your children or grandchildren? A global system built on mutual respect and not fear and terror? Does that world focus on funding basic needs instead of weapons of war?

The origami crane has become a symbol of peace around the world thanks to Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the Hiroshima atomic bombing who folded more than a thousand paper cranes and was memorialized in the Children’s Monument at the Hiroshima Peace Park. Together, we can honor Sadako and all those who perished 77 years ago in the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and work for a future where no one faces the threat of a nuclear weapon again.

The power to craft a safer future is truly in our hands. Your crane, taken along with others around the world, will spread our shared vision for a more peaceful world and help make nuclear weapons a relic of the past.

Thanks for everything you do!

August 6^th and 9^th were the days in 1945 when the U.S. bombed the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs 77 years ago.  Every year community members gather at to commemorate those events, to recognize the harm done, and to recommit to working for peace.  You are invited to participate in these commemoration events.

On Saturday, August 6^th from noon to 2 pm, join members of the Veterans For Peace https://www.veteransforpeace.org/ , Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety http://nuclearactive.org/ , Nuclear Watch New Mexico https://nukewatch.org/ , Nonviolent Santa Fe https://nonviolentsantafe.org/ and others in a gathering at Ashley Pond in Los Alamos to commemorate the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is located in Los Alamos County.   Under the auspices of the Manhattan Project, LANL was established in 1943 as the secret “Y” site for the sole purpose of developing nuclear weapons.  Now LANL is the only U.S. nuclear weapons facility with the capability to fabricate the plutonium triggers, or pits, for nuclear weapons.

The groups will vigil at the shelter on the south side of Ashley Pond.  Please bring signs, banners, and other pro-peace displays.  Also bring water and protection from sun and/or possible rain.  Encourage your friends and family to join the commemoration.

Also on Saturday, August 6^th at noon Mountain Time, Roshi Joan Halifax will be speaking virtually about “The Buddhist Path of Peace and Nonviolence.”  Registration deadline is Monday, August 1^st to receive the zoom link.  https://beatitudescenter.org/programs/

On Tuesday, August 9th the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, will hold a mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, followed by a panel discussion with interfaith leaders.  https://archdiosf.org/documents/2022/7/Final_Save%20the%20Date_Aug%209%202022%20Pastoral%20Letter%20Mass-1.pdf

The mass will begin at 5:15 pm in the Cathedral.  It will be live streamed at https://youtu.be/M4SnixeGwyE

The Archbishop’s homily will center on his pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace:  A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.”  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace

In his pastoral letter, Archbishop Wester reflects upon his trip to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the history of Catholic social teaching on nuclear weapons, the history of the development and production of nuclear weapons in New Mexico, and Jesus’ example of nonviolence.  https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/archbishop-wester-embarks-long-path-end-nuclear-threat  He encourages you to download the pastoral letter on the Archdiocese website, read it and engage with the reflection questions and suggestions for action.  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace

At 6:15 pm, a panel discussion with prominent interfaith leaders about the growing need for nuclear disarmament will be held followed by a question and answer session.  It will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/U88tJwq7yNs

Confirmed interfaith leaders include

• Talitha Arnold,Senior Minister of the United Church of Santa Fe, a United Church of Christcongregation, https://www.unitedchurchofsantafe.org/
• Rabbi Neil Amswych, Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, https://www.sftbs.org/, and the President of the Interfaith Leadership Alliance of Santa Fe, https://ilasantafe.org/ , and
• Roshi JoanHalifax, Buddhist teacher, Founder and Head Teacher of Upaya Zen Centerin Santa Fe, New Mexico. https://www.upaya.org/

For more information, please call the Office of Social Justice and Respect Life at (505) 831-8205.  https://archdiosf.org/social-justice

1. Friday, July 22^nd from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and talk about next steps!

2. Friday, August 5^th at 9 am to 5 pm MT – Live and Virtual NM Interim Radioactive & Hazardous Materials Committee meeting at Clovis Civic Center, 801 Schepps Blvd., Clovis. See agenda for links to view and make public comments.  Agenda includes WIPP, PFASs, Holtec, Produced Water Act, Carlsbad Brine Well Remediation Authority, State Emergency Response Commission.   https://www.nmlegis.gov/committee/Interim_Committee?CommitteeCode=RHMC

3. Monday, August 8^th at 1 pm to 2:30 pm MT – Webinar with Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) about matters of war, peace, art, and activism, followed by questions and answers. For more information, https://actionnetwork.org/events/webinar-with-roger-waters

Did you know the hazardous waste permit for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is up for its ten-year renewal?  In August, the New Mexico Environment Department may release a draft permit for public review and a 60-day comment period.  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/ , scroll down to March 17, 2022 entry about the Updated Redline/Strikeout Permit Renewal Application [AR 220321].

One of the big issues is the date WIPP will stop receiving radioactive and hazardous waste generated by the fabrication of plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons for disposal in the underground mine located 26 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico.  The current permit states waste shipments would end in 2024 with closure of the site expected to take ten years, until 2034 or so.  Closure includes filling the 2,200-foot deep shafts into the underground facility.  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/  and  https://hwbdocuments.env.nm.gov/Waste%20Isolation%20Pilot%20Plant/220200/220200%20WIPP%20Permit%20PDF/Attachment%20G%2002-2022.pdf

In 1999, the federal Department of Energy (DOE), the owner of WIPP, promised the People of New Mexico that it would clean up all the plutonium contaminated, or transuranic, waste throughout the national nuclear weapons complex in 25-years and close WIPP.  https://www-archive.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp-archived-news/

The U.S. Congress and DOE have always known that WIPP’s limited capacity cannot handle all the nuclear weapons waste.  But DOE has no plans and has taken no action to find and build other regional repositories so that the burdens of nuclear weapons fabrication would be shared across the country.

On May 13, 2022, the Environment Department issued a Technical Incompleteness Determination (TID) for the Permit Renewal Application.  May 13, 2022 Permit Renewal TID [AR 220512]   On June 27^th, 2022, DOE stated to the Environment Department that it plans to continue to dispose of waste at WIPP until at least 2083. June 27, 2022 45-Day TID Response [AR 220626]  On July 12^th, DOE also stated that it objects to any discussion of other repositories in the permit renewal process.  July 12, 2022 60-Day TID Response [AR 220709]

What would a 60-year extension mean to you?  It means that waste could continue to be transported through much of New Mexico for decades, putting health, safety and property at risk.  It means that New Mexico does not have the same rights to say “enough” as Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, and Nevada did, which prevented those states from being the only repository.

DOE’s “forever” WIPP is not inevitable.  If you’ve been involved with WIPP before, please make public comments on the draft permit.  You can also support organizations that are working to prevent that future and oppose major provisions of DOE’s renewal application.

If you haven’t been involved with WIPP, it’s time to get involved!  Please visit the Stop Forever WIPP website.  https://stopforeverwipp.org/

Please also watch the recent YouTube video by Bob Aly, of Available Media, of the July 7^th WIPP Community Forum and Open House “fiasco” in Santa Fe.  Aly juxtaposes events at the meeting with the unpublished letter to the editor by long-time WIPP activist, Sasha Pyle.  https://stopforeverwipp.org/videos-and-documents and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Xr_pPnGtM

1. You have heard about it or read about it, now you can view it: The July 7th Fiasco DOE/WIPP “Community Forum and Open House” presentation and video recording at https://wipp.energy.gov/presentations.asp

2. Available Media’s informative version of the July 7^th Fiasco – The Meeting that Wasn’t a Meeting – at https://stopforeverwipp.org/videos-and-documents and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Xr_pPnGtM

3. Thursday, July 21^st from 6 to 8 pm – Kirtland Air Force Base Bulk Fuels Facility Open House – in person event. For more information, please contact Brannon Lamar at 377 Air Base Wing Public Affairs at (505) 846-5991 or by email at 377ABW.PA@us.af.mil

4. Friday, July 22^nd from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and talk about next steps!

5. Saturday, August 6^th from noon to 2 pm at Ashley Pond in Los Alamos – the Santa Fe Chapter of Veterans for Peace will host the 77^th commemoration of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. Wage Peace and Nuclear Abolition!  Stay tuned here for more details.     

6. Tuesday, August 9^th at 5:15 pm Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Panel Discussion with Prominent Interfaith Leaders at 6:15 pm. Join Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe.  His homily will be centered on his pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace:  A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.”  For more information,  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace  or contact the Office of Social Justice & Respect Life at (505) 831-8205.

In the face of continuing problems and escalating costs for expanded production of plutonium “pit” bomb cores for nuclear weapons, U.S. Congressman John Garamendi, of California, has offered common sense provisions to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for plutonium pit accountability.  https://garamendi.house.gov/

Garamendi’s provisions require:

• An integrated master schedule for the overall plutonium pit production effort of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), including timelines, required resources, and budgets for planned work;
• A holistic programmatic environmental impact statement on expanded plutonium pit production that accounts for all simultaneous pit production at multiple sites; and
• An independent review of plutonium pit lifetimes.

The provisions were adopted all at the same time without debate or controversy into the House NDAA bill.  After the bill passes the House, it will head to the Senate.

The provisions are important to hold the Department of Energy (DOE) and NNSA accountable.  The federal agencies do not have an integrated master schedule for the overall expansion of plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the only facility with the capabilities to fabricate plutonium pits.  Since 2017, the escalating budget for LANL has doubled from $2.4 billion to nearly $5 billion dollars with little or no accountability.

DOE and NNSA have refused to prepare a new site-wide environmental impact statement (EIS) for LANL.  The current site-wide analysis was completed in 2008 – 14 years ago.  Generally a new site-wide is done every 10 years.

The fact that a new site-wide has not been done means that none of the proposed expansion of LANL in support of pit production has been subject to public review and comment.  http://nuclearactive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SFCC-2021-LANL-SWEIS-Request-Resolution.pdf

Further, an independent review of how long a plutonium pit will last, or its lifetime, is essential to determine whether LANL expansion is even needed.

In Northern New Mexico, LANL is expanding its footprint across the sacred Pajarito Plateau, with plans to build a bridge over the Rio Grande to reduce commute travel times.  It is also is upgrading the decades old Plutonium Facility, which sits on the Pajarito Fault Zone.  http://nuclearactive.org/ongoing-seismic-concerns-at-lanl-and-expanded-plutonium-pit-production/  Despite the lack of timely analysis with public review and comment, these expansion plans are proceeding

DOE and NNSA also propose to utilize their Savannah River Site in South Carolina for pit production.  A programmatic EIS is needed to address proposed pit production at both LANL and Savannah River.

The NDAA is expected to move to the House floor next week.  Please contact your representative and senators and urge them to support Garamendi’s plutonium pit accountability provisions.   It is time to hold DOE and NNSA accountable for its plans to expand plutonium pit production at LANL and the Savannah River Site.  https://nukewatch.org/ , https://srswatch.org/ , https://trivalleycares.org/

1. You heard about it or read about it, now you can view for yourself: The July 7th Fiasco DOE/WIPP “Community Forum and Open House” presentation and video recording at https://wipp.energy.gov/presentations.asp

2. July 13, 2022: NRC released Final Environmental Impact Statement for Holtec Site in Southeastern New Mexico.  https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html

3. Friday, July 15^th from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and talk about next steps!

4. Saturday, July 16^th, at 7 am – 1 pm: 43^rd Uranium Tailings Spill Legacy Commemoration – 12 miles north of Red Rock State Park on Hwy 566 near Church Rock, NM.  For more information, call 505 577-8438 and https://swuraniumimpacts.org/

5. Saturday, July 16^th – 13^th Annual Candlelight Vigil (beginning at 8 pm at the Little League Field) and Town Hall (from 2 to 4 pm at the Tularosa Community Center), Tularosa, NM. For more information, https://www.trinitydownwinders.com/  

     6. Thursday, July 21^st from 6 to 8 pm – Kirtland Air Force Base Bulk Fuels Facility Open House – in person event.  For more information, please contact Brannon Lamar at 377 Air Base Wing Public Affairs at (505) 846-5991 or by email at 377ABW.PA@us.af.mil

7. Saturday, August 6^th from noon to 2 pm at Ashley Pond in Los Alamos – the Santa Fe Chapter of Veterans for Peace will host the 77^th commemoration of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. Wage Peace and Nuclear Abolition!  Stay tuned here for more details.     

8. Tuesday, August 9^th at 5:15 pm Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and Panel Discussion with Prominent Interfaith Leaders at 6:15 pm. Join Most Rev. John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe.  His homily will be centered on his pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace:  A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament.”  For more information,  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace     

Holtec International recently purchased two shutdown nuclear power plants in Michigan to create a supply chain of spent fuel rods for its proposed consolidated interim storage facility in southeastern New Mexico’s Permian Basin.    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is expected to issue a Final Environmental Impact Statement this month and an operating license in early 2023 for the proposed “temporary” storage facility for spent nuclear fuel.  https://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/cis/holtec-international.html

Having a license is only one of many steps needed for spent fuel to come to New Mexico.  The state governments of New Mexico and Texas, along with environmental and safe-energy groups, are challenging the Holtec license application in federal court.  http://nuclearactive.org/all-pueblo-council-of-governors-oppose-holtec-and-wcs-isp/ ;  http://nuclearactive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Attorney_General_Balderas_Announces_Lawsuit_to_Halt_Holtec_Nuclear_Storage_Facility.pdf ; https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2021/09/27/texas-sues-block-nuclear-waste-facility-along-new-mexico-border/5883388001/  New Mexico would also have to issue several permits before the site could receive any waste.

At the end of June, Entergy finalized the sale to Holtec of two permanently shutdown nuclear power plants, the Palisades https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_Nuclear_Generating_Station and Big Rock Point https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Rock_Point_Nuclear_Power_Plant , both located on the shoreline of Michigan’s Lake Michigan.  The NRC then transferred the licenses from Entergy to Holtec.

In early 2021 a coalition of environmental groups challenged the proposed license transfers.  The groups are Don’t Waste Michigan https://www.dontwastemichigan.org/ , Beyond Nuclear https://beyondnuclear.org/ , Michigan Safe Energy Future http://michigansafeenergyfuture.org/index.html , Michigan Safe Energy Future – Kalamazoo Chapter http://michigansafeenergyfuture.org/index.html , and Palisades Shutdown Campaign http://michigansafeenergyfuture.org/palisades-shutdown-campaign.html .   But the court has yet to issue any rulings on the challenges.

Upon learning about the license transfers, Terry Lodge, an attorney based in Toledo, Ohio who serves as the environmental coalition’s legal counsel, asked, “When do we get our day in court?”

Lodge added, “We filed numerous contentions opposing Holtec’s takeover, including its unacceptably shallow radiological contamination cleanup plans, its scheme to barge highly radioactive wastes on Lake Michigan to the port of Muskegon, and its corrupt corporate character, including its involvement in bribery scandals.”  https://www.toledoblade.com/local/2018/05/25/Activist-attorney-Terry-Lodge-receives-national-award.html ;  https://beyondnuclear.org/public-stonewalled-in-holtec-takeover-of-palisades-and-big-rock-point-atomic-reactor-sites-entergy-confirms-license-transfer-no-nrc-public-hearings-held/

Many in New Mexico are opposed to the Holtec proposal because the “temporary” facility would become a de facto permanent site.  There is no permanent repository so once the spent fuel came to New Mexico, there would be no way to require it to move to a repository.

Don Hancock, of Southwest Research and Information Center in Albuquerque, asked why New Mexico should store the waste when there are no nuclear power plants in New Mexico.  He questioned the risks of transporting highly radioactive spent fuel rods along waterways and through communities, ranches and farms.  He also said that New Mexicans did not need to accept the risk of an interim storage site, which could become a permanent storage site.  http://sric.org/

1. Thursday, July 7^th at 5: 30 pm – in person and virtual WIPP Community Forum & Open House at Santa Fe Convention Center in Okeefe and Milagro Rooms, 201 West Marcy Street, Santa Fe.  Open house to follow where stakeholders can meet the WIPP leadership team.  Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP).  http://nuclearactive.org/wipp-to-stay-open-forever-speak-up-at-the-july-7th-wipp-community-forum/

2. Friday, July 8^th from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and talk about next steps!

3. Tuesday, July 12^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm – LANL Meeting about proposed amendments to the TA-16-399 Closure Plan for Open Burning Treatment Unit at LANL. For more information, contact Steven Horak at envoutreach@lanl.gov

4. Saturday, July 16^th, at 7 am – 1 pm: 43^rd Uranium Tailings Spill Legacy Commemoration – 12 miles north of Red Rock State Park on Hwy 566 near Church Rock, NM.  For more information, call 505 577-8438 and https://swuraniumimpacts.org/

5. Saturday, July 16^th – 13^th Annual Candlelight Vigil (beginning at 8 pm at the Little League Field) and Town Hall (from 2 to 4 pm at the Tularosa Community Center), Tularosa, NM. For more information, https://www.trinitydownwinders.com/  

Did you know that the Department of Energy (DOE) plans to continue disposing of plutonium-contaminated radioactive and hazardous waste in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) essentially forever?  In filings submitted to the New Mexico Environment Department on Monday, DOE stated, “[the] final facility closure could begin no earlier than [Calendar Year] 2083.”  https://wipp.energy.gov/Library/Information_Repository_A/Technical_Incompleteness_Determinations/22-0225_Letter_Redacted.pdf , p. 2 of 11.

On Thursday, July 7^th, beginning at 5:30 pm, DOE will host a virtual and in-person WIPP Community Forum and Open House in Santa Fe.  It will take place at the Santa Fe Convention Center in the O’Keefe and Milagro Rooms, located at 201 West Marcy Street.  An agenda has yet to be posted.  Virtual attendees may ask questions and make comments via the chat.  https://www.wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20220623.asp

For decades prior to WIPP’s opening on March 26, 1999, DOE declared that in 25 years it would be able to cleanup all the plutonium-contaminated waste generated by the fabrication of the plutonium triggers for nuclear weapons and begin final facility closure.  As a result, the New Mexico state hazardous waste permit anticipates closure in 2024.  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/  and  WIPP Attachment G Closure Plan 02-202

DOE now wants no closure date when the permit is renewed next year.   https://wipp.energy.gov/2022-information-repository-documents.asp , see documents under Ten Year Permit Renewal Application.   That’s because DOE has no other waste repository.

But DOE plans to make new, more dangerous types of plutonium-contaminated waste and newly generated waste from ramping up the fabrication of the triggers, or plutonium pits, at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).  Those plans include the production of at least 30 pits per year at LANL.  DOE also proposes for LANL to process about 100,000 pounds of plutonium pits into powder form.  http://nuclearactive.org/new-mexico-governors-wipp-task-force-holds-meeting/

More waste means much more transportation for decades, including on the roadways around Santa Fe.

When faced with similar waste at the Rocky Flats Plant, Colorado said, “No more.”  Much of that waste was shipped to the Idaho National Laboratory, but Idaho said it could not stay and WIPP had to open.

You may ask:  Does New Mexico have the same rights and tools to prevent all of the waste from coming to WIPP?   The answer is, “Yes.”  The WIPP hazardous waste permit is one tool, and public involvement in the permit renewal is required.

In addition, a 1981 lawsuit by then Attorney General Jeff Bingaman against the DOE resulted in a legally enforceable Consultation and Cooperation Agreement that limits the amount of waste that may be disposed at WIPP.  http://nuclearactive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Consultation-and-Cooperation-Agreement-as-of-August-1988cut.pdf

It’s time to demand that New Mexico use all its tools.  One place to do that is at the July 7^th Community Forum.

To register for the Community Forum, go to https://www.wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20220623.asp

You are invited to join the WIPP and DOE Facility Mailing Lists 

Take the opportunity to participate in the ten-year renewal of the hazardous waste permit for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is required to maintain a WIPP Facility Mailing List to which you can add your name and address to get the latest information.

You can receive information by either email or snail mail—whichever you prefer.

Just email Ricardo Maestas at the Environment Department at ricardo.maestas@state.nm.us and ask to be added to the WIPP list.

Or mail your request to:

Ricardo Maestas

New Mexico Environment Department

Hazardous Waste Bureau

2905 Rodeo Park East, Bldg. 1

Santa Fe, NM 87505

WIPP also uses the facility mailing list to inform you about other opportunities

to provide public comments 

NMED is required by regulation to maintain a Facility Mailing List as part of its oversight of the WIPP Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit). NMED, as well as the Department of Energy and Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC (together, the Permittees), use this list to inform interested members of the public of public meetings, comment periods for proposed modifications to the permit and draft permits, final NMED administrative actions on permit decisions, and opportunities to appeal those actions, etc.

The Permittees are required per Permit Part 1, Section 1.11 to maintain a separate email notification list. The Permittees use this list to notify members of the public concerning actions such as reporting planned changes, reporting anticipated noncompliance, exceedance of repository Volatile Organic Compounds, etc.

If you wish to subscribe to the Permittees’ email notification list separately, email the WIPP Information Center at the following address: INFOCNTR@WIPP.WS

Listas de Correo de Permisos de la Instalación de Residuos Peligrosos de WIPP

El Departamento de Medio Ambiente de Nuevo México (NMED, por sus siglas en inglés) está obligado por reglamento a mantener una Lista de Correo de la Instalación como parte de la supervisión del Permiso de Instalación de Residuos Peligrosos (Permiso) de la Planta Piloto de Aislamiento de Residuos (WIPP, por sus siglas en inglés). El NMED, así como el Departamento de Energía y Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC (colectivamente, los Permisionarios), utilizan esta lista para informar a las partes interesadas, incluidos miembros del público interesados, de los períodos de comentarios para las solicitudes de modificación de permisos, borradores de permisos y las acciones administrativas finales de NMED sobre las decisiones de permisos, etc. Si desea agregar su nombre a la Lista de Correo de la Instalación WIPP de NMED, notifique a Ricardo Maestas por correo electrónico a ricardo.maestas@state.nm.us, o por correo postal a Ricardo Maestas, New Mexico Environment Department-Hazardous Waste Bureau, 2905 Rodeo Park East, Bldg. 1, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Incluya su nombre, correo electrónico (método de comunicación preferido para ahorrar recursos) o dirección postal, y organización, si la hay.

Los Permisionarios están obligados, según la Sección 1.11 de la Parte 1 del Permiso a mantener una lista separada de notificaciones por correo electrónico. Los Permisionarios utilizan esta lista para notificar a los miembros del público sobre acciones como la notificación de cambios planificados, notificación de incumplimientos anticipados, exceso de depósito de Compuestos Orgánicos Volátiles, etc. Si desea suscribirse a la lista de notificaciones por correo electrónico de los Permisionarios, envíe un correo electrónico al Centro de Información de WIPP a la siguiente dirección: INFOCNTR@WIPP.WS.

1. Friday, July 1^st from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and talk about next steps!

2. Thursday, July 7^th at 5: 30 pm – WIPP Community Forum & Open House at Santa Fe Convention Center in Okeefe and Milagro Rooms, 201 West Marcy Street, Santa Fe. In person and virtual.   Open house to follow where stakeholders can meet the WIPP leadership team.  Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP).  See today’s CCNS News Update.

3. Tuesday, July 12^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm – LANL Meeting about proposed amendments to the TA-16-399 Closure Plan for Open Burning Treatment Unit at LANL. For more information, contact Steven Horak at envoutreach@lanl.gov

4. Saturday, July 16^th, at 7 am – 1 pm: 43^rd Uranium Tailings Spill Legacy Commemoration – 12 miles north of Red Rock State Park on Hwy 566 near Church Rock, NM.  For more information, call 505 577-8438 and https://swuraniumimpacts.org/     FLYER: 2022 43rd Uranium Spill Commemoration Flyer

5. Saturday, July 16^th – 13^th Annual Candlelight Vigil (beginning at 8 pm at the Little League Field) and Town Hall (from 2 to 4 pm at the Tularosa Community Center), Tularosa, NM. For more information, https://www.trinitydownwinders.com/  

This week before the start of the First Meeting of States Parties for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna, three countries deposited their ratification documents with the United Nations.  Grenada, Cabot Verde, and Timor Leste joined 62 countries to ratify the treaty, for a total of 65.  One-third of the world’s 195 countries have now ratified the Treaty.  https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

On Sunday, June 19^th, 2022, Ralph Hutchinson, of the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, offered the following observations before the First Meeting in his commentary, News on the Eve of the First Meeting, in which he asked two questions about why the United States of America is not participating nor sending observers.  https://orepa.org/   Hutchinson wrote:

“Germany is going. And Norway and The Netherlands. Yesterday, Australia announced it is going. And today Belgium.

“What is the United States afraid of?

“Why is the USA, along with eight other nuclear-armed states, boycotting the historic First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons taking place in Vienna June 21-23?

“The First Meeting was originally scheduled for one year after the entry into force, but covid pushed it back. It is a brief meeting, just three days. States party to the Treaty will attend along with countless members of civil society. Non-party states, like the US, are also invited to attend in Observer status. Organizations in the US representing hundreds of thousands of members have written to the President, urging him to send a representative. Several members of Congress have also written to the President, urging the same thing.

“But the US continues to lead the staunch resistance to the Treaty. More than one US President has declared that we have a special obligation to lead the effort to rid the world of nuclear weapons—our current position on the Treaty turns this obligation on its head.

“Happily for the future, though, our leadership powers appear to be dwindling. Several NATO countries, including three that currently have US nuclear weapons deployed on military bases in their country — Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands — have announced they will attend the First Meeting. Two other important US allies, Norway and Australia, will also send observers.

“As the power of the United States and other nuclear armed states declines in the face of the growing influence of the Treaty, two questions come to mind—

“First, what is the US afraid of?  With a stockpile of more than 4,000 nuclear warheads and bombs, 1500 of them deployed around the globe on hair-trigger alert, one would think the US would be strong enough to walk into a room where the only weapons allowed are words and defend its position.  And, if it is committed to pursue nuclear disarmament as it promised in the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, it should welcome the chance to talk about what that could look like— all the nuclear armed nations coming to an agreement on protocols, verifications, and an enforceable timetable for eliminating nuclear stockpiles.

“It’s not hard to understand why North Korea is not at the First Meeting — they have something to be afraid of. They are weak and vulnerable without their small cache of nuclear weapons, and US policy gives them every reason to be afraid. But the US?

“The second question is, what is to come?  The [Treaty] is destined to grow as more nations ratify it—86 nations have signed and 6[5] of them have ratified it.  The [Treaty] is their demand—they have the right to live free from the threat of nuclear annihilation. They know that even a moderate nuclear exchange between two countries half way around the world can destroy them through fallout and the global famine caused by the decade-long nuclear winter that will follow.

“As the Treaty grows in power, and as its central message takes hold — that discussions about nuclear weapons must include the human and environmental cost of these weapons, a price some have already paid and the rest will one day pay if we don’t eliminate nuclear weapons — pressure will mount on the nuclear-armed states.

“Vladimir Putin’s bully rhetoric as he invaded Ukraine laid bare the nuclear threat. It is real. Putin could never have invaded Ukraine without widespread opposition if he wasn’t backed up by his nuclear weapons. He didn’t have to make his threat explicit to the US and NATO, but he did, and other people noticed and began thinking about nuclear weapons for the first time in decades.

“What happens when Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands decide not to continue to host US/NATO nuclear weapons on their soil? Will Italy and Turkey follow suit? Will the US try to strongarm some other country into taking the nukes? Will we hear that as the call of the future? Or will we hunker down, isolated even more, depending even more on our nuclear weapons to certify our strength rather than relying on the strength inherent in the people, the resources, and the political commitment to democracy of our nation?

“The decision by NATO nations and other allies to attend the First Meeting of States Parties is ground-breaking and it portends a shift that is coming. Nuclear weapons, and the nations that continue to maintain stockpiles, will be further stigmatized; we will find ourselves on the periphery of the community of nations in ways that truly matter.

“The ICAN’s [International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons’] Beatrice Fihn has noted that the story of nuclear weapons will have one of two endings — either we will get rid of nuclear weapons or they will get rid of us. There is no other ending.  She is right, of course. As long as nuclear weapons exist in the world, the first ending is a possibility that grows ever more probable. The recent action by Putin, and North Korea’s continuing missile testing are a wake-up call to those who stopped paying attention, thinking it couldn’t happen.

“It can happen, and it will one day. Intentionally, or accidentally, a mistake, a hack—unless we do the only thing we can do to make sure it does not happen. We have to get rid of the weapons. The path to the future is titled ‘The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.’  The US should be leading the world down this path.  We have an obligation like no other.”

On Thursday, June 23, 2022, the States Parties adopted the Vienna Declaration and the Vienna Action Plan at the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  For more information, please see ICAN’s  Overview_of_the_Vienna_Declaration_and_Action_Plan_-_formatted_.    

Congratulations ICAN and its partners, donors, states and more that helped make this historic day a reality!

1. Friday, June 24^th from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Celebrate the successful historic First Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons!

2. Friday, June 24^th from 1:30 to 4 pm – Celebrate Dorie Bunting’s 100^th birthday at Albuquerque Peace & Justice Peace Hall, 202 Harvard Drive SE. (505) 268-9557.  No gifts, please, but donations to the P&J Center are accepted.

3. Saturday, July 2nd at 12 noon Mountain Time – John Dear and Archbishop John Wester of New Mexico present the Archbishop’s recent pastoral letter in a talk entitled, “Living in the Light of Christ’s Peace: My New Pastoral Letter on Nuclear Disarmament.”  The Archbishop will reflect on his journey, what he’s learned, and how we, too, can speak out for nuclear disarmament.  Register at https://beatitudescenter.org/programs/#july2-2022  Registration closes Monday, June 27th.

4. Thursday, July 7^th at 5: 30 pm – WIPP Community Forum & Open House at Santa Fe Convention Center in Okeefe and Milagro Rooms, 201 West Marcy Street, Santa Fe. In person and virtual.   Open house to follow where stakeholders can meet the WIPP leadership team.  Hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (NWP).  Virtual – REGISTER HERE – https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEuduqsqz4qH9PEL2Rbp3U5Ae7vkXDv-LAD   For questions regarding this meeting and open house please contact the WIPP Information Center at infocntr@wipp.ws or by calling 1-800-336-9477.

If you were in charge of allocating U.S. taxpayer money, would you invest $84,094 per minute for nuclear weapons?  What would your priorities be?  The human needs of the 140 million people in the U.S. who are poor and one emergency away from economic ruin?  Education?  Health care?  Transportation infrastructure?  Taking holistic care of water, air and soil?  The possibilities are endless.

In a new report, Squandered:  2021 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) reveals that last year the U.S. spent over $44 billion on its nuclear arsenal.  Forty-four billion is over half of the total spending of the other eight nuclear armed countries combined.  The nine countries spent over $82 billion in 2021, which is $6.5 billion more than they spent in 2020.  https://www.icanw.org/spending_report

The nine nuclear-armed countries are:  China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.  https://www.icanw.org/nuclear_arsenals

In New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the nuclear weapons agency, has proposed a budget of $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2023, beginning on October 1^st.  In fiscal year 2022, DOE spent about $8 billion on nuclear weapons in New Mexico.  6-3-22 ABQ Journal-Nuclear weapons spending to get boost in NM

Nuclear weapons are at the fore at the First Meeting of the States Parties for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Vienna, Austria beginning on Tuesday, June 21^st through Thursday, June 23^rd.  https://www.icanw.org/

Article I of the Treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, and possession or stockpiling nuclear weapons.  It also prohibits threatening to use them.  https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

To learn more about the Treaty and to register for virtual Nuclear Ban Week Vienna events, beginning on Saturday, June 18^th, go to https://vienna.icanw.org/

Coincidentally, on Saturday, June 18^th in Washington, DC, the Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls will take place.  The march will address the spending priorities of the U.S.  They march “because any nation that ignores nearly half of its citizens is in a moral, economic and political crisis. There were 140 million people who were poor or one emergency away from economic ruin before the pandemic.”  To learn more, go to https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june18/#why-we-march

In New Mexico, despite all the federal funding for nuclear weapons, we rank 50^th in child well-being and 50^th in education.  It is time for an equitable economic transition.  6-12-22 SFNM-My View Ahtza Chavez and Melanie Aranda

1. Today, Thursday, June 16^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm – in person and virtual community meeting hosted by DOE’s Environmental Management at Los Alamos (EM-LA).

In-person:  Fuller Lodge, 2132 Central Ave. Los Alamos, NM

Virtual:  For login information, visit www.n3b-la.com/outreach 

2. Friday, June 17^th from noon to 1 pm – Join the Raging Grannies in song and comradery at the weekly peaceful protest on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. The Raging Grannies are from a generation when protest songs were the heart of every protest. They are reviving that tradition by bringing songs, enthusiasm, and their grandmotherly wisdom to marches and rallies. Though Raging Grannies have been active in many cities including Albuquerque for decades, we now have a newly formed Santa Fe gaggle of Grannies. Come and sing along!

3. Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Washington, DC – Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls – Promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as a critical part of the wider movement for peace and justice in this country and beyond.  https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/june18/

4. Saturday, June 18^th through Thursday, June 23^rd is Nuclear Ban Week Vienna. For more information about all of the live and FREE virtual events taking place, visit:  last week’s CCNS News Update at http://nuclearactive.org/take-action-support-the-treaty-on-the-prohibition-of-nuclear-weapons-and-encourage-the-media-to-cover-it/ and the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons at https://vienna.icanw.org/ Get your registrations in now as there are cut off dates!

5. Friday, June 24^th from 1:30 to 4 pm – Celebrate Dorie Bunting’s 100^th birthday at Albuquerque Peace & Justice Peace Hall, 202 Harvard Drive SE. (505) 268-9557.  No gifts, please, but donations to the P&J Center are accepted.

This is the third annual report documenting massive investments in global nuclear weapons spending. Through an ever changing and challenging security environment, from security threats of climate change to the COVID-19 pandemic to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, nuclear weapons spending has steadily increased, with no resulting measurable improvement on the security environment.

As companies throw money at lobbyists and researchers to assert the continued relevance and value of nuclear weapons, the record shows the inutility of weapons of mass destruction to address modern security challenges – and the legitimate fear that they can end civilization as we know it.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is the multilateral response to the irresponsible behavior of all nuclear-armed states to pour money down their nuclear weapons drains. It is the normative barricade against threats to use nuclear weapons. All countries should join this landmark international instrument to prohibit the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons and prevent their eventual use by ensuring their elimination.