July 13th – 45th Annual Uranium Spill Commemoration and July 14th – Archbishop Wester Hosts Commemoration of Trinity Test

On July 16^th in New Mexico, people commemorate two devastating events:  the first atomic bomb test at the Trinity Site in 1945 in south central New Mexico, and the world’s largest uranium spill in 1979 when an earthen dam broke at the United Nuclear Corporation’s uranium mill tailing pond, releasing 1,100 tons of radioactive waste and 94 million gallons of radioactive water into the Rio Puerco, which flowed to Sanders, Arizona.  Both events left sick and dying people, environmental destruction and still unresolved concerns today.

On Saturday, July 13^th, the Red Water Pond Road Community https://swuraniumimpacts.org/red-water-pond-road-community-association/ and the Pipeline Road Community host the 45^th Annual Uranium Spill Commemoration 12 miles north of the Red Rock State Park on Highway 566 from Churchrock, New Mexico.  The event begins at 6 am with an opening prayer and breakfast.  At 7 am, registration begins and continues throughout the day.  A walk to the site of the uranium spill begins at 7:30 am and returns to the arbor.  At 10 am, speakers and discussion under the arbor begins. At 1 pm lunch is served and at 2 pm a closing prayer is said.  All day long, a silent auction, a kid’s corner, and educational booths will be active.  To the first 150 people in attendance, a free t-shirt will be offered.  Please bring your chairs, tents or umbrellas.

The Community invites you to take action and walk with them.  For more information and to RSVP, email jlnez@yahoo.com.

On Sunday, July 14^th, the Archbishop of Santa Fe John Wester and interfaith leaders commemorate the 79^th year since the Trinity test at the St. John XXIII Catholic Community at 4831 Tramway Ridge Drive Northeast in Albuquerque.  The program includes an interfaith prayer service for peace led by Archbishop Wester.  Speakers include local and special national guests on topics ranging from the impacts of nuclear testing, youth engagement in concern for the environment, and the role of hope and faith as we face growing nuclear threats.  https://archdiosf.org/documents/2024/6/240612_PR_TrinityCommemoration.pdf

All are welcome to attend.  The event is free and live-streamed.  Doors open at 2 pm Mountain Time.  Registration for both in-person and live stream is encouraged at https://form.jotform.com/241400030658141

1. Friday, July 5th at noon – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the four corners of Alameda and Sandoval in downtown Santa Fe with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, New Mexico Peace Fest, Pax Christi and others.

2. Veterans for Peace and the VFP Nuclear Abolition Working Group – the June 20^th webinar Nuclear Power and Weapons in a Time of Rising Tension was recorded and accessible here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oedv9hlsNIk  400 registered; but the zoom admitted 100.  Guest speakers:  William Hartung, Arms Industry Expert; Linda Pentz-Gunter, Beyond Nuclear; and Greg Mello, Los Alamos Study Group.

3. Tuesday, July 9^th at 6 pm Mountain Time – Debunking Deterrence Theory and Pursuing Global Nuclear Disarmament webinar hosted by Peace Action Education Fund. Guest speakers: Tadatoshi (Tad) Akiba, former Mayor of Hiroshima, Japan; Professor Elaine Scarry, Harvard University, author of Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing between Democracy and Doom; Jackie Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation, United for Peace and Justice, Mayors for Peace; Emma Claire Foley, Defuse Nuclear War and Roots Action.  Moderators:  Kevin Martin, Peace Action Education Fund, and Joseph Gerson, Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security.

From the email invitation:  For too long, deterrence theory has been used as the legitimizing foundation for US and global nuclear weapons policy. Deterrence is rarely examined, let alone questioned, but it is often waved around like some verbal magic wand to justify extremely dangerous and exorbitant policies that threaten life on Earth. Our speakers will examine the very frightening flaws of deterrence theory that have too often brought humanity to the brink of extinction, and offer practical strategies and tactics to replace it, and to advance the cause of global nuclear disarmament.

Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dVSI9r7FTX6R9_BUBCt0Mg#/registration

4. Thursday, July 11^th in Taos, Friday, July 12^th in Santa Fe, and Saturday, July 13^th in Albuquerque (see below for details) – Justin Nobel speaks about his new book Petroleum 238: Big Oil’s Dangerous Secret about how a powerful industry spreads harm across the land and sickens the American people, especially their very own workers.  https://www.truthdig.com/articles/it-could-be-oil-field-waste-making-you-sick/

Why this is important to folks opposing nuclear weapons and power: 

“With fossil fuels, essentially what you are doing is taking an underground radioactive reservoir and bringing it up to the surface where it can interact with people and the environment.”

“Almost all materials of interest and use to the petroleum industry contain measurable quantities of radionuclides that reside finally in process equipment, product streams, or waste.”

Readings:

Thursday July 11 from 5 to 6:30 pm: Book event at Society of the Muse of the Southwest (SOMOS) in Taos, NM. Hosted by New Energy Economy and other groups.

Friday July 12 at 6 pm: Book event at Collected Works Bookstore in Santa Fe, NM, hosted by New Energy Economy, Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, NM No False Solutions.

Saturday July 13 at 6 pm: Book event at Center for Peace & Justice in Albuquerque, NM, hosted by New Energy Economy, Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, NM No False Solutions.

5. Thursday, July 18th 5 to 7 pm – KAFB Bulk Fuels Facility Project – KAFB Groundwater Treatment System facility open house and site tours of the facility.   For additional information on this event, please contact 377th Air Base Wing/Public Affairs at (505) 846-5991 or by email – pa@us.af.mil.

Also, community members may review Air Force Environmental Restoration Program documents by visiting the Kirtland AFB website at https://www.kirtland.af.mil/Home/Environment/ or the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center Administrative Record website at http://afcec.publicadmin-record.us.afmil/Search.aspx.

6. Save the Date! Monday, July 22^nd  – DOE HQ event with Candice Robertson, Environmental Management (EM-1), and Jill Hruby, NNSA Administrator, similar to April 4^th, 2023 event at Santa Fe Community Convention Center.  We’ll post information as we receive it.

7. Monday, August 5^th through Friday, August 9^th – NM Water Quality Control Commission public hearing about reuse of fracking “produced water” waste continues. https://www.defendnmwater.org/

Tags: 45th Annual Uranium Spill Commemoration, Archbishop John Wester, Churchrock, first atomic bomb test at Trinity, July 16th, Pipeline Road Community, Red Water Pond Road Community, Rio Puerco, St. John XXIII Catholic Community, United Nuclear Corporation, world’s largest uranium spill