Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board to Hold Public Hearing at Santa Fe Convention Center on November 16th

On Wednesday, November 16th, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) will hold a virtual and in-person public hearing at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center from noon to 9:45 pm Mountain Time.  The DNFSB’s goal is to gather information regarding legacy cleanup activities, nuclear safety, and increased production of plutonium pits, or triggers, for nuclear weapons at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).  There will be two opportunities for oral public comments.  Written comments will also be accepted.  https://www.dnfsb.gov/public-hearings-meetings/november-16-2022-public-hearing

To prepare your comments, a useful resource is the DNFSB’s Resident Inspector Weekly Reports about activities at LANL.  There are over 1,100 weekly reports.  https://www.dnfsb.gov/documents/reports/resident-inspector-weekly-reports

The DNFSB is an independent organization within the executive branch of the United States Government, chartered with the responsibility of providing recommendations and advice to the President and the Secretary of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities, such as LANL.  https://www.dnfsb.gov/

On the 16th, Board Members will hear testimony from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Jill Hruby and the Manager of the NNSA Los Alamos Field Office Theodore Wyka, among others.  https://www.dnfsb.gov/sites/default/files/meeting/November%2016%2C%202022%20Hearing%20Agenda_0.pdf

The hearing is divided into four sessions. Session 1 will run from noon to 2:30 p.m.  It will focus on nuclear safety at Area G, LANL’s active dump for radioactive and hazardous waste.  The Board’s objective is to understand actions completed and planned to strengthen Area G’s safety basis in order to remove legacy plutonium-contaminated waste while minimizing the amount of it above ground.  See the August 17, 2022 DNFSB Staff Issue Report about LANL Area G Safety Posture and Justifications for Continued Operation at https://www.dnfsb.gov/documents/reports?f%5B0%5D=field_document_type%3A41.

Sessions 2 and 3 will focus on nuclear safety and increased plutonium pit production activities at the Plutonium Facility.  Session 2 will run from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and focus on expanded pit production, the repackaging of large quantities of heat-source plutonium, and other possible nuclear missions.

Session 3 will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and focus on improving essential safety systems.  Among other topics, the Board will hear about improvements planned for and about plans for safety management programs to support expanded plutonium pit production.  See January 29, 2016 DNFSB Staff Issue Report about Seismic Qualification of Fire Suppression System at the Plutonium Facility, LANL at https://www.dnfsb.gov/documents/reports?f%5B0%5D=field_document_type%3A41

Finally, Session 4, from 8:45 to 9:45 p.m., will be for public comments and a wrap-up.  If you are interested in making public comments you are encouraged to pre-register.  Details are available at https://www.dnfsb.gov/public-hearings-meetings/november-16-2022-public-hearing

Joni Arends, of CCNS, requests that you support this work to educate the public about the proposed and ongoing vast expansion of LANL whose safety concerns will be central to the public hearing.  http://nuclearactive.org/

1. Friday, November 4th from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, Pax Christi and others. Join us about next steps toward nuclear disarmament.

2. Wednesday, November 9^th from 2 to 4 pm MT – In-person and virtual community meeting on monitoring LANL stormwater runoff under the renewed permit issued by EPA. Presentations will cover monitoring stormwater in fiscal year 2022 (Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022) and updates from Communities for Clean Water (CCW).   Public comments and questions are invited.  https://n3b-la.com/outreach/ and  https://n3b-la.com/individual-permit-public-meeting-november-9-2022/

In-person: Cottonwood on the Greens, 4244 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos, N.M.

Virtual: via Webex platform

Link:  https://n3b-la.webex.com/n3b-la/j.php?MTID=m00cf1869913a57581d23473f123e8851

Meeting number (access code): 2769 085 4353

Meeting password: JMyXJvp5v28

Or

Join by phone: 1-415-527-5035

Meeting number (access code): 2769 085 4353

3. Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm – Living with Wildfire: Share your concerns during a virtual community listening session on managing and protecting our local forest in a warming climate.  Sponsors:  Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners, WildEarth Guardians, and The Forest Advocate.  Host:  Santa Fe County Commissioner Anna Hansen.  Featured Speaker:  Dominick DellaSala, Conservation Scientist, with Adam Rissien (WildEarth Guardians Rewilding Manager) and Sarah Hyden (The Forest Advocate).   

To join the meeting:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85286994969?pwd=NVpVK2U2UTlLNlJndlJtTTRzTHRSZz09#success

4. Monday, November 14th from 4:30 to 5:30 pm MT – virtual training for LANL’s Electronic Public Reading Room (EPRR). https://permalink.lanl.gov/object/tr?what=info:lanl-repo/lareport/LA-UR-22-30217  The EPRR is an information repository for administrative and environmental information and correspondence as required by Section 1.10 of the 2010 NM Environment Department Hazardous Waste Facility Permit for LANL.  The EPRR is available at https://eprr.lanl.gov/

When it is time to join the meeting: 
WebEx Link: https://lanl‐us.webex.com/lanl‐us/j.php?MTID=m8a5939de8afadbcbb5a5bedeb3c8c4d5
Meeting No.: 2463 136 2821
Video address: 24631362821@lanl‐us.webex.com
PIN: EPRR‐Train
Call In No.: 1‐415‐655‐0002
Call Access No.: 2463 136 2821 then press # to confirm and enter the meeting

Tags: Administrator Jill Hruby, Area G, confinement ventilation system, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Department of Energy, DNFSB, fire suppression systems, heat-source plutonium, LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, NNSA Los Alamos Field Office, nuclear weapons, plutonium pit production, plutonium-contaminated waste, public comments, safety management programs, Santa Fe Community Convention Center, Theodore Wyka, triggers