May _____, 2002 Dear Members of the Congressional Delegation: On February 26, 2002, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released a Finding of No Significant Impact, based on an inadequate Environmental Assessment, which approved the construction and operation of two Biological Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratories at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). These laboratories could work with live anthrax, TX, botulinum toxin, and plague. Citing safety and security concerns, nearly 200 community members wrote letters and over 1,200 signed petitions requesting that the Department of Energy (or DOE) and NNSA prepare a more detailed analysis, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIA), Senator Bingaman and Representative Udall supported community concerns and requested an EIS, but their requests were ignored. Since then, we have learned more about the DOE/NNSA plans to build more BSL-3 laboratories around the DOE complex, including at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The DOE's Chemical and Biological National Security Program (CBNP) began in 1997. Its budget grew 115% between fiscal year 2001 and 2002. This is a rate of increase that is greater than the DOE/NNSA nuclear weapons program. No environmental analysis has been prepared for the CBNP. I request that you pull the design and construction funding for the BSL-3 at LANL until a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) is prepared for the activities of the DOE/NNSA Chemical and Biological National Security Program. The LANL BSL-3 construction is on the fast-track: design work is to be completed in June; construction is scheduled to begin in September; and project closeout is expected in October, 2003. NOW IS THE TIME TO PULL THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT AND PREPARE A PEIS FOR THE CBNP! Sincerely,
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
Here is the contact information for our New Mexico Congressional delegation:
Senator Jeff Bingaman
Senator Pete Domenici
Representative Tom Udall
Representative Heather Wilson
Representative Joe Skeen |
