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

On May 5, 2022, the New Mexico Environment Department issued discharge permit DP-1132 under the New Mexico Water Quality Act for the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).  The RLWTF manages hazardous waste and the Water Quality Act is expressly limited so that it does not apply to a hazardous waste facility.  Nevertheless, the Environment Department issued LANL a Water Quality Act permit for the RLWTF.

On June 6^th non-governmental organizations, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety (CCNS) and Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE), filed a Petition for Review of DP-1132 with the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/ , click on Water Quality Control Commission, scroll down to Case No. WQCC 22-21 Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety and Honor Our Pueblo Existence’s Petition for Review of NMED Ground Water Discharge Permit DP-1132. 

CCNS and HOPE asked for the Commission to review DP-1132 because the RLWTF handles, treats and stores hazardous waste.  All hazardous waste facilities in New Mexico are regulated by Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as implemented by the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act.

RCRA regulations protect human health and the environment much more thoroughly than the Water Quality Act does.  LANL plans to use the RLWTF to receive and treat radioactive and hazardous liquid waste from plutonium pit production, using tanks, pipes, containers, and evaporative disposal methods.  With such dangerous wastes, it is essential to follow rigorous RCRA requirements for tanks systems and to assess seismic vulnerability since LANL is in the Pajarito Fault Zone.

CCNS and HOPE argued to the Water Quality Control Commission that the permit must be reversed and remanded to the Environment Department because the Water Quality Act expressly does not apply to a hazardous waste facility.  § 74-6-12.B NMSA 1978.  It states:

Limitations:

B. The Water Quality Act does not apply to any activity or condition subject to the authority of the environmental improvement board pursuant to the Hazardous Waste Act [Chapter 74, Article 4 NMSA 1978], . . . except to abate water pollution or to control the disposal or use of septage and sludge.

The Commission did not rule on the CCNS and HOPE request.  Instead, on August 30, 2022, at the request of Triad National Security, LLC, the principal LANL contractor, and the Environment Department, the Commission stayed the permit review of DP-1132.  That means that the appeal is suspended.  The Commission’s stay, in effect, suspends the operation of the hazardous waste laws for the RLWTF.  However, the Commission left the Water Quality Act permit in effect during the stay.

LANL is clearly planning to obtain a long-term RCRA exemption from RCRA for the RLWTF.  Based on public hearings in 2010, Section 4.6 of the RCRA hazardous waste permit for LANL requires it to discharge all treated wastewater from the RLWTF through its outfall 051 into Mortandad Canyon.  It says that, if another method of wastewater disposal is used, an exemption from RCRA for the RLWTF will be lost.

New Mexico Environment Department Hazardous Waste Permit Condition 4.6 for LANL  

 4.6  TA-50 RADIOACTIVE LIQUID WASTE TREATMENT FACILITY

The Permittees shall discharge all treated wastewater from the TA-50 Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF) through the outfall permitted under Section 402 of the federal Clean Water Act, or as otherwise authorized by the terms of an applicable Clean Water Act permit that regulates the treatment and use of wastewater. If the Permittees intentionally discharge through a location other than the permitted outfall or as otherwise authorized, they will fail to comply with this requirement, and as a consequence the wastewater treatment unit exemption under 40 CFR § 264.1(g)(6) will no longer apply to the RLWTF. The Permittees shall not accept listed hazardous wastes as specified at 40 CFR Part 261 Subpart D at the RLWTF.

https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/HWB-LANL-Permit-Parts-1-11_-October-2021.pdf

Since November 2010, LANL has used the mechanical evaporator system almost exclusively to dispose of wastewater.  In this situation, Hazardous Waste Permit Condition 4.6 would require the RLWTF to be regulated by the hazardous waste laws.  CCNS and HOPE intend to make sure that happens.

Lindsay A. Lovejoy, Jr. represents CCNS and HOPE before the Commission.  http://lindsaylovejoy.com/

Joni Arends, of CCNS, requests your support to ensure proper regulation of the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at LANL.  To make a financial contribution, please visit our website at http://nuclearactive.org/

1. Thursday, October 27, 2022 – Biden Administration releases Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). The NPR is a subset of the National Defense Strategy and begins on p. 33 of the pdf.  https://media.defense.gov/2022/Oct/27/2003103845/-1/-1/1/2022-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY-NPR-MDR.PDF

2. Friday, October 28th 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, Pax Christi and others. Join us about next steps toward nuclear disarmament.

3. Friday, October 28^th at 8 am MT through Friday, November 4^th – viewing of virtual ceremony for the 14th anniversary of the Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance. Every October, the Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™ (NDR) honors the men and women working in the U.S. nuclear weapon and uranium industries and recognizes those who are no longer with us. Often working in secrecy, these patriots have been instrumental in the protection of our nation — from WWII to today.  To register:  https://coldwarpatriots.org/about-us/national-day-remembrance-2022/

4. Wednesday, November 2^nd, in person and virtual Kirtland Bulk Fuels Facility Public Meeting at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial, 1100 Louisiana Blvd. SE from 6 to 8 pm. Learn about the cleanup work performed and future plans to address and remove groundwater contamination at the site.  For additional information, contact Ashley Palacios, 377^th Air Base Wing Public Affairs at (505) 846-5991 or email at PA@us.af.mil  Virtual meeting link:  https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1615382169?pwd=djB1L0dsdGdTYXdPSGkwNFJ6VktQUT09

5. Thursday, November 3^rd at noon to 1 pm MT – virtual Nuclear Regulatory Commission webinar about the status of the NRC staff’s review of the proposed Holtec HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) license application.  NRC staff will discuss a proposed schedule for issuing its final licensing decision.  Please confirm your attendance by Wednesday, November 2^nd by contacting:  NRC Contact Person:  Jose Cuadrado, (301) 415-0606, or jose.cuadrado@nrc.gov.  For more information and links:  https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg?do=details&Code=20221104

It is essential for folks to attend – either virtually or in person – the WIPP Community Forum on Monday, October 24^th, beginning at 5:30 pm at Buffalo Thunder Resort Casino.  https://www.wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20221014.asp

The Department of Energy (DOE), which owns both Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), has plans to greatly expand both facilities.  At LANL, DOE plans to increase the number of plutonium pits, or the triggers, for nuclear weapons from very few to 30 a year.  At WIPP, DOE plans to double the size of the underground waste disposal site 26 miles east of Carlsbad. It is essential we raise our voices now in opposition to DOE’s plans that would impact our communities for decades to come.  DOE has promised that at the October 24^th event people will be able to make comments and ask questions to be answered at the meeting.

To register for the Community Forum, go to https://www.wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20221014.asp.  Despite numerous requests for DOE to fix the registration links, they may not work.  If they don’t, please cut and paste the link into your browser….

Virtual Event:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvdOyprzgsGt3ExI8dGdG1S5_avon4_4Pd#/registration

In-Person Event:  https://form.jotform.com/222836798629172

Please note:  Despite numerous requests for representatives from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) attend the Community Forum to answer questions, WIPP stated in its announcements:

Please remember that CBFO/NWP can only answer questions within WIPP’s purview.  Questions about surplus plutonium shipments, for example, must be directed to the National Nuclear Security Administration.

A WIPP truck, with empty TRUPACTs on the trailer, will be parked outside the Buffalo Thunder facility for viewing.

WIPP hosted an event on July 7^th at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.  People wrote their questions on index cards.  http://nuclearactive.org/wipp-to-stay-open-forever-speak-up-at-the-july-7th-wipp-community-forum/ and https://losalamosreporter.com/2022/07/10/wipp-officials-hold-information-meeting-in-santa-fe-knerr-chats-with-los-alamos-reporter/

WIPP promised to post the answers on WIPP’s website, but it took more than three months for DOE to post 46 pages of responses. Clearly, there is a lot of public interest in WIPP’s expansion plans.  https://wipp.energy.gov/Library/documents/2022/WIPP_Community_Forum_Q&A_7-7-22.pdf

Questions were asked about the intersectionality of expanded pit production at LANL, the resulting increase in the amount of plutonium-contaminated waste destined for WIPP, and increased transportation of that waste through New Mexico communities already stressed by other environmental threats.  https://stopforeverwipp.org/wipp-expansion

CCNS is concerned that there may not be enough room in WIPP for the buried legacy waste at LANL, estimated to be 200,000 cubic yards.  WIPP is for legacy waste generated prior to 1999. 

DOE already has agreements with other states that ship legacy waste to WIPP.  For example, the agreement with Idaho requires 55 percent of the shipments be from that state.  South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington also have expectations for reserving space at WIPP.  It is unclear how the LANL legacy waste fits into DOE’s space allocations.

But here’s the rub:  Since January 2021, the DOE has been shipping drums of legacy waste and drums of newly generated waste from pit production to WIPP.  https://n3b-la.com/n3b-and-triad-cooperate-to-ship-radioactive-waste-to-wipp/

Is the priority to get the legacy waste that is threatening the regional drinking water aquifer “off the hill,” or to support plutonium pit production?

Please make time to express your concerns either in person or virtually at the WIPP Community Forum.    Register here:  https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20221014.asp

1. Friday, October 21^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament.

2. Saturday, October 22^nd at 11 am Mountain – Annual White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk & Protest: Protecting Our Communities, Health, Environment & Indigenous Sacred Landscapes.  The 11 am rally will be followed by the spiritual and protest walk to the White Mesa uranium mill.  https://protectwhitemesa.org/

3. Wednesday, October 26 from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm., virtual and in-person LANL Environmental Management Cleanup Forum at Fuller Lodge, 2131 Central Avenue, Los Alamos, NM. The focus will be on the cleanup activities for the 158 corrugated metal pipes at Area G.  The powerpoint presentation is available at:  https://n3b-la.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/EMCF-CMP-10.26.22-FINAL.pdf   To view the agenda and connection information, go to https://n3b-la.com/environmental-management-cleanup-forum-october-26-2022/

4. Friday, October 28^th at 8 am MT through Friday, November 4^th – viewing of virtual ceremony for the 14th anniversary of the Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance. Every October, the Official Cold War Patriots National Day of Remembrance™ (NDR) honors the men and women working in the U.S. nuclear weapon and uranium industries and recognizes those who are no longer with us. Often working in secrecy, these patriots have been instrumental in the protection of our nation — from WWII to today.  To register:  https://coldwarpatriots.org/about-us/national-day-remembrance-2022/

It’s time again to submit comments about what the scope of a new Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Los Alamos National Laboratory should be as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).  https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/08/19/2022-17901/notice-of-intent-to-prepare-a-site-wide-environmental-impact-statement-for-continued-operation-of  Comments are due on Tuesday, October 18^th, 2022 by 11:59 pm Mountain Time to LANLSWEIS@nnsa.doe.gov .

Nuclear Watch New Mexico has prepared sample scoping comments that you can use to create your own.  The comments focus on DOE’s plans to expand the fabrication of plutonium pits, or the triggers, for nuclear weapons and the impacts of such expansion to workers, public health, equity and the environment.  They are available at https://nukewatch.org/ .

The Department of Energy (DOE) states that the purpose of its latest SWEIS “is to provide the public with an analysis of the potential environmental impacts from ongoing and reasonably foreseeable new and modified operations and facilities, and reasonable alternatives, to provide a basis for site-wide decision making and to improve and coordinate agency plans, functions, programs, and resource utilization.”  See August 19, 2022 Federal Register notice, p. 51084.  Given the broad analyses, it is important for the public to participate in this process.

This will be the fourth SWEIS the DOE has completed since the first in 1979, the second in 1999, and the third in 2008.  But there have been gaps in DOE’s analyses over the decades.  For this SWEIS, DOE has stated the scope would cover the “foreseeable future” over approximately 15-years, or to 2038 or so.  See August 19, 2022 Federal Register Notice, p. 51084.

The 1999 LANL SWEIS considered the “foreseeable future” as a 10-year period of time.  But in the final 2008 SWEIS, DOE’s “foreseeable future” was cut in half.  DOE stated that the 2008 SWEIS would consider “proposals regarding LANL operations over about the next [five] years.”  Final Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, Summary, DOE/EIS-0380, May 2008, p. S-5 (p. 21 of pdf).

That five-year period expired in roughly 2013, or roughly a decade ago.  This is important because over the past decade DOE has been working to expand the number of plutonium pits fabricated annually – without proper NEPA analyses.

Importantly, following the issuance of the final 2008 LANL SWEIS, DOE determined it could fabricate 20 pits per year.  But in 2020 DOE gave itself permission to fabricate 50 percent more pits per year, or 30 pits per year.  https://www.energy.gov/nepa/downloads/doeeis-0380-amended-record-decision

What does this mean to you?  In the foreseeable future, LANL will use 50% more water, generate 50% more waste, and due to increased hiring have 50% more impact on communities – meaning more traffic, more apartments and crowded classrooms – all without proper NEPA analyses.

1. Friday, October 7^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament – see below for the October 14^th Defuse Nuclear War Picket at the Santa Fe Main Post Office.

2. Friday, October 14^th at noon – Join the Defuse Nuclear War peaceful protest outside of the Santa Fe Main Post Office, 120 S. Federal Place. Organized by Veterans for Peace, CCNS and Nuclear Watch NM.  For more information:  https://defusenuclearwar.org/  You can print out signs from the website.    

3. POSTPONED to December – Tuesday, October 18^th from 3 to 5 pm – virtual public meeting of the Radioactive Waste Consultation Task Force, also known as the Governor’s WIPP Task Force.

4. Tuesday, October 18^th – Scoping Comments due to DOE/NNSA/LANL about the Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and http://nuclearactive.org/lanl-grants-a-whopping-15-day-extension-of-time-until-october-18th-to-provide-scoping-comments/   Sample public comments you can modify will be available at http://nuclearactive.org/

5. Thursday, October 20^th from 5:30 to 7 pm – 35^th Anniversary Celebration of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center at the Albuquerque office, 722 Isleta Blvd. SW. Join the celebration with delicious food and live music by Los Domingueros, New Mexico’s premier menudo-based band.  https://www.facebook.com/events/1269371930503628?ref=newsfeed

6. Saturday, October 22^nd at 11 am Mountain – White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk & Protest: Protecting Our Communities, Health, Environment & Indigenous Sacred Landscapes.  The 11 am rally will be followed by the spiritual and protest walk to the White Mesa uranium mill.  https://protectwhitemesa.org/

7. Monday, October 24^th from 5:30 to 7 pm at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino – in person and virtual WIPP Community Forum & Open House. There will be a short presentation and an extended Q&A period with this caveat:  “Please remember that CBFO/NWP can only answer questions within WIPP’s purview.  Questions about surplus plutonium shipments, for example, must be directed to the National Nuclear Security Administration.”

A WIPP truck, with empty TRUPACTs, will be parked outside for viewing.

Register For In-Person Event:
bit.ly/WIPP-OCT2022

Register For Virtual Event:
bit.ly/WIPP-virtual

On September 26^th, Molly McGinty, Associate Program Director for the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), spoke at the High-Level Meeting of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations.  https://peaceandhealthblog.com/2022/09/28/a-broken-system-allows-nine-nations-to-hold-the-world-hostage/  McGinty said:

“Honorable President, Distinguished Delegates, and friends,

“I join you as a representative of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and a young person inheriting the world you are building in these very halls.  Today, on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, 77 years after the world stumbled into the nuclear age, we stand on the precipice of nuclear annihilation.

“If action is not taken, it is only a matter of time until nuclear weapons are used, whether on purpose, by accident or miscalculation.  Studies show that a nuclear war using less than 3% of the world’s nuclear weapons could kill up to every 3rd person on earth.  A full-scale nuclear war between Russia and the United States would threaten human survival.

“Despite their empty promises, all nine nuclear weapon states are enhancing, modernizing, and increasing their nuclear arsenals.  These deadly investments take precious resources away from addressing the other existential threat to our future: the climate crisis.  Climate justice cannot be reached while nuclear weapons continue to plague our planet.

“Recent nuclear threats are a symptom of a broken system which allows nine nations to hold the world hostage with their genocidal weapons. We call on all nations to condemn all threats to use nuclear weapons. But condemnation is not enough. The only way we can step back from the brink of disaster is by eliminating these weapons.

“Distinguished Delegates,

“A world without nuclear weapons is possible.

“A new generation of changemakers — many of whom are witnessing the climate crisis first hand — are waking up to the shocking reality of our global nuclear architecture for the first time.  We demand action be taken before our future is ripped out from under our feet.  We reject the complacency of nuclear-armed states and their allies, and thank those who have paved the path to abolition.

“The abolition of nuclear weapons is not an abstract goal.  The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons [TPNW] was adopted by this UN General Assembly in 2017 and held its first Meeting of States Parties earlier this year in Vienna. With the landmark Vienna Declaration and a growing number of supportive states, the TPNW is a beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape.

“Distinguished Delegates,

“As the threat of nuclear war grows, so does the global opposition to nuclear weapons.  In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one million people worldwide signed IPPNW’s petition with 16 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates calling on Russia and NATO to renounce any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict and urging all countries to support the TPNW.

“While nuclear sabers are rattling, I stand with the support of over one million individuals and once again urge Russia and NATO to use the 77th General Assembly to heed our call and renounce the use of nuclear weapons.  To the Member States who have not signed or ratified the TPNW:  do not delay your support until it is too late.

“Distinguished Delegates,

“The time for rhetoric is over. If we survive this moment, we must learn from our worldwide near-death experience and never again find ourselves on the edge of a precipice of our own making.

“It is either the end of nuclear weapons, or the end of us.  The choice is yours.”

1. Friday, October 7^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament – see below for the October 14^th Defuse Nuclear War Picket at the Santa Fe Main Post Office.

2. Saturday, October 1^st to Saturday, October 8^th – Keep Space for Peace Week, presented by the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. http://space4peace.org/ and http://space4peace.org/keep-space-for-peace-week/

3. Friday, October 14^th at noon – Join the Defuse Nuclear War Picket line outside of the Santa Fe Main Post Office, 120 S. Federal Place. Organized by Veterans for Peace, CCNS and Nuclear Watch NM.  For more information:  https://defusenuclearwar.org/  You can print out signs from the website.    

4. Tuesday, October 18^th from 3 to 5 pm – virtual public meeting of the Radioactive Waste Consultation Task Force, also known as the Governor’s WIPP Task Force. Register in advance at   https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/wipp-transportation-safety-program/the-radioactive-waste-consultation-task-force/   A preliminary agenda for the public meeting will be posted at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.  A final agenda will be posted no later than 24 hours before the meeting.  https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/

5. Tuesday, October 18^th – Scoping Comments due to DOE/NNSA/LANL about the Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and http://nuclearactive.org/lanl-grants-a-whopping-15-day-extension-of-time-until-october-18th-to-provide-scoping-comments/   Sample public comments you can modify will be available at http://nuclearactive.org/

6. Thursday, October 20^th from 5:30 to 7 pm – 35^th Anniversary Celebration of the New Mexico Environmental Law Center at the Albuquerque office, 722 Isleta Blvd. SW. Join the celebration with delicious food and live music by Los Domingueros, New Mexico’s premier menudo-based band.  https://www.facebook.com/events/1269371930503628?ref=newsfeed

7. Saturday, October 22^nd at 11 am Mountain – White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk & Protest: Protecting Our Communities, Health, Environment & Indigenous Sacred Landscapes.  The 11 am rally will be followed by the spiritual and protest walk to the White Mesa uranium mill.  https://protectwhitemesa.org/

On May 5^th, 2022, the New Mexico Environment Department issued a new groundwater discharge permit for the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory under the New Mexico Water Quality Act.  It is discharge permit DP-1132.  The facility, located near the Plutonium Facility, handles, treats and stores radioactive and hazardous liquid wastes from operations across the LANL site.  2022-05-05 – WPD GWQB DP-1132 FinalDP

On June 6^th, CCNS and Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE) https://shuffle.do/projects/honor-our-pueblo-existance-h-o-p-e appealed DP-1132 to the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission arguing that the Environment Department does not have subject matter jurisdiction under the Water Quality Act to issue the permit.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/ , scroll down to Water Quality Control Commission, Case No. WQCC 22-21 CCNS and HOPE Petition for Review of NMED Ground Water Discharge Permit DP-1132.

The organizations argue that the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), as implemented by the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act, must regulate this facility because it handles, treats and stores hazardous liquid waste.  The hazardous waste laws have additional requirements for handling liquid waste in tanks, a public permitting process, and seismic analyses because the facility is located within the Pajarito Fault System.

For the tank systems, the regulations require LANL to submit an assessment by a professional engineer, attesting to the design, structural integrity, and compatibility of tank systems.  The equipment must be supported and protected against physical damage and excessive stress due to settlement, vibration, expansion or contraction.  There must be corrosion protection, as recommended by an independent corrosion expert.

Since the May 2000 Cerro Grande fire, LANL has been working to reconstruct the facility, as well as plan and construct a new low-level radioactive liquid waste treatment facility and a new transuranic, or plutonium, liquid waste treatment facility.  Both would assume functions now performed by the existing facility.

But the Water Quality Act does not regulate the construction or operation of waste management facilities.  Nevertheless, under the Water Quality Act regulations, LANL is attempting to construct new facilities, and claiming that, so long as the existing volume and contaminants in the discharge are not exceeded, no Environment Department approval is required.

So LANL will construct the two new liquid waste treatment facilities, accept hazardous waste, and put them into operation under DP-1132 without any further proceedings and, equally clearly, without meeting the standards of the hazardous waste laws and regulations.  Once built, these new facilities, noncompliant with the RCRA, would stand as a fait accompli, defying any attempt to bring them into RCRA compliance.  CCNS and HOPE are attempting to stop this evasion of the hazardous waste laws.

Attorney Lindsay A. Lovejoy, Jr., http://lindsaylovejoy.com/ represents CCNS and HOPE.  To view the pleadings, go to https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/

1. Friday, September 30^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament, including local organizing efforts for Defuse Nuclear War.  https://defusenuclearwar.org/

2. Saturday, October 1^st to Saturday, October 8^th – Keep Space for Peace Week, presented by the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space. http://space4peace.org/ and http://space4peace.org/keep-space-for-peace-week/

3. Monday, October 3^rd at 11 am Mountain, 6 pm BST (British Summer Time) – Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) will host an online event for the 70^th anniversary of the first UK nuclear tests in Australia.  To register:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/70th-anniversary-of-first-uk-nuclear-tests-tickets-415882635157

4. Tuesday, October 4^th – Public Comments due to the NM Environment Department about Remedy Selection for Area of Concern: The Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater at the DOE Sandia National Laboratory.  For more information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/sandia-national-laboratories/ , scroll down to Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater (TAG).

5. Tuesday, October 18^th – Scoping Comments due to DOE/NNSA/LANL about the Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and http://nuclearactive.org/lanl-grants-a-whopping-15-day-extension-of-time-until-october-18th-to-provide-scoping-comments/

6. Saturday, October 22^nd at 11 am Mountain – White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk & Protest: Protecting Our Communities, Health, Environment & Indigenous Sacred Landscapes.  The 11 am rally will be followed by the spiritual and protest walk to the White Mesa uranium mill.  https://protectwhitemesa.org/          WhiteMesaWalk_Poster_For-Community

On Wednesday, September 21^st, the International Day of Peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons in the Ukrainian War.  His threats to use nuclear weapons surpass Russia’s official nuclear doctrine.  As posted on http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/69390 , Putin said, “In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us.  This is not a bluff.”

Putin’s threats demonstrate that nuclear rhetoric moves us all towards nuclear destruction.  On the same day, U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking at the United Nations, reported that, “141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine,” while noting the “responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime.”  https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/09/21/remarks-by-president-biden-before-the-77th-session-of-the-united-nations-general-assembly/

How did we get here?  We know that non-proliferation regime does not work.  Just look at the recent failure of the four-week long United Nations Review Conference on the 1970 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty in August.  https://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/news/latest-news/16322-tenth-npt-review-conference-concludes-its-work  Is it because the corporate interests to make weapons overwhelm the efforts for peace and stability?  Over the next 30 years, it is estimated that trillions of dollars would be spent on modernizing nuclear weapons.

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons urged the international community to respond swiftly and strongly to the new and more aggressive threats by Russia to use nuclear weapons.  The Campaign reminds us “In June 2022, states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) condemned ‘unequivocally any and all nuclear threats, whether they be explicit or implicit and irrespective of the circumstances.’” The Campaign urges countries to join the TPNW now.  https://www.icanw.org/

What tools do we have to give peace a chance?  The TPNW prohibits the “use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.”  While the nine nuclear states, including Russia and the U.S., have not signed and ratified the Treaty, a growing number of countries around the world have.  https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

And as many countries recognize – any use of nuclear weapons would have catastrophic and wide-ranging consequences, especially in densely populated regions such as Europe.  Even so-called tactical nuclear weapons of the kind that some speculate Russia might use in the Ukraine conflict typically have explosive yields in the range of 10 to 100 kilotons.  In comparison, the U.S. atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945, killing 140,000 men, women and children, had a yield of just 15 kilotons.  https://www.icanw.org/catastrophic_harm and https://www.icrc.org/en/resource-centre/result?t=nuclear+weapons

1. Capitol Hill Citizen: Letter from New Mexico: Nuclear bombs are US:  “They all say one thing to get elected and another once they get there,” by Carol Miller.  This is a new print tabloid that is delivered to every DC Congressional office and committee.  Ralph Nader is the editor.  It is not online, paper only. You can obtain a paper copy at  https://www.capitolhillcitizen.com/

2. Friday, September 23^rd from noon to 1 pm – Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Guadalupe in downtown Santa Fe. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament, including local organizing efforts for Defuse Nuclear War.  https://defusenuclearwar.org/

3. Friday, September 23^rd from 3 to 7 pm – New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will host an Open House / Los Alamos Community Engagement Meeting Notice at the NMED Oversight Bureau Office, located at 1183 Diamond Drive, Suite B, Los Alamos, NM. There will be NMED staff demonstrations and information areas throughout the office with opportunities to ask questions about activities at LANL within the Oversight Bureau purview. 2022-09-15 – COMMS NMED hosts Los Alamos Community Engagement Meeting and Open House (Final)

4. Saturday, September 24^th from 4 to 8 pm. Celebration of community activist Allen Cooper’s life, from 4 to 8 pm at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center, 202 Harvard Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM.  “Come to this community celebration of our dear friend Allen’s life.  Bring a potluck dish to share, & a mask to protect yourself & others. Feel free to share your stories, memories, & photos if you have any!”   https://www.abqpeaceandjustice.org/events

5. Thursday, September 29^th at 11 am Mountain, 7 pm CEST (Central European Summer Time) – Online Panel on Current Developments in Nuclear Disarmament: “One Year, Two Conferences – Where Do We Go from Here?  International Perspectives on Nuclear Disarmament in 2022.”  To register:  https://www.icanw.de/termine/event-1-year-2-conferences-where-do-we-go-from-here/

6. Monday, October 3^rd at 11 am Mountain, 6 pm BST (British Summer Time) – Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) will host an online event for the 70^th anniversary of the first UK nuclear tests in Australia.  To register:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/70th-anniversary-of-first-uk-nuclear-tests-tickets-415882635157

7. Tuesday, October 4^th – Public Comments due to the NM Environment Department about Remedy Selection for Area of Concern: The Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater at the DOE Sandia National Laboratory.  For more information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/sandia-national-laboratories/ , scroll down to Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater (TAG).

8. Tuesday, October 18^th – Scoping Comments due to DOE/NNSA/LANL about the Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room and http://nuclearactive.org/lanl-grants-a-whopping-15-day-extension-of-time-until-october-18th-to-provide-scoping-comments/

The privileges of the rich and powerful Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and its plans to expand the fabrication of plutonium pits, or triggers, for nuclear warheads continue.  After 115 non-governmental organizations and individuals requested a two-month extension of time for preparation of informed scoping comments for a long-delayed draft sitewide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), LANL granted a whopping 15-day extension.  Scoping comments are now due by Tuesday, October 18^th.  If you plan to email your comments, submit them before 11:59 pm Mountain time.

CCNS attended the two virtual scoping meetings this week to make comments and to renew the request for a longer extension of the comment period.

Broad and diverse comments were made about the impacts of expanded operations to frontline communities, equity, environmental and social justice, environment, health, water, wildfire, cleanup and related issues.  Some commenters said LANL was no longer welcome.

Comments were made about the proposed transportation of 48 metric tons of plutonium pits from the Pantex site north of Amarillo, Texas to LANL for processing into powdered plutonium.

Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), LANL is required to examine all the alternatives to its preferred course of action.  We learned that LANL has inserted its program of fabricating 30 plutonium pits per year into its proposed No Action Alternative. What does this mean?  It may mean that LANL will proceed according to the last SWEIS, finalized in 2008.  We’ll have to wait and see what’s in the draft SWEIS.

Over the last 14 years, many changes have occurred.  Below is a short list and does not include the issues raised by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board ( https://www.dnfsb.gov/ ):

• shutdown of the Plutonium Facility for three years,
• shutdown of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for disposal of transuranic waste from plutonium pit production (2014 – 2017) caused by the defective packaging of the waste by LANL,
• shipping waste containers to WIPP without filter vents (August 9, 2022),
• renegotiation of the protective and thorough 2005 New Mexico Environment Department Consent Order to a shadow of its former requirements (2016),
• wildfires and threats of wildfires (Las Conchas in 2011, Cerro Pelado in 2022),
• surface water and groundwater contamination (hexavalent chromium, radionuclides, heavy metals, VOCs, etc.) across the Pajarito Plateau (2008 to present),
• plans to vent tritium into the air from four Flanged Tritium Waste Containers, and possibly more containers (2022),
• plans to leave Cold War waste in place at Material Disposal Area C, located between the Plutonium Facility and the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (2022), and
• plans to install new power lines and build a bridge across the Rio Grande from the Caja del Rio (to the east) to White Rock Canyon (to the west).

Commenters struggled to orient themselves in the virtual zoom meeting.  The view and chat functions were disabled, leaving the viewer unable to do more than to view the presentation.  CCNS and others argued against only holding virtual meetings.  It should have been a hybrid with people being able to be seen on the screen and in person.  By disabling the view and chat, people were unable to communicate as would have been done during an in-person meeting.

While the 30-minute LANL presentation was not recorded, the powerpoint is available at https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0552-site-wide-environmental-impact-statement-continued-operation-los-alamos-national-0 . The public comment portion was recorded, but when asked, LANL explained that it would not be publicly available.

CCNS asked in the Q&A function whether the public would have to request the transcript through the Freedom of Information Act.  There was no response.

CCNS and other NGOs are preparing sign-on letters for NGOs and sample public comments you can use as a model for your scoping comments.  Stay tuned!

1. Serit Kotowski was presented with the Gallery Curator’s Educator Choice Award for her piece Sacred Trust: BROKEN at the Ink & Clay 45 show at Cal Poly Pomona last weekend!  Congratulations, Serit!!!  https://www.cpp.edu/kellogg-gallery/exhibitions/2021-ink-clay-45/index.shtml and http://nuclearactive.org/kotowskis-sacred-trust-broken-at-ink-clay-45-exhibit-at-cal-poly-pomona/

2. Friday, September 16^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament, including local recognition activities for the 60^th anniversary of 13 Days in October 1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis.  https://defusenuclearwar.org/

3. Today LANL posted its 2021 Master Campus Plan to the LANL Electronic Public Reading Room. https://permalink.lanl.gov/object/tr?what=info:lanl-repo/eprr/ESHID-603721  Is it because CCNS highlighted the hidden Plan in last week’s Update?  http://nuclearactive.org/lanl-virtual-nepa-scoping-meetings-september-13th-and-14th-release-of-lanl-campus-master-plan/

4. Wednesday, September 21^st International Day of Peace. Do something for peace.  One suggestion:  Santa Fe Board of County Commissioners’ A Resolution Recognizing September 21, 2022, as The International Day of Peace and Urging the United States Congress to Reduce Funding to the United States Department of Defense and Reallocate Those Funds to Domestic Needs.  It passed unanimously on September 13, 2022.  https://www.santafecountynm.gov/documents/ordinances/Resolution__2022-070.pdf   Send a note of thanks to your County Commissioner!

5. Friday, September 23^rd from 3 to 7 pm – New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will host an Open House / Los Alamos Community Engagement Meeting Notice at the NMED Oversight Bureau Office, located at 1183 Diamond Drive, Suite B, Los Alamos, NM. There will be NMED staff demonstrations and information areas throughout the office with opportunities to ask questions about activities at LANL within the Oversight Bureau purview. 2022-09-15 – COMMS NMED hosts Los Alamos Community Engagement Meeting and Open House (Final)

6. September 24^th from 4 to 8 pm. Celebration of community activist Allen Cooper’s life, from 4 to 8 pm at the Albuquerque Peace and Justice Center, 202 Harvard Drive SE, Albuquerque, NM.  “Come to this community celebration of our dear friend Allen’s life.  Bring A Potluck dish to share, & a mask to protect yourself & others. Feel free to share your stories, memories, & photos if you have any!”   https://www.abqpeaceandjustice.org/events

7. Tuesday, October 4^th – Public Comments due to the NM Environment Department about Remedy Selection for Area of Concern: The Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater at the DOE Sandia National Laboratory.  For more information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/sandia-national-laboratories/ , scroll down to Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater (TAG).

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host two virtual meetings to gather public comments about the scope of a draft environmental impact statement for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).  If you think these scoping meetings are not important, please check out the recently released 2021 LANL Campus Master Plan. The plan was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.

The Plan sets forth an expensive new vision for replacement and expansion of LANL buildings, infrastructure, and transportation over the next 30 years, or roughly until 2052.  To learn more about it, check out the exclusive interview by Maire O’Neill, of the Los Alamos Reporter, with Kelly Beierschmitt, LANL’s deputy director for operations.  https://losalamosreporter.com/2022/09/05/los-alamos-national-laboratory-2021-campus-master-plan-reveals-plans-for-extensive-infrastructure-transformation/

One shocking example of the breadth and depth of what LANL wants to build to support expanded plutonium pit production is four million gross square feet of new space over the next 30 years.  This is about the size of 100 John Hancock Towers and 1 ½ Prudential Towers located in Boston.  https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/09/11/so-just-how-big-is-a-8-million-square-foot-hq2-for.html

On August 19^th, DOE announced the scoping meetings, but the 75-page Campus Master Plan had not yet been publicly released.  It is unconscionable that DOE hid its master plan.

On August 30^th, 115 non-government organizations and individuals requested DOE grant a 60-day extension of the public comment period until Monday, December 5th.   Now that the plan has been released, it can inform the public scoping comments prepared during the extension of time that has been requested.  http://nuclearactive.org/one-hundred-and-fifteen-ngos-and-individuals-ask-for-lanl-sweis-comment-extension-lanl-virtual-scoping-meetings-on-september-13th-and-14/

The first virtual scoping meeting is set for Tuesday, September 13^th from 2 to 4 pm, with a second meeting on Wednesday, September 14^th from 5 to 7 pm, both at Mountain Daylight Time.  The meetings may be accessed by telephone or on the internet.  https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room   

CCNS inquired whether it is necessary to attend both meetings.   DOE explained that the presentation and the opportunity to comment would be the same at both meetings.

If you are wondering whether to participate in a scoping meeting, here are some questions you may ask:  Why did DOE hide the 2021 Campus Master Plan? What else is DOE hiding?

1. Friday, September 9^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament!

2. Saturday, September 10^th at 10 am MDT – John Wilks. VFP Chapter No. 63, will be interviewed by Don Kimball of Friendly Fire: A Voice for Veterans about “A Monster on Top of a Monster” on 89.1 Silver City and on the web at https://gmcr.org/.  A rebroadcast of the interview will be aired on Sunday, September 11^th at 6 pm. 

3. Saturday, September 10^th at noon MDT – The Singing Revolution: How Estonians Sang the Soviet Union Out – screening and discussion with the filmmakers.  Sponsored by World Beyond War.org – a global movement to end all wars.  For more information:  https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/the-singing-revolution-screening-and-discussion-with-the-filmmakers?clear_id=true

4. Tuesday, September 13^th around 2 pm – Santa Fe County Commission considers:  Agenda No. 3  A Resolution Recognizing September 21, 2022, as The International Day of Peace and Urging the United States Congress to Reduce Funding to the United States Department of Defense and Reallocate Those Funds to Domestic Needs. (Commissioner Anna Hansen).  To read the Resolution and Resolution Memo:  https://go.boarddocs.com/nm/sfc/Board.nsf/vpublic?open    Please contact your county commissioner and ask for their support of the resolution.  https://www.santafecountynm.gov/county_commissioners

5. Tuesday, October 4^th – Public Comments due to the NM Environment Department about Remedy Selection for Area of Concern: The Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater at the DOE Sandia National Laboratory.  For more information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/sandia-national-laboratories/ , scroll down to Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater (TAG).

This week 63 non-governmental organizations and 52 individuals requested that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant a two-month extension of time to provide informed public comments about the scope of the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL SWEIS).  On August 19^th, DOE announced in its Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Los Alamos National Laboratory a 45-day comment period.  Currently, comments are due on Monday, October 3^rd, 2022.  https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room

In their August 30^th letter, the groups and individuals asked that the DOE Secretary Granholm and her staff extend the comment period to Monday, December 5, 2022.  No response has yet been received.  LANL SWEIS 2022 Scoping Extension Request 8-30-22

The NGOs and individuals justified their extension request by noting, among other items, that the last LANL SWEIS was finalized in 2008 – 14 years ago.  Generally DOE conducts a SWEIS every 10 years.  DOE proposes that this LANL SWEIS will cover “approximately the next 15 years” of operations, or to approximately 2038 and beyond.

DOE identified 21 preliminary environmental issues that they plan to analyze in the study.  DOE explained in the August 19, 2022 Federal Register notice:

The following issues have been identified for analysis in the SWEIS. The list is tentative and intended to facilitate public comment on the scope of the SWEIS. It is not intended to be all inclusive, nor does it imply any predetermination of potential impacts. The NNSA specifically invites
suggestions for the addition or deletion of items on this list.  [Emphasis added.]

• Potential effects on the public and workers from exposures to radiological and hazardous materials during normal operations, construction, reasonably foreseeable accidents (including from natural phenomena hazards), and intentional destructive acts
• Impacts on surface and groundwater, floodplains and wetlands, and on water use and quality
• Impacts on air quality from potential releases of radiological and nonradiological pollutants and greenhouse gases
• Impacts to plants and animals and their habitats, including species that are federally or state-listed as threatened or endangered, or of special concern
• Impacts on physiography, topography, geology, and soil characteristics
• Impacts to cultural resources, such as those that are historic, prehistoric, archaeological, scientific, or paleontological
• Socioeconomic impacts to affected communities
• Environmental justice impacts, particularly whether or not activities at the Laboratory have a disproportionately high and adverse effect on minority and/or low-income populations
• Potential impacts on land use and applicable plans and policies
• Impacts from traffic and transportation of radiological and hazardous materials and waste on and off the Laboratory campus
• Pollution prevention and materials, and waste management practices and activities
• Impacts on visual aesthetics and noise levels of Laboratory facilities on the surrounding communities and ambient environment
• Impacts to community services, including fire protection, police protection, schools, and solid waste disposal to landfills
• Impacts from the use of utilities, including water and electricity consumption, fuel use, sewer discharges, and resource conservation
• Impacts from site contamination and remediation
• Unavoidable adverse impacts
• Environmental compliance and inadvertent releases
• Short-term uses and long-term productivity
• Irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources
• Cumulative effects of past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions
• Mitigation commitments

https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-08/noi-eis-0552-lanl-site-wide-2022-08.pdf

In response the groups and individuals declared DOE’s list, “barely scratches the surface of issues that need to be analyzed” and created their own list.  They wrote:

Here are examples of other issues that must be included:

• The slow pace of cleanup, which prompted the NMED to sue DOE to terminate a 2016 Consent Order that governs environmental remediation at LANL.
• Truly comprehensive cleanup that will permanently protect precious water resources instead of the “cap and cover” that LANL proposes, leaving some 200,000 cubic yards of radioactive and toxic wastes buried in unlined pits, shafts and trenches.
• The growing threat of wildfires caused by climate change, including the May 2022 Cerro Pelado fire, which unfortunately New Mexico is growing all too familiar with.
• LANL’s chronic track record of nuclear safety inc In the past this forced a three-year suspension of major operations at LANL’s main plutonium facility, now the site for expanded plutonium pit production.
• Yet more generation of plutonium contaminated radioactive wastes that NNSA believes it may dispose of in the already oversubscribed WIPP.
• Environmental and social justice impacts on frontline communities, recognizing that New Mexico is a majority minority state. DOE plans to spend $9.4 billion in FY 2023 in New Mexico (71% for core nuclear weapons research and production programs), substantially greater than the state’s entire budget of $8.5 billion. The inequitable economic impacts of such funding must be thoroughly evaluated.
• Massive construction projects due to expanded pit production plans, including new power lines and a bridge across the Rio Grande.
• Seismic impacts must be updated.

LANL SWEIS 2022 Scoping Extension Request 8-30-22

Many changes have occurred at LANL since 2008, including the proposals to increase the production of plutonium pits, or the triggers, for nuclear weapons, from 20 to 30 per year – a 50 percent increase.  This means that if the proposed expansion of production goes into effect, there will be 50 percent more radioactive and hazardous waste will be generated, more water will be used, and more emissions into the air.

Also this week, DOE announced it will hold two virtual scoping meeting that will be accessible online and by telephone.  At these virtual meetings the public is invited to learn about the scoping process and how the public may provide comments on the DOE’s proposed activities and any alternatives to them.

The first meeting is set for Tuesday, September 13^th from 2 to 4 pm Mountain Daylight Time.

Access by Internet: https://tinyurl.com/LANLSCOPING1

Access by Telephone: (719) 359-4580

Webinar ID: 854 9276 5831

The second meeting is set for Wednesday, September 14^th from 5 to 7 pm Mountain Daylight Time.

Access by Internet at: https://tinyurl.com/LANLSCOPING2

Access by Telephone: (719) 359-4580

Webinar ID: 897 9221 6008

For more information, visit: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room

CCNS is working on talking points you can use as the basis for your comments.  Please support this work with your financial contribution.  Thank you!

1. Friday, August 26^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. Join us to discuss next steps toward nuclear disarmament!

2. Tuesday, September 6^th – live and webcasted New Mexico Interim Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Legislative Committee at NM State University at Grants, NM. See agenda for details about the webcast.    https://nmlegis.gov/Committee/Interim_Committee?CommitteeCode=RHMC

3. Saturday, September 10^th at noon Mountain Daylight Time – The Singing Revolution: How Estonians Sang the Soviet Union Out – screening and discussion with the filmmakers.  Sponsored by World Beyond War.org – a global movement to end all wars.  For more information:  https://actionnetwork.org/ticketed_events/the-singing-revolution-screening-and-discussion-with-the-filmmakers?clear_id=true

4. Monday, October 3^rd [subject to change] Scoping Comments due to DOE/NNSA/LANL about the Notice of Intent to Prepare a Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room

5. Tuesday, October 4^th – Public Comments due to the NM Environment Department about Remedy Selection for Area of Concern: The Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater at the DOE Sandia National Laboratory.  For more information:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/sandia-national-laboratories/ , scroll down to Tijeras Arroyo Groundwater (TAG).