Expansion of LANL and WIPP are Major Public Concerns for Monday, July 22nd DOE Meeting at Buffalo Thunder Resort

On Thursday, July 18^th at 8 am Mountain Time, you will have an informative opportunity to hear from two experts, Don Hancock and Myrriah Gómez, when they discuss the major public concerns regarding the plans of the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand operations at two of their facilities in New Mexico. (see link BELOW to the recorded interview)  Those sites are Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).  Host of KUNM-FM’s Let’s Talk New Mexico show, Megan Kamerick will facilitate the conversation about DOE’s plans to increase the number of nuclear weapons fabricated at LANL resulting in more plutonium-contaminated nuclear waste destined for WIPP.  https://www.kunm.org/show/lets-talk-new-mexico/2024-07-12/nuclear-waste-wipp-lanl

Then on Monday, July 22^nd from 6 to 7:30 pm, key officials from DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Office of Environmental Management (EM) will make short presentations at their in person and virtual town hall.  The town hall will be held at the Buffalo Thunder Resort, located 13 miles north of downtown Santa Fe on U.S. 84 / 285 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., in the Pueblo Ballroom on the second floor.   Parking is available on the north side of the building.  https://www.energy.gov/em/events/northern-new-mexico-town-hall-july-2024

NNSA Administrator, Jill Hruby, and EM Senior Advisor, Candice Robertson, will host the town hall and be available to answer your questions.

To register, go to:  https://www.energy.gov/em/events/northern-new-mexico-town-hall-july-2024  You also email your questions ahead of time.  external.engagements@nnsa.doe.gov

It is essential that the federal agencies hear your concerns!

Your questions could include:  What is the future of WIPP, which was supposed to be a pilot project, and closed in March 2024?  https://wipp.energy.gov/  How much waste will be generated by the proposed increase during the fabrication of plutonium pits, or the triggers, for nuclear weapons at LANL?  https://discover.lanl.gov/publications/national-security-science/2021-winter/pit-production-explained/  How long will WIPP remain open?  DOE is saying WIPP would operate for 60 more years, or at least until 2083, or essentially FOREVER.

In the 1970s through the 1990s, DOE promised the People of New Mexico that if WIPP were opened, it would be able to cleanup and dispose of all the plutonium-contaminated waste at its sites across the country, including LANL, in 25 years and then close.  But that did not happen.  DOE now claims WIPP must stay open for at least six more decades to dispose of waste from LANL and other sites.

There are many resources to help you develop your comments at http://nuclearactive.org/ ; https://stopforeverwipp.org/ ; and https://nukewatch.org/ .

Let’s Talk NM:  Let’s talk nuclear waste production and storage, by Megan Kamerick. 

https://www.kunm.org/show/lets-talk-new-mexico/2024-07-12/nuclear-waste-wipp-lanl

1. Friday, July 19th 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. Thursday, July 18th from 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

3. Water Planning Open Houses sponsored by the Office of the State Engineer, Interstate Stream Commission. For more information about how to help establish a roadmap for the future water planning in New Mexico:  https://mainstreamnm.org/

July 22 – Region 15 – Socorro – Sierra

July 23 – Region 4 – Southwest New Mexico

July 24 – Region 11 – Lower Rio Grande

August 5 – Region 6 – Northwest New Mexico

August 6 – Region 2 – San Juan

August 7 – Region 12 – Middle Rio Grande

4. Thursday, July 25^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Mountain Time – LANL Environmental Management Sampling & Cleanup Forum. Virtual and in-person event.  The focus will be how sampling informs cleanup.

In person:  SALA Event Center, 2551 Central Ave., Los Alamos.

Virtual:  via Microsoft Teams.

For meeting details, including login information and agenda, visit:  https://n3b-la.com/emcf_jul_25_2024/  

5. Tuesday, July 30^th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm – WIPP Community Forum & Open House. In person at Skeen-Whitlock Building Auditorium, 4021 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM and virtual event.

 Agenda:  DOE will provide an update on WIPP and the required Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan under the NM Environment Department Hazardous Waste Permit for WIPP.  Following the updates, an extended question and answer period will be held.

An open house is scheduled following the meeting to allow stakeholders to spend one-on-one time with the WIPP Leadership Team    https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20240624.asp

Tags: Buffalo Thunder Resort, Candice Robertson, Department of Energy, DOE, Don Hancock, Jill Hruby, KUNM-FM’s Let’s Talk New Mexico, LANL, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Megan Kamerick, Myrriah Gomez, National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA, Office of Environmental Management, STOP FOREVER WIPP, Town Hall, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)