NMED Fails to Investigate Project Ranger Complaints Referred by EPA
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) has not investigated Project Ranger complaints that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 referred to it, according to NMED’s own records. Project Ranger is Castelion Corporation’s 1,000-acre hypersonic weapons and rocket-motor testing campus in Sandoval County. It sits over a Calabacillas watershed aquifer recharge zone, about half a mile from Rio Rancho homes. https://www.castelion.com/
Residents filed fugitive dust complaints with both NMED and EPA. EPA logged the matter under its Clean Water Act stormwater program and referred the air quality complaints to NMED’s Air Quality Enforcement. On October 8th, NMED told EPA its staff would investigate. The day before, NMED staff had written internally that the complaint came from a “habitual reporter” and would be closed “immediately.” Public records show no inspection, report or response to EPA since.
An earlier dust complaint, filed June 29th with video of a plume leaving the site, was closed without a site visit. A supervisor directed staff to “[No Further Action, or] NFA, the case and do not begin an investigation.”
On October 16th, NMED’s enforcement director ordered staff to stop communicating with the complainant, calling Project Ranger “a theoretical project.” Two days earlier his staff had written, “This facility is under construction.” EPA inspected the site for stormwater compliance on June 11th, and residents are asking why that matter has not been assigned to EPA staff.
The buildings and test stands are finished, yet the facility has no air permit and no formal written determination under state rules. In May 2025, NMED staff found it would be a Major Source of hydrogen chloride (HCl) requiring a federal Title V permit. Ten days later, NMED told the company by email that no permit was needed.
The health stakes are severe. Castelion’s own figures show each large motor fire releases about 620 pounds of HCl in 35 seconds. On a calm morning with an inversion, brief HCl peaks could reach 7 to 14 parts per million one to four miles away. That is four to eight times the level that irritates eyes, nose and throat. 
Perchlorate, which disrupts thyroid function and fetal brain development, can travel with stormwater into the aquifer. Children, pregnant women and people with asthma face the greatest risk. No one has assessed the cumulative exposure.
On Friday, November 6th, Common Ground Rising, CCNS and allies will ask the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board to require a written permit determination with public notice, a report on NMED’s complaint handling, and an inspection before any further firing. The meeting begins at 1 pm at the NM State Capitol in Room 321. https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/environmental-improvement-board/ An in person and virtual public comment will begin shortly after 1 pm (Item 4 on the agenda). https://cloud.env.nm.gov/resources/_translator.php/ZDBlNDUwZWI4N2ZiZmRkY2QyZjg3YWE1MF8yNDgzMTU~.pdf
Elaine Cimino, of Common Ground Rising, said, “We are asking that there be a permit process, on the record, with the public in the room.”
For more information and to read her latest report entitled, “On Castelion’s own numbers, one large fire scores up to 7.9 for HCl and 1.4 for particles. Anything over 1 is over the health limit,” please visit Cimino’s Substack at https://elainecimino652909.substack.com/
- Friday, November 6th from noon to 1 pm –
Join the nuclear disarmament community at the intersection of East Alameda and Sandoval in Santa Fe for the weekly peaceful protest in support of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Bring your flags, signs and banners.
- Sunday, November 1 through Saturday, November 7th –
Global Resistance Week to Stop US Imperialism & Genocide. Actions are planned from coast to coast, including mobilizations at about ten U.S. military bases. https://globalresistancenow.org/
In New Mexico, events will take place at Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis. Nov wk poster 10-27
- Thursday, November 5th and Friday, November 6th –
New Mexico Interim Legislative Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee meeting at State Capitol, Room 321. Agenda available at: https://www.nmlegis.gov/agendas/RHMCageNov05.26.pdf
- Monday, November 9th from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm –
Virtual meeting of the State of New Mexico Radioactive Waste Consultation Task Force. To register, email deaguero@emnrd.nm.gov For more information, visit https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/wipp-transportation-safety-program/
- Monday, November 9th from 3 to 5 pm –
LANL Public Training about how to access and use its Electronic Public Reading Room and Intellus – https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USLANL/bulletins/42ee67c
The training will include sample inquiries and time to experiment with different searches of interest. The training will conclude with time for Q & A.
Tags: Air Quality Enforcement, Castelion Corporation, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Common Ground Rising, EIB, Elaine Cimino, EPA, HCl, hydrogen chloride, New Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board, NMED, no cumulative exposure analyses, perchlorate, Project Ranger, Region 6, Sandoval County, stormwater, Title V permit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “habitual reporter, ” “a theoretical project
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