Archbishop Wester’s Statement to the DOE, NNSA and EM at July 22nd Town Hall

Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester wrote a statement for last Monday’s Town Hall concerning plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) hosted by National Nuclear Security Administrator Jill Hruby and the Department of Energy (DOE) Senior Advisor of the Office of Environmental Management, Candice Robertson.  Jay Coghlan, of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, read the Archbishop’s statement aloud.  https://nukewatch.org/

The Buffalo Thunder event drew over 500 people in person and online, possibly more than attended the Town Hall held at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center on April 4, 2023.  http://nuclearactive.org/nnsa-and-doe-officials-will-be-in-santa-fe-on-tuesday-april-4th-to-answer-your-questions/

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I’m John C. Wester, the Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe. I regret that I can’t attend this meeting in person. Nuclear weapons were invented here in my Archdiocese. Therefore, I feel a special responsibility to address humanity’s most urgent threat.

“Nuclear disarmament is a right to life issue. No other issue can cause the immediate collapse of civilization. In January 2022 I wrote a pastoral letter in which I traced the Vatican’s evolution from its uneasy conditional acceptance of so-called deterrence to Pope Francis’ declaration that the very possession of nuclear weapons is immoral.  https://archdiosf.org/living-in-the-light-of-christs-peace

“Therefore, what does this say about expanded plutonium pit production at the Los Alamos Lab? And what does it say about the obscene amounts of money that are being thrown at pit production, often excused as job creation?

“What does this say about the fact that the [NNSA] is pursuing expanded pit production without providing the public the opportunity to review and comment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act? I specifically call upon NNSA to complete a new LANL Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement.

“In two weeks, I travel to Japan for the 79^th atomic bombing anniversaries. The bishops of Santa Fe, Seattle, Hiroshima and Nagasaki have a simple message for world leaders. You utterly failed to begin serious negotiations as required by the 1970 NonProliferation Treaty. In this era, you must demonstrate concrete steps toward multilateral, verifiable nuclear disarmament by the 80th bombing anniversaries a year from now.  http://nuclearactive.org/four-archbishops-urge-g7-leaders-to-undertake-concrete-steps-toward-nuclear-disarmament/

“I have a simple message for NNSA and the nuclear weapons labs. You’re very good at creating them. Now show us how smart you are by demonstrating how to get rid of nuclear weapons. Stop this new arms race that threatens all of civilization. Let’s preserve humanity’s potential to manifest God’s divine love toward all beings.

“Yours in Christ’s love,

“John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe”

For more information:

La Jicarita:  The NNSA and DOE get an ear full from the anti-nuke community (July 24, 2024).  https://lajicarita.wordpress.com/2024/07/24/the-nnsa-and-doe-get-an-ear-full-from-the-anti-nuke-community/

Santa Fe Reporter:  Advocates Pass on Plutonium:  New Mexicans speak out against proposed LANL pit production at town hall (July 24, 2024).  https://www.sfreporter.com/news/2024/07/24/advocates-pass-on-plutonium/

Be sure to watch the Friday, August 2, 2024 episode of New Mexico In Focus, KNME PBS with Don Hancock, Southwest Research and Information Center, and Myrriah Gomez, Ph.D., author of “Nuclear Nuevo México:  Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos” as they discuss the July 22, 2024 town hall with host Megan Kamerick.  https://www.newmexicopbs.org/ at 7 pm Mountain Time.

LANL Town Hall:  A town hall held on July 22, 2024 by NSA and OEM on the operation of Los Alamos National Laboratories and the cleanup of nuclear waste at the site. https://www.culturalenergy.org/listenlinks.htm#jul2024

1. Friday, July 26th 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 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/  

3. Saturday, July 27^th from 3 to 7 pm Mountain Time – Peacestock ’24 – Settler Colonialism:  Then…and Now, in-person and via Zoom, hosted by Veterans for Peace Chapter 27 and Women Against Military Madness.  Register for the Zoom at  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84063977445  https://allevents.in/minneapolis/peacestock-24-settler-colonialism-thenand-now/200026813116051

4. 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 virtually.

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

5. New Mexico 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/

Mon. August 5 – Region 6 – Northwest New Mexico

Tues. August 6 – Region 2 – San Juan

Wed. August 7 – Region 12 – Middle Rio Grande

6. Tuesday, August 6^th – Back from the Brink events:

2024 Nuclear Prayer Day for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons on the 79^th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan): Reflection, Hope and Action.  https://www.voices-uri.org/nuclear-prayer-day

From Trinity to Nagasaki:  Honor Victims with Action this Summer.  https://preventnuclearwar.org/from-trinity-to-nagasaki-honor-victims-with-action-this-summer/

7. Webinar and Transcript of July 15, 2024 CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: Radioactive Contamination of U.S. Food and Water and What Congress Can Do About It, hosted by the Fukushima Fallout Awareness Network (FFAN).

For those who registered and were unable to attend, you can watch the full webinar here. The transcript can be found here.

Take action on this crucial issue at the MoveOn (for signature) petition and FDA Citizen Petition (for comment). You’ll find both here https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/keep-harmful-radioactive-1 . This can no longer be status quo; FDA must act now!

Tags: 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty, April 4 2023 Town Hall, Archbishop John C. Wester, bishops of Santa Fe Seattle Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Buffalo Thunder Resort, Candice Robertson, Catholic Archbishop of Santa Fe, Department of Energy, DOE, Jay Coghlan of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Jill Hruby, LANL, LANL Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement, Los Alamos National Laboratory, National Environment Policy Act, National Nuclear Security Administration, NEPA, NNSA, Office of Environmental Management, Pope Francis, Town Hall, Vatican, ” pastoral letter