CCNS and HOPE Return to Water Quality Control Commission for Justice in the Discharge Permit DP-1132 Matter

January 6th, 2023 in Action Alerts / Events / Weekly News Updates
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On Tuesday, January 10th, CCNS and Honor Our Pueblo Existence (HOPE) will return to the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission to ask it to vacate the decisions in which former Commission Chair Stephanie Stringer was involved.  https://shuffle.do/projects/honor-our-pueblo-existance-h-o-p-e  CCNS and HOPE have appealed the issuance of the groundwater discharge permit, DP-1132, for the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to the Commission.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/docketed-matters/, scroll down to WQCC 22-21 CCNS and HOPE’s Petition for Review of NMED Ground Water Discharge Permit DP-1132 and click on it for the drop down menu.

In the middle of the proceeding, Chair Stringer resigned and took a job with the Department of Energy / National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), which is a party to the appeal.  This is an ethical violation.  CCNS and HOPE are asking the Commission to vacate the decisions made while former Chair Stringer was actively pursuing a position with DOE/NNSA at LANL.

Recently, on December 9th, the New Mexico Ethics Commission filed a civil action seeking to enforce violations of the New Mexico Governmental Conduct Act by Chair Stringer.  The State Ethics Commission said that Stringer took “an official act while a public officer and employee that she should have had reason to believe would directly affect her financial interest.”  https://www.sec.state.nm.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Resolution-2022-10-S.-Stringer.pdf

CCNS and HOPE will also ask the Water Quality Control Commission to order sanctions against DOE/NNSA.  This is the second time DOE/NNSA hired New Mexico Environment Department adjudicatory decision-makers while they were presiding in the DP-1132 matter.  http://nuclearactive.org/please-support-ccns-and-hope-request-for-sanctions-in-the-lanl-dp-1132-appeal-before-the-new-mexico-water-quality-control-commission/

CCNS and HOPE spent tens of thousands of dollars to enforce the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility.  LANL admits that the Facility handles, treats and stores hazardous waste, which requires RCRA regulation.  DOE/NNSA has struggled to resist and delay proper RCRA regulation.  Finally, DOE/NNSA resorted to hiring away Environment Department personnel that were conducting the permitting proceeding, nullifying the entire process.

CCNS and HOPE spent precious dollars to pay lawyers, staff and related expenses, including travel to courts in Washington, DC and Salt Lake City, Utah. https://nuclearactive.org/ccns-oral-argument-before-eab-to-terminate-lanl-outfall/ , https://nuclearactive.org/lanl-outfall-051-must-be-eliminated-from-clean-water-act-permit/ , http://nuclearactive.org/ccns-lawyers-take-lanls-clean-water-act-exemption-to-the-10th-circuit-court-of-appeals/  Due to DOE/NNSA’s ethical violations, the proceeding must be done over again, and these funds were wasted.  CCNS and HOPE seek to recover them from DOE/NNSA.

CCNS and HOPE encourage you to support our quest for justice.  You can make public comments in support of the CCNS and HOPE motion to vacate the unlawful proceeding and to award sanctions during the January 10th Commission meeting.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2022/12/Notice-of-Public-Meeting_NM-Water-Quality-Commission.pdf

A sample public comment letter is available for you to modify at nuclearactive.org.  20230104 f sample DP-1132 sanctions public comment ltr

 

Did You Know about these important public comment opportunities about the DOE/NNSA expansion plans at LANL, WIPP, the Savannah River Site, the Pantex Site and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory?  Public hearings in New Mexico begin on Tuesday, January 24th.  Mark your calendar now!

 

  1. Friday, January 6th 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.

 

 

  1. Friday, December 16th, 2022 – DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released a draft environmental impact statement for its Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program. The proposed program involves shipping over 50 metric tons of plutonium pits in various forms from the Pantex Facility, north of Amarillo, TX, to LANL where the pits would be made into powder.  From LANL, the powdered plutonium would be shipped to the Savannah River Plant, in South Carolina, for “treatment,” and then to WIPP for disposal – a total distance of 3,300 miles.  The draft EIS is available to download from https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0549-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program  Comments are due on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.  Talking points and sample comments you can use to defend New Mexico from more nuclear waste generation and disposal should be available next week.

* * *

Four public hearings about the DOE/NNSA Surplus Plutonium

Disposition Program will be held in January 2023. 

They are listed below in chronological order.

* * *

 

  1. Tuesday, December 20th, 2022 – NMED released the public notice, revised fact sheet, and draft hazardous waste renewal permit for WIPP. It is available to download from  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/ , scroll down to WIPP News.  Public comments are due on Saturday, February 18th, 2023 at 5 pm MT.  Stay tuned to CCNS and Stop Forever WIPP for talking points and sample comments you can use to defend New Mexico from more nuclear waste generation and disposal.  They should be available next week.

 

 

  1. Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 at 9 am – NM Water Quality Control Commission meeting at which the appeal of groundwater discharge permit DP-1132 for the DOE/NNSA’s Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at LANL will be heard. At time of CCNS’s posting, the WQCC agenda has not yet been posted.  https://www.env.nm.gov/opf/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2022/12/Notice-of-Public-Meeting_NM-Water-Quality-Commission.pdf

 

Please submit a letter in support of sanctions against DOE/NNSA for hiring adjudicatory decision makers, while they were in the decision making process, in the DP-1132 matter.  A sample public comment letter you can modify is here.  20230104 f sample DP-1132 sanctions public comment ltr

 

 

  1. Take action by Thursday, January 12th, 2023 – Who should be recognized as the 2022 Arms Control Association Person of the Year? The results will be announced on Friday, January 13th.  All nominees have, in their own way, provided important leadership that helped reduced weapons-related security dangers during the past year.  Vote here:  https://www.armscontrol.org/ACPOY/2022   

 

 

CCNS urges you to vote for Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, NM.  For more information about the Archbishop, check these links out:

https://archdiosf.org/documents/2022/1/220111_ABW_Pastoral_Letter_LivingintheLightofChristsPeace_Official_Reduced.pdf

https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2022-12/interviews/making-case-nuclear-weapons-immoral-interview-archbishop-john-c-wester

 

 

  1. Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 at 9 am to 6 pm – virtual NM Air Quality Act permit public hearing about the LANL Beryllium Target Fabrication Facility. ABQ 22-41 (P).  DOE/NNSA applied for a permit modification for expanded beryllium operations.  https://www.env.nm.gov/events-calendar/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D163077960

 

 

  1. Thursday, January 19th, 2023 from 6 to 9 pm Eastern – Augusta, South Carolina – in-person public hearing about the DOE/NNSA Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program at the North Augusta Municipal Building, 100 Georgia Avenue, North, Augusta, SC. First 30 minutes are a poster session, followed by a NNSA presentation and then public comment session.    https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0549-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program

 

 

  1. Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 at Bulletin of Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock release. More details will be available soon at  https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/

 

 

  1. Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 from 6 to 9 pm Mountain – Carlsbad, NM – in-person public hearing about the DOE/NNSA Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program at the Carousel House at Pecos River Village Conference Center, 711 Muscatel Avenue, Carlsbad, NM. First 30 minutes are a poster session, followed by a NNSA presentation and then public comment session.  https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0549-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program

 

 

  1. Thursday, January 26th, 2023 from 6 to 9 pm Mountain – Los Alamos, NM – in-person public hearing about the DOE/NNSA Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program at the Duane Smith Auditorium, Los Alamos High School, 1300 Diamond Drive, Los Alamos, NM. First 30 minutes are a poster session, followed by a NNSA presentation and then public comment session.      https://www.energy.gov/nepa/doeeis-0549-surplus-plutonium-disposition-program

 

 

  1. Monday, January 30th, 2023 from 5 to 8 pm Mountain – Online (ZoomGov) public hearing about the DOE/NNSA Surplus Plutonium Disposition Program. https://pnnl.zoomgov.com/j/1606354491?pwd=bnJrdUhNYUtMWk04ayt2NFdpRUJYZz09#success or

 

ZoomGov.com/join

Meeting ID: 160 635 4491

Passcode: 041993

Dial in only – 1-551-285-1373

 

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