Saturday, April 26th Second Annual WIPP Plutonium Trail Caravan from Santa Fe to Las Vegas, New Mexico

The Department of Energy (DOE) promised the People of New Mexico that they would cleanup and dispose of its plutonium-contaminated nuclear bomb wastes by depositing waste into the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) over 25 years and close.  DOE broke its promise when that deadline passed on March 26, 2024.  But DOE has a new plan to keep the deep geologic nuclear waste disposal facility at WIPP open for 60 more years for legacy bomb waste and for newly-generated bomb waste from fabricating new weapons.

To alert the public about DOE’s plans, the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition will host the Second Annual WIPP Plutonium Caravan on Saturday, April 26^th beginning at 9 am at the DeVargas Mall in Santa Fe.  The Caravan will travel south on St. Francis Drive to Interstate 25 and towards Las Vegas, New Mexico with stops along the way.  You are invited to be part of the Caravan.  For more information about the Caravan, visit https://stopforeverwipp.org/ .

Once in Las Vegas, the Caravan will stop at key locations to talk with people about the four-fold purpose of the Caravan to:

• alert those along the route of the ever increasing presence of the waste-hauling trucks;
• educate the public that DOE intends to continue hauling waste for at least sixty additional years;
• inform the public about the woefully inadequate emergency response plans and preparedness of the various jurisdictions to respond to a traffic accident involving plutonium contaminated waste; and
• motivate the public to resist DOE’s plans by participating in the activities of the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition, as well as acting as individual resisters.

Stops include Highlands University, the Farmers’ Market and Las Vegas Plaza.  On the return trip, the Caravan will travel south along Interstate 25, ending with a presentation and press event at the Lamy Train Station.

On Saturday, April 19^th from 10 am to 11 am on KFUN AM 1230 and KFUN FM 103.7 Pat Leahan will interview John E. Wilks, Jr., the Caravan Project Manager, and Cynthia Weehler, founder of Fire on the Mountain.  Tune in to learn more about the April 26^th Caravan.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KFUN_(AM)

They will discuss New Mexico Environment Department permit conditions for DOE to site and build a second repository outside of New Mexico, to prioritize disposal of waste generated in New Mexico, and to reserve a disposal panel for only legacy transuranic waste.  240924 NMED WIPP HazWaste Renewal Permit Conditions

Please join the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition for the 2025 Plutonium Trail Caravan.  Together we are making a difference!

1. Join us on Friday, April 11^th from noon to 1 pm at the intersection of East Alameda and Sandoval for the weekly one-hour peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament. Join the weekly peaceful protest with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, New Mexico Peace Fest, Pax Christi and others. Bring your flags, signs and banners in support of nuclear weapons disarmament.

2. Thursday, April 17^th from 5:30 pm to 8 pm at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial, 1100 Louisiana Blvd. SE – virtual and in-person – Kirtland Air Force Base Bulk Fuels Facility Project Public Meeting. The poster session will begin at 5:30 pm and the meeting will start at 6 pm.

Learn about the work to remove groundwater contamination caused by a historic leak at the old Base Bulk Fuels Facility.  Connect to the meeting by:

Option 1: Copy this url into your web browser: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1608583654

Option 2: From ZoomGov App or meeting search on web-browser at zoomgov.com, enter Meeting ID: 160 858 3654.

Option 3: Telephone (audio only) – also use if computer speakers are not available.  Dial: (551) 285-1373 or (669) 254-5252. Spanish Assist line: (415) 449-4000.  Meeting ID: 160 858 3654.

Option 4: One tap mobile: 6692545252, 1608583654#

For more information, please contact 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs at (505) 846-5991 or 377ABW.PA@us.af.mil. 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 AF Administrative Record (https://ar.afcec-cloud.af.mil).

3. SHUT DOWN DRONE WARFARE – 16 Years of Drone Resistance – Join the Spring Action Week, April 20 to 26^th – Holloman Drone Training Base, Alamogordo, NM. For more information, https://www.shutdowndronewarfare.org/

4. Friday, April 25^th from 5 pm to 7:30 pm – Voces del Pueblo: Artists of the Levantamiento Chicano in New Mexico at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum (April 25, 2025 to February 8, 2026).

5. Wednesday, April 30^th from 4 pm to 6 pm – Virtual and in-person WIPP Community Forum & Open House to provide an update on the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Q&A to follow.  In-person meeting at the Skeen-Whitlock Building Auditorium, 4021 National Parks Hwy., Carlsbad, NM    Registration at  https://wipp.energy.gov/events-calendar.asp   

 ENGLISH FLYER HERE:  https://wipp.energy.gov/Library/documents/2025/Indian_Country_043025.pdf

 SPANISH FLYER HERE: https://wipp.energy.gov/Library/documents/2025/Indian_Country-Spanish_043025.pdf

Tags: Department of Energy, DOE, Farmers’ Market, Highlands University, John E. Wilks Jr., Lamy Train Station, Las Vegas Plaza, New Mexico Environment Department, NMED, Pat Leahan, prioritize New Mexico waste, reserve disposal panel for LANL legacy waste, Second Annual WIPP Plutonium Trail Caravan, second repository, Stop Forever WIPP Coalition, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, WIPP