The New Hazardous Waste Facilities at LANL
On May 5 th , 2022, the New Mexico Environment Department issued a new groundwater discharge permit for the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory under the New Mexico Water Quality Act. It is discharge permit DP-1132. The facility, located near the Plutonium Facility, handles, treats and stores radioactive and hazardous liquid wastes from operations across the LANL site.
29 Sep 20224min
How did we get here? Putin Threatens Use of Nuclear Weapons
On Wednesday, September 21 st , the International Day of Peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons in the Ukrainian War. His threats to use nuclear weapons surpass Russia’s official nuclear doctrine. As posted on en.kremlin.ru, Putin said, “In the event of a threat to the territorial integrity of our country and to defend Russia and our people, we will certainly make use of all weapon systems available to us. This is not a bluff.”
22 Sep 20224min
LANL Grants a Whopping 15-Day Extension of Time until October 18 th to Provide Scoping Comments
The privileges of the rich and powerful Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and its plans to expand the fabrication of plutonium pits, or triggers, for nuclear warheads continue. After 115 non-governmental organizations and individuals requested a two-month extension of time for preparation of informed scoping comments for a long-delayed draft sitewide environmental impact statement (SWEIS), LANL granted a whopping 15-day extension. Scoping comments are now due by Tuesday, October 18 th . If you plan to email your comments, submit them before 11:59 pm Mountain time.
15 Sep 20224min
LANL Virtual NEPA Scoping Meetings September 13 th and 14 th ; Release of LANL Campus Master Plan
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host two virtual meetings to gather public comments about the scope of a draft environmental impact statement for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). If you think these scoping meetings are not important, please check out the recently released 2021 LANL Campus Master Plan. The plan was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
8 Sep 20224min
One Hundred and Fifteen NGOs and Individuals Ask for LANL SWEIS Comment Extension; LANL Virtual Scoping Meetings on September 13 th and 14 th
This week 63 non-governmental organizations and 52 individuals requested that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant a two-month extension of time to provide informed public comments about the scope of the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for Continued Operations of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL SWEIS). On August 19 th , DOE announced a 45-day comment period. Currently, comments are due on Monday, October 3rd , 2022.
1 Sep 20224min
Kotowski’s “Sacred Trust: BROKEN” at Ink & Clay 45 Exhibit at Cal Poly Pomona
Taos ceramic artist Serit Kotowski’s beautiful Sacred Trust: BROKEN is an educational installation that focuses on the impact of the nuclear weapons industry in New Mexico. Using a traditional potter’s repertoire Kotowski created two sets of dinnerware to demonstrate that, if ingested, radioactive substances are harmful, if not deadly. The plates and cups are labeled “NOT FOOD SAFE.”
25 Aug 20224min
“Limited” Nuclear War Would Result in Abrupt Climate Disruption and Global Starvation
New scientific work demonstrates that even a “limited” nuclear war would cause abrupt climate disruption and global starvation. A limited nuclear war is defined as a conflict confined to one region and involving a small fraction of the world’s nuclear arsenals. But such a conflict would be neither limited nor regional and despite statements to the contrary, it would be an event on a planetary scale of death and destruction.
18 Aug 20224min
Elected Officials Question DOE Plans to Keep WIPP Operating Forever
Did you know that the current hazardous waste permit for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) states that waste disposal operations will end in 2024, followed by a ten-year period to close the underground waste disposal site?
11 Aug 20224min
