CA Public Records Request for MWL 5-year Review

CITIZEN ACTION NEW MEXICO PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTS REGARDING

THE SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES (SNL) 5-YEAR REVIEW FOR

THE MIXED WASTE LANDFILL

 

On July 20, 2020 Citizen Action New Mexico filed a document with NMED entitled SUPPLEMENT TO NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT BRIEFING FOR SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES MIXED WASTE LANDFILL 5-YEAR REPORT.  The CANM document urged NMED to issue an Order to Sandia National Laboratories to excavate the Mixed Waste Landfill at the SNL location. 

The SNL 5-Year Review indicated SNL could reliably excavate the MWL and ship the wastes offsite.  The CANM document also cited the duty of NMED to respond to comments of the public regarding the 5-Year Review submitted by SNL in December 2018. Both the duties for NMED to respond to the 5-Year Review and to the public comments are required by the 2006 Final order and the 2016 Final Order of the NMED. 

The NMED response to CANM for its May 26, 2020 public records request included an 11 page March 2020 power point entitled SNL Mixed Waste Landfill Overview (“Briefing”) and five emails. As of December 2018 when the 5-Year Report was submitted, Sandia estimated it could begin the excavation and removal planning process (CMIP)by 6/30/2020. (Pg. D 3-11).  The NMED Briefing ignored the SNL statement and has made no comment to the public about Sandia’s offer.  Two and a half years have passed with no NMED apparent effort made for review and response.  There are no emails or other documents showing that NMED made efforts during the 1½ year period from December 2018 to May 2020 to consider the DOE/Sandia recommendations of excavation and offsite disposal.[1]

Two and one half years have now passed since the SNL submission of the 5-Year Review.  Another 5-Year Review is due on 1/1/2024 based on the requirements of the 2006 Final Order.  What length of time does the NMED consider as reasonable to delay a response to the Citizens and the SNL report? Precious time for cleanup of the MWL is being lost due to NMED delay.  The SNL 5-Year Review was issued a full year before the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

PLEASE PROVIDE:

All documents whether drafts or in final form of notes, phone logs, calendars, drafts, telephone messages, time tables, electronic or written by other means related to the NMED evaluation of the Sandia National Laboratories 2019 5-Year Review for the Mixed Waste Landfill;

  1. NMED or SNL review/responses to all public comments received;
  2. Any records of consultations or documents whether internal to NMED or sent to or received from SNL or other state or federal entities with respect to the MWL 5-Year Review;
  3. Records related to assignment of duties of NMED personnel or outside contractors to the above items.

 

 

Thank you.

 

June 6, 2021

 

David B. McCoy, Executive Director

Citizen Action New Mexico

818 448-9981

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

[1]5-Year Review Section 1.6 “The NMED is responsible for review and approval of this report, and providing a process whereby members of the public may comment on the report and its conclusions. The NMED is also responsible for responding to public comments submitted during the specified public comment period.”

Hits: 2036

When is a shaft more than a shaft?' and 'Nukes and the Politics of Race.'

This is a half hour video offering from the Stop Forever WIPP coalition and Available Media: ' When is a shaft more than a shaft?' and 'Nukes and the Politics of Race.' This video dispels the idea that an expansion of WIPP will mostly impact the South Eastern part of New Mexico. The new waste targeted for WIPP would be re-processed at Los Alamos. It also dispels the idea that targeting NM for waste disposal has nothing to do with our minority majority population.

If you are looking for more material and information with which to testify at the May 17-19 hearings, starting this Monday on WIPP expansion, you might find it here.

Hits: 2088

DOE Proposes WIPP Expansion Virtual NMED Public Hearing

  

Contact:       Joni Arends: 505-986-1973, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

                    Don Hancock: 505-262-1862, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Public Service Announcement

DOE Proposes WIPP Expansion

Virtual NMED Public Hearing - Monday, May 17th to Friday, May 21st

Instructions about How to Watch and Participatein English and Spanish below

The Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking to expand the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).  It has applied for a permit to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to dig a new shaft to expand WIPP to more than twice its current volume.

The DOE’s agreements with New Mexico were to stop taking waste in 2024, only take plutonium contaminated items, and locate repositories in other states so New Mexico would not bear the whole burden of disposing the nation’s nuclear weapons’ waste.

Instead, this new mission would continue sending waste to WIPP until 2080 and beyond and accept unauthorized concentrated plutonium, including 48 tonnes of plutonium from decommissioned weapons.  DOE has not located repositories in other states, although all 50 states have benefitted from the nation’s nuclear arsenal.  New Mexico did not agree to be the sole U.S. nuclear weapons’ waste repository for the nation.

DOE’s new mission to expand WIPP would ship concentrated plutonium 3,300 miles, back and forth across at least 7 states for many decades, putting thousands of communities at risk if an accident occurs. 

 

The Stop Forever WIPP Coalition is asking NMED to deny the permit.

Newsletters with more details can be found at our website and the public may participate with comments in the May 17th public hearing.

 

More information can be found at: www.stopforeverwipp.org,

https://www.facebook.com/StopfvrWIPP/ and http://nuclearactive.org/

 

How You Can Watch and Participate in the Public Hearing:  https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/

 

VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING

The virtual public hearing will begin Monday, May 17, 2021 at 12:00 PM MDT. The Hearing will run during the following hours, on this day and on subsequent days, until complete, unless otherwise ordered by the Hearing Officer: 

 

12:00 – 4:00 PM and 6:00 – 9:00 PM MDT DAILY.

 

The hearing will afford an opportunity for all persons to present comments. 

 

The public hearing will be conducted remotely using Zoom and telephone.  The Zoom hearing may be joined through the following meeting link:

 

JoinZoomMeeting

Phone one-tap:

US:+16699006833,,91728945523#,,,,*050223#or

+12532158782,,91728945523#,,,,*050223#

MeetingURL:

https://zoom.us/j/91728945523?pwd=YitrSUtFYnZkcE5hVGFrb2Z1UDlUdz09

MeetingID:

91728945523

Passcode:

050223

JoinbyTelephone

Forhigherquality,dialanumberbasedonyourcurrentlocation.

Dial:

 

 

US:+16699006833or+12532158782or+1346 2487799or+19294362866or

+13017158592or+13126266799

MeetingID:

91728945523

Passcode:

050223

 

ARRANGEMENTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Any person having a disability and requiring assistance or auxiliary aid to participate in this processshouldcontactSuzettePorter,NMEDAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA)Coordinator,byphoneat

(505)827-2109,orviaemailat:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Toll-free numbers are available for TDD or TDY users to access the New Mexico Relay Network at 1-800-659-1779(voice);TTY users:1-800-659-8331.

 

LANGUAGE SERVICES

Any person needing language services (e.g., an interpreter at a public meeting or hearing, documenttranslation)shouldcontactRicardoMaestasat(505)476-6000orbye-mailat:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Please note that Spanish interpretation services will be provided during this proceeding. The Zoomplatform provides an option to listen to, ask questions, and provide comments at the public hearing inSpanish.ThefollowingareinstructionsforlisteningtolanguageinterpretationontheZoomplatform:

 

ForWindows/macOS:

  1. Inyourmeeting/webinarcontrols,click Interpretation.
  3. (Optional)Toheartheinterpretedlanguageonly,clickMuteOriginalAudio.

 

ForAndroid/iOS:

  1. Inyourmeetingcontrols,taptheellipsesicon(...).
  3. Tapthelanguageyouwouldliketo hear.
  4. (Optional)TapthetoggletoMuteOriginalAudio.

 

Inaddition,NMEDisprovidingacall-inconferencelineforpersonswithouttheabilityto accessZoom:SpanishCall-InConference Line: 800-747-5150

Whenprompted,enterAccessCode:3453860

 

INTERNETACCESS

If internet access will be an issue for any person wanting to participate, please contact Ricardo Maestasat (505) 476-6000 or by e-mail at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for information on area hot spots andlocationswithfree WiFiaccess.

 

 

AVISOPÚBLICONÚMERO21-01

 

DEPARTAMENTO DE MEDIO AMBIENTE DE NUEVO MÉXICOOFICINADERESIDUOS PELIGROSOS

SANTAFE,NUEVOMÉXICO17DE MARZODE 2021

https://www.env.nm.gov/hazardous-waste/wipp/

 

AUDIENCIAPÚBLICAVIRTUAL

Laaudiencia públicavirtualcomenzaráellunes,17demayode2021alas12:00p.m.,MDT.

LaAudienciasellevaráacabodurantelassiguienteshoras,enestedíayenlosdíasposteriores,hastaquese complete,amenos que elfuncionario deaudienciasordenelo contrario:

DIARIAMENTEde12:00a 4:00p.m.yde6:00a9:00p.m.,MDT.

 

Laaudienciapúblicaproporcionaráalaspersonasinteresadasunaoportunidadrazonableparapresentar datos, opiniones y argumentos, así como para interrogar a los testigos. La audiencia tambiéndarálaoportunidadde presentarcomentariosatodaslaspersonas.

 

La audiencia pública se llevará a cabo de forma remota mediante una plataforma de videoconferenciapor Internet (Zoom) y por teléfono.Se puede acceder a la audiencia de Zoom a través del siguienteenlacede reunión:

 

ParaUnirsealaReunióndeZoom

Teléfonodeun solotoque:   US:+16699006833,,91728945523#,,,,*050223#o

+12532158782,,91728945523#,,,,*050223#

 

URLdelareunión: https://zoom.us/j/91728945523?pwd=YitrSUtFYnZkcE5hVGFrb2Z1UDlUdz09

 

 

IDdelareunión:        91728945523

Códigodeacceso:050223

Paraunirseporteléfono

Paraobtenerunamayorcalidad,marqueelnúmerobasadoensuubicaciónactual.

 

Marque:US:+16699006833o+12532158782o+13462487799o+19294362866o

+13017158592o+13126266799

 

IDdelareunión:        91728945523

 

Código de acceso:    050223

 

ACOMODACIONESPARAPERSONASCONDISCAPACIDADES

Cualquier persona que tenga una discapacidad y que requiera asistencia o un dispositivo auxiliar paraparticipar en este proceso debe comunicarse con Suzette Porter, coordinadora de NMED de la Ley deEstadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA), por teléfono al (505) 827-2109, o por correo electrónico en:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

HaynúmerosgratuitosdisponiblesparalosusuariosdeTDDoTDYparaaccederalaReddeRetransmisióndeNuevo Méxicoen1-800-659-1779(voz);usuariosdeTTY:1-800-659-8331.

 

SERVICIOSDEIDIOMAS

Toda persona que necesite servicios de idiomas (por ejemplo, un intérprete durante una reunión oaudiencia pública, traducción de documentos) debe comunicarse con Ricardo Maestas al (505) 476-6000oporcorreoelectrónicoen:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Tengaencuentaqueseproporcionaránserviciosdeinterpretaciónalespañolduranteesteprocedimiento.LaplataformaZoomproporcionaunaopciónparaescuchar,hacerpreguntasyproporcionarcomentariosenlaaudienciapúblicaenespañol.Acontinuación,encontrarálasinstrucciones paraescucharlainterpretaciónde idiomasenlaplataformaZoom:

 

ParaWindows/macOS:

  1. Enloscontrolesdesureunión/seminarioweb,hagaclicen“Interpretation”.
  2. Hagaclicenelidiomaque deseaescuchar.
  3. (Opcional)Paraescucharsóloelidiomainterpretado,hagaclicen“MuteOriginalAudio”.

 

ParaAndroid/iOS:

  1. Enloscontrolesdesureunión,pulseeliconodepuntossuspensivos(...).
  2. PulseInterpretacióndeidiomas.
  4. (Opcional)PulseelinterruptorparaSilenciarelAudioOriginal.
  5. Haga clicen“Done”.

 

Además,NMEDproporcionaunalíneadeconferenciadellamadasparalaspersonasquenopuedenaccederaZoom:

 

Líneadeconferenciasdellamadasenespañol:800-747-5150Cuandoselesolicite,ingreseelcódigodeacceso:3453860

 

ACCESOAINTERNET

Si el acceso a Internet es un problema para cualquier persona que quiera participar, comuníquese conRicardo Maestas al (505) 476-6000 o por correo electrónico en: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.paraobtenerinformaciónsobrelospuntoscalientesdelazonayloslugaresconaccesogratuitoaWiFi

 

 

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CA STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS PMR

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CA Response in Opposition to NM Hazardous Waste Motion In Limine

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  1. NM AG Sues Holtec Nuclear Storage Facility
  2. WIPP Plutonium Disposition Scoping Comments
  3. The NRC Required Canistered Spent Nuclear Fuel To Be Retrievable– But It Isn’t
  4. Space Command