City resolutions opposing LANL plans postponed

A pair of proposed city resolutions opposing planned expansion of plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the nuclear weapons agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration ran into hurdles at Monday’s city Finance Committee.

Both resolutions, sponsored or co-sponsored by Councilor Renee Villarreal, were postponed until a committee meeting next month.

One proposal would ask the New Mexico Environment Department to rescind a revised consent order that in 2016 established new milestones for cleanup of contaminated waste from the Cold War-era nuclear research and development at the lab; asks that planned production of plutonium pits — the triggers for a nuclear reaction in weapons — be halted until cleanup concerns are resolved; and asks that the U.S. Department of Energy improve monitoring of surface and groundwater.

The other proposal states opposition to the Trump administration’s nuclear weapons policies and establishes support for a bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., that would restrict the president’s ability to conduct a first-use nuclear strike.

Councilors Mike Harris and Peter Ives were hesitant to act on the resolutions, saying proposals need to be fleshed out.

“I just don’t see how [the city] can add too much to the discussion,” Harris said. Mentioning resolutions opposing plutonium pit production at LANL passed by the council in 2003, 2006, 2008 and 2013, Harris added, with a slight shrug, “Can’t say it made much difference.”

“I am not clear on the basis for the recision of the cleanup consent order,” Ives said. “… I certainly don’t disagree that there are other areas of the LANL complex where additional assessment is needed in terms of cleanup that could be done, but without more, it’s hard for me to support it.”

Villarreal told the councilors she would welcome amendments and said that the city, as a member of the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities, could have an influence on discussions surrounding pit production and cleanup at the lab.

“There are issues with the increase of plutonium pit production and the legacy of nuclear waste issues,” Villarreal said.

“The intention is to really look at how this is affecting our communities, including the safety of our drinking water.”