Tuesday, July 8, 2003Lawmakers' Support Shocks Groups
By Adam Rankin Journal Northern Bureau
SANTA FE — Many anti-nuclear activists were surprised to learn that all five of New Mexico's congressional delegates recently signed a letter endorsing Carlsbad as the proposed site of a new nuclear weapons factory.
"Everybody is a little shocked by (Sen. Jeff Bingaman) and majorly shocked by (Rep. Tom Udall)," said Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group.
In a strong, bipartisan show of support, Democrats Bingaman and Udall, along with their Republican counterparts, Sen. Pete Domenici and Reps. Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce, signed a June 30 letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham supporting Carlsbad as the proposed location of the "Modern Pit Facility," a $2 billion to $4 billion factory under consideration by the Department of Energy.
For the people of Carlsbad, many of whom are in favor of hosting the facility, the endorsements are political capital in a decision that may come down to politics and which community most favors the project.
The pit facility, which could be sited at Los Alamos, Carlsbad or three other locations, would build plutonium "triggers," or pits, to replace the nation's aging nuclear stockpile. The pits set off a larger, second-stage blast in nuclear weapons.
But Bingaman and Udall only signed the letter on the condition that it contain a qualifier.
"It was originally written as if the Modern Pit Facility was a foregone conclusion," said Udall spokesman Glen Loveland. "Congressman Udall insisted that we add an initial paragraph that says they should consider Carlsbad only if it is found this facility is really needed."
In the final version of the letter to Abraham, the second sentence now reads: "If it is determined such a facility is necessary, we believe the WIPP site in Carlsbad, New Mexico, provides the best option."
"We just wanted to stress the debate is still going on, and no final decisions have been made," Loveland said. "We know they don't want it in northern New Mexico, and at this point, that is our primary concern."
In Bingaman's case, he also wrote a separate letter to Abraham expanding on the group's statement.
"If the Department determines that such a facility is necessary, and has carefully informed the public and the Congress of all the safety, environmental and fiscal consequences of the Facility, then I believe that the WIPP facility at Carlsbad should be seriously considered as the best option for its location," Bingaman wrote.
Domenici spokesman Chris Gallegos and a policy official with Pearce said both lawmakers considered the language added by Udall and Bingaman to be implicit in the original wording because the pit facility is not a certainty. The final decision rests with Abraham.
Regardless of the qualifiers, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce President Mark Schinnerer said having all five delegates sign the letter translates into "tremendous support."
Having the pit facility "would be a big economic boost, not just for Carlsbad" but for neighboring communities, such as Hobbs, he said.
Hosting the pit facility would mean an infusion of cash and jobs — yearly operations are estimated to cost $200 million to $300 million, and the facility would support about 1,000 jobs over a 50-year period — at a time when Carlsbad's other government mainstay, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, is scheduled to begin closing.
But New Mexico's delegates should be thinking about more than economic or community development when it comes to endorsing such weighty projects, said Joni Arends with Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety.
"The congressional delegates should be looking at these larger issues.
The Democrats members want it out of the Santa Fe/Los Alamos area. They can't afford to torpedo the effort so they will hold their nose and push for Carlsbad. The greenies will call it a national sacrifice area, but if you have ever been there, you would understand why it is of no concern to me. For example, the potash industry has dumped salt wastes on the ground for 60 plus years and all the water (what there is of it) is much saltier than sea water. An environmentally benign plant making plutonium pits would be an improvement. And the waste disposal site for transuranic waste is right next door -- no transportation costs, no waste trucks going through your town. If it is to be built, that is a good location.