Democracy for New Mexico

NM Environment Dept. Sues Citizen Group to Keep Sandia Labs Waste Report Secret

From Citizen Action:
The New Mexico Environment Department on Friday filed a complaint (pdf) against the public interest group Citizen Action. The lawsuit asks the Santa Fe First District Court to keep the public from obtaining a document about nuclear and hazardous wastes at Sandia National Laboratories’ Mixed Waste Landfill. On Friday, the New Mexico Attorney General’s office also affirmed its earlier October decision that a 2006 TechLaw report “fit squarely within the definition of a public record… subject to inspection.” 

The TechLaw report was used by NMED to examine the possibility that radioactive and hazardous wastes could leak into the groundwater at Sandia’s Mixed Waste Landfill. The NMED claimed the report was merely a draft document. However, the report was received by NMED after its decision to place a soil cover over the dump’s wastes and leave them in place. NMED referenced the report in relation to citizen concerns about travel of the wastes from the dump to groundwater, but then refused to provide the TechLaw report to the public. Citizen Action then filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s office under the Public Records Act.

The nuclear weapon waste dump may contain over 700,000 cubic feet of radioactive and hazardous wastes that overlie Albuquerque’s drinking water supplies in unlined pits and trenches. Citizen Action argued to the Attorney General that there is a strong policy in favor of the public right to know whether the public is adequately protected from the dump’s dangers. NMED previously furnished TechLaw reports from 2000, but now asserts “executive privilege” to withhold the 2006 report as a draft document. 

Citizen Action has taken the position that the data from monitoring at the dump does not support the decision to leave the dangerous wastes in place and that the wastes should be excavated. 

Dave McCoy, Citizen Action Director, wonders what the government is hiding:

We appreciate the Attorney General championing openness in government. What is in this nuclear weapons era dump that the government doesn’t want us to know about? Environment Department Secretary Ron Curry states that he is committed to the ‘greatest amount of  transparency possible on operations at Los Alamos National Laboratories and the lab’s environmental impacts.’ Why is the Secretary operating in secret for the toxic cesspool of wastes at Sandia Labs that are above Albuquerque’s drinking water aquifer?  A mistaken decision for the soil cover was made that is now in coverup.

Comments by hydrologist Robert Gilkeson recently warned the NMED of the limitations of fate and transport models that lack adequate data for validation. See comments memo (pdf, p.3).

A court decision to grant the Environment Department executive privilege to withhold the document could set a precedent that would have a chilling effect on the public’s ability to monitor government agencies throughout New Mexico. 

For more information, contact Dave McCoy ats Citizen Action: (505) 262-1862 or dave@radfreenm.org.

Editor's Note: Also see the Albuquerque Journal editorial that criticizes the action of the NM Environment Department in regard to the report. For background, visit the Citizen Action website or review our previous post on issues surrounding the Sandia Mixed Waste Landfill.

Pass a Good Energy Bill and Get Us Into the End Zone!

Click to urge Congress to pass a powerful energy bill. (Click on image for larger version.)

The above ad was placed as a full page ad in the Santa Fe New Mexican as a sincere thank you and a direct appeal to Representative Udall to pass a good energy bill this fall -– an aggressive bill that will bring the nation’s fleet of cars and trucks to an average of 35 mpg and 15 percent of our electricity coming from renewable energy by 2020. It is an important time, a crucial time, because there is a powerful chance that special interests, lobbyists, and PACs will water-down or block this bill. I am working with a coalition to make sure the energy bill doesn’t get derailed. Please go to https://www.energybill2007.org and sign the petition to urge Congress to do the right thing.

cabraham@energybill2007.us

Vital Role of Trees: Sierra Club Central Group 10.23.07

From the Sierra Club Central Group:
Our next meeting is scheduled for Tuesay, October 23, from 7-9 PM, at the UNM Law School, Room 2405 (Stanford Ave. just south of Constitution, in Albuquerque). This month's Sierra Club program will feature Albuquerque City Forester, NIck Kuhn, talking about the vital role trees play in Albuquerque's quality of life, tree planting efforts by the city and how we can all be involved in tree planting, one of the best and most cost-effective ways to reduce atmospheric CO2 and cut energy costs! Free - all invited! For more information, contact Michal Mudd, Chair, Central Group Sierra Club, at mudd_pi@mac.com.

2007 NM Wilderness Conference to Feature Lt. Gov. Diane Denish

RSVP Now: The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance will be hosting the 8th Annual New Mexico Wilderness Conference on Saturday, October 27, at the Tamaya Hyatt in Santa Ana Pueblo, just north of Bernalillo.

Special guest speakers include Lt. Governor Diane Denish, as well as Gary Guller, a professional motivational speaker, film producer and adventurer who has led the largest cross-disability group to Mount Everest Base Camp at 17,500 feet, and Craig Childs, author of eleven books that combine science and wilderness travel. Mr. Childs is also the winner of the Colorado Book Award and the Spirit of the West Literary Achievement Award.

The 2007 New Mexico Wilderness Conference will also feature several workshops, including Wilderness Medicine, Wilderness Restoration, Travel Management in our National Forests, Learning to Become the Ultimate Activist, and Chaco Canyon, plus many more.

Registration is $45 and includes lunch. Those interested in attending the conference can call 505-843-8696 or visit www.nmwild.org

WHO: Guest Speakers, Lt. Governor Diane Denish, Gary Guller, Craig Childs, and wilderness advocates from across the country.

WHAT: 8th Annual NM Wilderness Conference

WHEN: Saturday, October 27, from 9 AM to 3 PM

WHERE: Tamaya Hyatt Resort, located at 1300 Tuyuna Trail, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM. (505-867-1234)

Tonight: Free Screening of 'Wolf: An Ancient Spirit Returns'

From Defenders of Wildlife:
Called “breathtaking in scope and execution” by the Los Angeles Times, "Wolf: An Ancient Spirit Returns" documents the return of the gray wolf to Yellowstone, and delves into the misconceptions and controversies surrounding this long misunderstood species, as well as the scientific and cultural reasons why wolves belong back in the wild. The documentary has won five Emmys and Best of Category at the EarthVision Environmental Film Festival and Hazel Wolf Environmental Film Festival.

Defenders of Wildlife is showing the film tonight as part of the nationally celebrated Wolf Awareness Week, which occurs from October 14 - 20 this year. The screening will be followed by a discussion of the Southwest’s own wolf, the Lobo, with Dave Parsons, former lead biologist for the Mexican wolf recovery program. This will be a unique opportunity to interact with and ask questions of an expert on the Mexican wolf and the recovery program:

• WHAT: Free Screening of “Wolf: An Ancient Spirit Returns” followed by a discussion of the Mexican wolf recovery program
• WHEN: Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 7:00– 9:30 PM  (film is 45 minutes long)
• WHERE: The Lobo Theater, 3016 Central NE, next to Buffalo Exchange, Albuquerque

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued a proclamation yesterday designating this Wolf Awareness Week in New Mexico. He is truly a leader for recovery of the Lobo.

	Lisa Hummon
	New Mexico Outreach Representative
824 Gold SW Albuquerque, NM 87108
Tel: (505) 248-0118 x5     |    Fax: (505) 248-0187
lhummon@defenders.org  |  www.defenders.org

Editor's Note: Wolf Awareness Week will also feature festivities on Wednesday, October 17, 2007, at the University of New Mexico. These will be held outside the Student Union Building at UNM from 9 AM to 3 PM and will include the appearance of a live wolf. The UNM bookstore is also offering a special issue "Save the Lobo" T-shirt. More info here.

2007 NM Bioneers Conference Oct. 19-21 in Santa Fe

The 2007 New Mexico Bioneers Conference will be held next weekend in Santa Fe, October 19-21 at College of Santa Fe. It will include a live satellite downlink of plenary speakers at the national Bioneers Conference in California with more than 30 exciting workshops, discussions and hand-ons opportunites by local organizers. The solutions-oriented conference will bring together more than 600 people each day to inspire and educate each other about our local and regional environmental and social justice issues. For more information and to register for the conference, go to the website or call 505-428-1227 in Santa Fe.

PRC Reelection Candidate Jason Marks: The Speech

Consumer watchdogs: Jason Marks & his canine sidekick Kiko campaigning at Focus Ink's progressive gathering last month.

As I reported previously, Dem Jason Marks kicked off his reelection campaign last week for the District 1 New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) seat. The event was well attended and Marks gave an excellent speech about his accomplishments so far and his goals for a second term. Since the response to the speech was so positive, I asked Marks for a text version so more people could learn what he had to say. Here it is (pdf). Excerpt:

The PRC has - under the right leadership - a key role to play in the challenge of our generation - the transition from fossil fuel dependence to an energy future that is based on clean and sustainable technologies.

Fossil fuels have been very good to our country, our world, and for New Mexico. Exploiting fossil fuel energy has made possible our modern standard of living. Here in New Mexico, oil and gas have been important sources of economic growth and development.

But today, continued reliance on fossil fuels presents more risks than opportunities. We’ve all experienced the doubling of gasoline costs, and we’ve seen natural gas for home heating, that used to be around $3 per 1000 BTUs, go past $14 with Hurricane Katrina and never go back, staying in a range of $6 to $10. Even coal prices have increased dramatically. Fossil fuel prices will continue to rise, and expose us to financial risks we don’t want to bear.

At the same time, fossil fuel use is the main driver for catastrophic environmental risk. Climate change is already occurring, and we are already seeing slightly warmer winters and slightly hotter summers. A respected climate scientist at UNM has projected that we will see 2 to 3 degree temperature increases over the next 20 years, no matter what we do now. And, if we do nothing, temperatures in our region will go up by 6 to 7 degrees by the end of the century.

Climate shift of that magnitude will decimate New Mexico’s agriculture, our outdoor recreation economy, our hunting, fishing, skiing. Our children and grandchildren won’t have the opportunity to enjoy the New Mexico that we love. Residents of coastal areas would have it even worse, losing their homes and livelihoods to rising sea levels.

Forty percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. are produced from electric generation, most of that from the burning of coal, like we do out in the Four-Corners. Commission Lujan and I have made public commitments that we will do everything possible to prevent New Mexico electric utilities from building new pulverized coal plants! (The proposed Desert Rock plant is directed at selling power outside of New Mexico, so it’s not in our jurisdiction.) We will look at advanced coal technology that sequesters carbon dioxide emissions, and we push the deployment of solar, wind, and other renewables.

... Most recently, the Commission adopted rules for the Renewable Portfolio Standard that I proposed which create diversity targets for solar energy and distributed generation. New Mexico’s solar resource has the potential to take over a large portion of our electricity needs over time, but we have to start developing it. The new rules require utilities to actually build large scale solar plants, instead of merely offering vague plans for the future. We believe that we can do this without big rate increases, and the rules establish rate impact caps at 2% for 2011.

These rules were controversial. We got strong support from scientists, engineers, environmental advocates, and ordinary citizens, but the utilities did not think it was our role to tell them what kind of plants to build.

Unfortunately the group that believes utility execs are best positioned to make decisions for the public would love to roll-back the progress we’ve made. That cannot be allowed to happen.

I hope you'll give the entire speech a read and then sign up to volunteer for or donate to the Jason Marks campaign. He's seeking petition signatures as well as small donations of "seed money" for what will be a publicly funded campaign down the line. I think Marks is a top notch and very ethical PRC member, with a sincere dedication to pushing for renewable energy development and the mitigation of greenhouse gas production in New Mexico. It's very important to get him reelected. The word is Repubs will be targeting this race and you know what that means -- a rollback of the new energy regulations and who knows what else if they succeed. Let's get active now and head them off at the pass.

Many voters are unclear about the critical and powerful role played by the PRC. Our 5 PRC commissioners are responsible for regulating and providing oversight of a myriad of industries. You can read about their responsibilities here. It's a complicated and often thankless job. We're lucky to have someone of Jason Marks' caliber on the commission. Let's keep it that way.

Click on photo for larger image. Photo credit: M.E. Broderick.

Guest Blog: Al Gore in Albuquerque

This is a guest blog by Linda in Santa Fe NM, who an organizer in the grassroots effort to draft Gore for president. As I'm sure you know, Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, in tandem with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It kicked the movement to urge him to run for president into overdrive.

October 3rd was the day of Rio Rancho's Al Gore Live Presentation with his slide show, "An Inconvenient Truth." Of couse this was a chance to learn important information about the climate crisis, but it also allowed us to express our support for Mr. Gore running to be our next President.

We arrived at the Santa Ana Star Center over an hour before the event was scheduled to start. Unfortunately the police said they were given orders that no signs be on the property. Given so many expected this to be "the place" to be, we had people working for many other candidates, Presidential and Senate, that were pushed to the sidelines as well. We stood on the sidewalk facing the entrance armed with buttons, fliers and displaying our banner. I don't know if Mr. Gore had a chance to see us, but the people sure did.

It was great to hear pretty much everyone saying they want a Gore presidency. Almost everyone we asked was thrilled to put on a Gore button. Of course we weren't getting many walking by us, since we weren't in front of the door, so I sent someone over with a bag of them to pass out in front of the entrance. He walked back to get more three times within minutes because they were gone instantly.

The people were very excited about Gore for President. The one person who displayed skepticism that he would run, and didn't want a button, came up to me after the presentation to say, "I changed my mind, can I still have a button?" Even people who were not part of the "official Draft Gore" movement were all on the same page and were doing their own individual parts. It was so exciting. I met a couple with their daughter coming up with signs and petitions to join the Kyoto Treaty. Another couple inside painted R U N down their shirts. Yet another couple in front of us were from Santa Fe too, and excited to hear there was a movement. Because the buttons we made have the website's address, www.algore.org on them, it will be easy for them to officially get involved.

After arriving at our seats and realizing there was an opportunity to hit up the folks sitting in the front of the stage where Mr. Gore would be speaking, I walked over to ask if anyone wanted buttons. If they weren't already wearing them (we saw them on the chests of people everywhere we looked), they asked for them. Then the folks sitting on the side realized I had buttons and they all started yelling out that they wanted some, and I started getting "we need five over here." I had to excuse myself to get more because I ran out of them. When I returned with more buttons, people asked if they could shake my hand to thank me for my work, and one man yelled out, "I love you."

Mr. Gore was absolutely incredible. He was so energetic, passionate, strong and funny. He opened up with some humor before giving the facts. He carefully alleviates the tension from the intense information he is sharing with a slight break of humor every once in a while. The information and facts he shares just roll off effortlessly, with intense passion being displayed when the news gets deep. The standing ovations he received when entering paled in comparison to what happened when he finished his presentation. I don't think any of us wanted to sit down.

The information Mr. Gore shared in his presentation was updated with current information. After thinking I had seen and heard everything before from the movie, It was disturbing to see and hear the latest news, including information highlighted for our state. Most troubling was hearing we are indeed running out of time because everything is happening faster than we thought. As he clearly stated, we are speeding up the warming at an alarming rate.

First we went from 100 years' time to act down to 50. Then a long-awaited study showed so much damage we went down to 34 years to act. Last month, new information came out saying the rate of warming was advancing so quickly to melt the arctic ice that we had only 23 years before the tipping point. Then there was last week's news that ice twice the size of England melted, then that ice the size of Florida disappeared. The day prior to his talk, Mr. Gore received word that our tipping point actually may be only seven years away. Seven years. I started to cry.

Mr. Gore said he believes we can still solve these problems, but we need to act with urgency. He is asking for citizen activism. Get involved. Go online and find out what you can do to help. He also made it clear that we must restore our democracy as we go forward. There is much work we can do.

The evening ended with Gore taking questions from the audience. At this point I figured if I got kicked out it would be worth it, so I took my draft Gore banner, opened it up and dropped it, hanging it from our legs. I know it was seen, because a friend sitting on the opposite side of the Center noticed it, and people in their seats pointed to the banner and gave it a "thumbs up."  I can only hope that Mr. Gore caught a glimpse of it during a pause in the questions because, after all, it is time. Time for a COOL change with Mr. Gore.

The final questions of the evening were from a young girl and boy, ages 12 and 13. They both wanted to know if this would be solved and by whom. They asked, "do I and my children have a chance?" That pretty much said it all as to what's on the mind of their generation. The little girl added, "good luck in winning the Nobel Peace Prize." Mr. Gore bowed his head with that and then responded that it is our 
responsibility to solve this for them and their children. And he hopes they will ask the question of how we managed to solve this. I do too. While leaving the very emotion-filled presentation, I had a chance to find that little girl and give her a button. I hope it will help give her some added hope that we will solve this crisis for her and those like her all over the world. Thank you Al Gore.

This is a guest blog by Linda in Santa Fe NM. Guest blogs provide our readers with an opportunity to express themselves and may or may not represent our views. If you'd like to submit a post for consideration as a guest blog, contact me by clicking on the Email Me link on the upper left-hand corner of the page.

Sunday: Party to Benefit Conservation Voters NM

From :

Ned & Janis Farquhar cordially invite you to:
"Protect New Mexico"
a party to benefit
Conservation Voters New Mexico & CVNM PAC
Sunday, October 14, 3:00 - 5:30 PM
1414 Camino Amparo NW,  Albuquerque NM 87107

We will honor our local 2007 Conservation Champions, including: Sen. Dede Feldman, Sen. Cisco McSorley, Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Rep. Elias Barela, Rep. Miguel Garcia, Rep. Rick Miera, Rep. Mimi Stewart and Rep. Peter Wirth. (invited)

For more info, click to see flyer (doc).

(Updated) Martin Heinrich: A Powerhouse on Conservation and the Environment

Martin and son at White Sands, NM

UPDATE: Dem Rep. Al Park has decided not to enter the NM-01 race. Sheriff Darren White is expected to announce his candidacy for the seat on the Repub side sometime today.
***************
Dem Martin Heinrich, running for Congress in NM-01, has a long and strong environmental record of achievement, and his positions on related issues are informed and personally passionate ones. See page 14 of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance's Spring 2007 magazine (pdf) for an article about Heinrich's experience and accomplishments. It's written by Stephen Capra, Executive Director of the NM Wilderness Alliance.

As Capra writes,

Before running for office [on the Albuquerque City Council], Heinrich served on the Board of Directors for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, including some time as President. He is also the former Executive Director of the Cottonwood Gulch Foundation, a non-profit organization providing experiential outdoor and environmental education. During those days, Martin's hair was a little longer and his tan a bit darker, thanks to time spent outdoors exposing young people to the history, art, science and cultures of the southwest.

... He used his burgeoning political instincts as the primary organizer in the successful campaign to protect the Ojito Wilderness Area. His tireless efforts were crucial in gaining the necessary support of our congressional delegation and overcoming earlier opposition by local ranchers. Ojito became the first new wilderness in our state in over 18 years.

.. Many politicians like to “talk green,” far fewer actually make the environment part of their core agenda.

To learn more about Heinrich's achievements, read the entire article. We've got the real deal here at a time when so much is at stake in terms of the crises we face related to global warming, energy and water use, habitat preservation and so much more.

DLC No, Heinrich Yes
It's so important to show our support for Heinrich NOW if we want him to be our nominee. With Repub Heather Wilson vacating the race to run for Senate, more Dem candidates may be tempted to run in NM-01. In my opinion, the names being mentioned can't hold a candle to Heinrich on any number of issues, including the environment.

DLC Dems like State Rep. Al Park and others are good guys in many ways, but I don't think their "centrist" views measure up to the principled stands Heinrich takes. For instance, note that Al Park was selected for special notice by the conservative, business-oriented DLC (see here and here). In my book we need more DLC Dems in the Congress like we need a hole in the head. What we do need are more candidates like Heinrich, who hail from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.

In my view, potential candidates like Park are more about clinging to a business as usual model than creatively envisioning a future shaped by our growing awareness of the kind of change we'll need to make to ensure the planet's survival -- and ours.

Just Do It
If you agree, let's help clear the field for Martin. Donate a few bucks at the DFNM Netroots for Heinrich page at Act Blue, visit Martin's revamped website and blog and officially endorse his candidacy.

For our previous posts on the 2008 Congressional race in NM-01, visit our archive.