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.
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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.
[…]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.”
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