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Today Nuclear Watch of New Mexico announced that it is filing a federal lawsuit seeking to bar construction of an advanced bio-hazard research facility (BSL-3) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, In conjunction, Peace Action New Mexicois continuing its educational outreach and petition drive demanding the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)that is being called for in the lawsuit. Thus far Peace Action New Mexico has gathered over 2100 signatures on their petition for the EIS in potentially affected communities in Northern New Mexico. On January 14 of this year, Peace Action N.M. submitted the signatures of 840 members of the public to Corey Cruz, acting head of the D.O.E. inLos Alamos and Richard Glass, head of the D.O.E. in Albuquerque at a lengthy meeting during the Environmental Assessment process.
Peggy Prince, Director of Peace Action New Mexico, said, „There is widespread public outcry in opposition to a BSL-3 facility at LANLã the first time a facility in the nuclear weapons complex would be allowed to work with live, virulent anthrax and other deadly organisms. We think the NNSA decision to declare a Finding Of No Significant Impact (FONSI), based on the weak Environmental Assessment it completed earlier this year, was precipitous, cavalier and unwise.¾
Peace Action New Mexico in conjunction with Nuclear Watch of New Mexico will hold public meetings in Santa Fe, Taos, Albuquerque and other towns to inform and educate the public about the BSL-3, the necessity for the federal government to declare the need for an EIS for LANL¼s BSL-3 and the need to compel the Department of Energy to complete a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for its entire Chemical and Biological National Security Program (CBNP) before moving forward.
Prince said, „The public outreach we are doing will inform and greatly increase public attendance at the formal public hearings that will be required under an EIS. We believe that public input into the process is vitally important to the outcome of this issue.
