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Candidate Update
What the Candidates for Governor Have Said about Nuclear Legacy Waste at LANL

We’ve been presenting the Fire On The Mountain issue to the candidates running for governor, and we want you to know how they have responded. We have presented the issue to Deb Haaland (D), Sam Bregman (D), Ken Miyagishima (I), and Gregg Hull (R). Doug Turner (R) is waiting to schedule, and Duke Rodriguez (R) has not responded.

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At the very least, please factor the candidates’ responses into your vote. We can’t emphasize strongly enough how dangerous this issue is and how solvable it is if the governor knows what he or she needs to do.

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These are the comments that the candidates made during the presentations and how they have responded over time when asked about the Cold War nuclear waste at campaign events.​

Bregman:

Sept. 2, 2025—This has got to be solved. It can’t stay this way.


Jan. 31, 2026—Every lever will be used. Every lever will be used to solve this problem.


Feb. 9, 2026—I will absolutely enforce the laws to reduce the waste; the same thing for the pueblos.
                        I will hold LANL accountable.


Mar. 16, 2026—I have experience holding agencies to their contracts and would insist on it.


Apr. 18, 2026—We have to hold LANL’s feet to the fire; there are 2500 barrels sitting in tents that has to be
                          cleaned up. We hold the cards in our hand. We know what to do and if that fire hits those tents,
                          we’ve got a catastrophe. The right thing for New Mexico is to prioritize this waste.
                          The #1 job of a governor is the health and well-being of the state of New Mexico. The governor
                          should be tough and fight these very important issues.

 

Haaland:​

August 26, 2025—This is an important issue that has to be dealt with. I can’t commit to any particular action.

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Sept. 16, 2025—I can’t commit to what action I will take.


Mar. 23, 2026—I understand how important cleaning this up is, and I am completely willing to work on
                           making this safer by striking the right balance, so all parties are satisfied.


Jan. 26, 2025—Yes, waste must be cleaned up. I understand this deeply from Laguna’s experience.
                         We have to clean up our mess.

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Apr. 18, 2026—We have to prioritize the legacy waste at LANL. New Mexicans have given dearly to radiation,
                          and we need to take care of this waste. We shouldn’t be producing more waste until the old
                          waste is cleaned up.

 

Hull:

Mar. 20, 2026—I can’t understand why the current governor hasn’t done anything yet, and I know this is
                           dangerous and needs to be solved.

 

Miyagishima:

Oct. 20, 2025—We have to have an interim plan to protect this waste from wildfire until it can be moved. A
                          building should be built around the tents, with the ability to spray water in a fire if it is close,
                          and concrete should be in an apron around the whole site.

 

Donate to the Billboards!

We have contracts for two billboards on I-25, one that people will see leaving Santa Fe for Albuquerque and one they can see entering Santa Fe from Albuquerque. The billboards will be simple, colorful, and say, “One Fire Away – Radioactive Santa Fe” with our website URL. They’ll be seen for the 3 months before the general election so that the next governor is on notice that the public cares about this cleanup.

We've already received support from people who believe in this billboard outreach.

 

  • We have a $5,000 matching grant—every dollar that you contribute is matched, one-to-one.

  • We have already received further donations of $3,500.

  • ​We are applying for a grant.​

And we’re asking for any donation you’d like to make to be part of this campaign. Depending on any grant funds we might receive, we'll need to raise an additional $5,000 to $10,000 for this awareness campaign to be a success. Large or small, every contribution is precious.

Two Ways to Donate!

Write a check to our fiscal sponsor, "Southwest Research and Information Center." In the memo line write Fire on the Mountain, so Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC) knows to whom the money goes.

 

Send it to:

Southwest Research and Information Center
PO Box 4524
Albuquerque, NM 87196-4524

 

Or you can…

1.

2.

Click this button...

and go to the Network for Good donation page for the Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC).

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In the blank for Designation (Optional) please write Fire on the Mountain, as shown in the example below, so your donation will go to the Fire on the Mountain billboard campaign.

Sample Network for Good Donation Page for the SRIC. 

Fill in the:

  • Dollar amount.

  • Fire on the Mountain in the Designation option.

(This isn't optional for us, it is essential, so SRIC knows to whom the money goes!!)

  • If you choose to tell us who you are, we can thank you.

  • Log in (fill out a new customer log in if you aren't already registered), and

  • The next page will take your contribution information. It will also give you a receipt.

Fire on the Mountain Videos

On Earth Day this past April Cindy Weehler gave a presentation on the problem of nuclear weapons waste stored on the mountainside at LANL, how plutonium affects the community, and the solution to the problem.

DOEzo the Clown

* This really happened! See the video, "When Kitty Litter Caused a Nuclear Catastrophe," at Practical Engineering on YouTube.

Hillhouse, Grady. "When Kitty Litter Caused a Nuclear Catastrophe." Practical Engineering, April 15, 2025.

For more D.O.E.zo the Clown comics, click here.

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