CCNS Update

On November 18th, 2025, the New Mexico Environment Department withdrew its

temporary authorization to the U.S. Department of Energy and ordered it to cease the

injection of “treated” groundwater back into the regional sole source drinking water

aquifer. Elevated levels of hexavalent chromium above regulatory standards had been

detected for the first time in the deep regional drinking water aquifer beneath Pueblo de

San Ildefonso. It had migrated through the complex geology of the Pajarito Plateau,

where Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is located, to deep groundwater below

the Pueblo’s lands. The discovery was made during the drilling of a new monitoring well,

known as SIMR-3, or San Ildefonso Mortandad Regional – 3, located just south of the

boundary between LANL and the Pueblo.

Jacqueline Cabasso, Executive Director of the Western States Legal Foundation,

and Board member, John Burroughs, provide analyses of the current situation in the

Middle East. Read the entire OpEd at nuclearactive.org.

After a careful review of the inconsistent public notices for the proposed Doña

Ana County East and West Microgrids Air Quality Construction Permits for Project

Jupiter, CCNS found them to be defective. The discrepancies require a restart of the

public comment periods for the proposed $165 billion microgrid facilities that will emit up

to 13 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually – more than yearly emissions

generated by Las Cruces, Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Currently, public comments are

due on Monday, March 2, 2026 to the New Mexico Environment Department.

Today’s Update is continuation of our reporting on the diligent and thorough work

done by the New Mexico Environment Department to hold Los Alamos National

Laboratory (LANL) accountable for not responsibly addressing the hexavalent chromium

plume beneath LANL that has now spread beneath Pueblo de San Ildefonso.

On Tuesday, February 11 th , the New Mexico Environment Department took bold

actions to hold the Department of Energy (DOE) and Los Alamos National Laboratory

(LANL) accountable for the release and distribution of hexavalent chromium

contamination into the regional drinking water aquifer and onto Pueblo de San Ildefonso

lands. The Environment Department released two administrative compliance orders,

both with civil penalties, totaling over $15,775,000.00.

Last week, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a legislative message for

House Bill 207, which calls for the discharge of “produced water” to New Mexico’s

rivers, streams and groundwater. Produced water is a highly toxic waste byproduct of

oil and gas operations. No treatment technologies currently exist that might allow for the

safe discharge of produced water to water resources.

We have just a few days to ensure the last remaining arms control treaty

between the United States and Russia continues with its numerical cap of 1,550

deployed strategic nuclear weapons for each country. The New START treaty is set to

expire after Wednesday, February 4 th . Please contact Republican U.S. Senators.

Request that President Trump respond to President Putin’s proposal to informally

extend the treaty for one year.

The last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia will

expire on Wednesday, February 4 th . Without this treaty, there will be nothing stopping a

new, dangerous and wasteful nuclear arms race. Now is the time to demand that both

countries agree to Save New START.

On Thursday, January 22 th , the world and New Mexicans will mark five years

since the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons became international law.

Nuclear weapons are now illegal.

The last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia will

expire on Wednesday, February 4 th . Without this treaty, there will be nothing stopping a

new, dangerous and wasteful nuclear arms race. Now is the time to demand that both

countries agree to save New START.