New Article about “Participatory Democracy in Action” Describes WIPP Permit Negotiations

In an essay for NYU’s Democracy Project, David F. Levi, a former federal judgeand director emeritus of the Bolch Judicial Institute at Duke Law, reflected on thenegotiations he facilitated in New Mexico about the renewal of the hazardous wastepermit for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a deep geologic repository forplutonium-contaminated waste generated in the fabrication of nuclear weapons. JudgeLevi’s essay is entitled “Participatory Democracy in Action.”

On September 26 th , 2025, during the United Nations General Assembly in NewYork City, the Republic of Ghana ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of NuclearWeapons (TPNW), and the Country of Kyrgyzstan signed on. With these actions, aglobal majority of countries have signed onto the United Nations nuclear weapons bantreaty. A total of 99 out of the 197 eligible states have taken legal action - 74 haveratified and 25 have signed. Such action sends a strong message to the nuclear-armedstates and their allies that they are now the minority and irresponsible actors threateningglobal security.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is a small, independent federalagency that serves as a watchdog for the Department of Energy’s nuclear weaponscomplex. It is supposed to have five members, but it currently has only two. And onemember’s term expires on October 18 th . If one or more board positions aren’t filled on orbefore October 18 th , the Safety Board will no longer have a quorum to operate. Thepublic needs the Board to continue its vital nuclear safety mission at the DOE nuclearweapons facilities.

The independent Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has been dwindlingfrom a five-member board to one member and may disappear if we, the People, do notraise our voices to support its essential nuclear safety work. The Safety Board needs atleast two new members. And that needs to get done by October 16th. New Mexico U.S.Senators Heinrich and Lujan have key roles to play to ensure the Safety Board’s workcontinues unimpeded.

Following the 80 th year since the bombings of Trinity, Hiroshima and Nagasaki,did you know that 2025 is also the 80 th year since the formation of the United Nations?The General Assembly’s first resolution recognized nuclear disarmament as theprincipal goal of the United Nations.

On Saturday, August 30 th , after a beautiful drive across the plains of NortheasternNew Mexico, members of the Stop Forever WIPP Coalition arrived in the Village ofWagon Mound. With a population of less than 300, this rural community feels tight-knit,with many friends and families gathering to celebrate the mighty Pinto Bean every LaborDay. In addition to being next door to the beautiful Wagon Mound butte, this village isalso located right off Interstate 25. This stretch is one of the routes used by theDepartment of Energy (DOE) to transport legacy plutonium-contaminated waste frommaking the triggers, or pits, for nuclear weapons to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant(WIPP), near Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Given the recent data dumps by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) aboutits proposed venting of large quantities of radioactive tritium from four Flanged TritiumWaste Containers, the New Mexico Environment Department must reject LANL’sAugust 22 nd regulatory request for temporary authorization to vent. This Updatedescribes some of the obstacles LANL put in place to obstruct public participation andtimely access to important documents.

This week’s so-called public meeting about the proposed venting of radioactivetritium into the air from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) showed once again howLANL silences communities while fast-tracking nuclear weapons projects.

Over 24,000 people provided public comments to the Department of Energy(DOE) and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in opposition to theproposed Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade (EPCU) Project during a convoluted multi-federal agency and multi-year review process to expand electric power to Los AlamosNational Laboratory (LANL). Nevertheless, on Wednesday, DOE and NNSA issued itsFinding of No Significant Impact, or a FONSI.

Dr. Ghasson Shahrour, a medical expert and a Campaigner with the InternationalCampaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, wrote the following.