[Anyone] LANL Pit Production

[totem at laplaza.org]

TOWN OF TAOS, NEW MEXICO  
&
TAOS COUNTY, NEW MEXICO
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Town of Taos Resolution No. 08-24
Taos County Resolution No. 08-27


A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN OF TAOS AND TAOS COUNTY OBJECTING TO PROPOSED 
NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX “TRANSFORMATION” ACTIVITIES AT THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL 
LABORATORY, INCLUDING EXPANDED PLUTONIUM PIT PRODUCTION.

WHEREAS, the National Nuclear Security Administration, (NNSA), the Department of Energy’s semi-
autonomous nuclear weapons agency, has released a draft Complex Transformation Supplement 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement in order to implement its plans to transform its 
nuclear weapons complex, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); and
WHEREAS, planned “transformation” of the nuclear weapons complex will expand nuclear weapons 
activities across the nation, most particularly at LANL; and
WHEREAS, nuclear weapons activities at Los Alamos were previously expanded in 1999, but now 
LANL has been designated the nation’s permanent production center for up to 80 plutonium pits per 
year, with related increases in hazardous and radioactive wastes; and	WHEREAS, plutonium pits are 
used as the “triggers” for weapons of mass destruction and plutonium creates health and 
environmental hazards; and
WHEREAS, the governing bodies of the Town of Taos and Taos County do not support the creation of 
further health and environmental hazards related to nuclear weapons for the citizens of Northern 
New Mexico; and 
WHEREAS, independent experts have found that plutonium pits have reliable lifetimes of a century or 
more, thus making production unnecessary to begin with; and
WHEREAS, the new Nuclear Posture Reviewed by a new president could have impacts on the nuclear 
weapons complex and LANL, significantly different from the old Review; and
WHEREAS, on March 14, 2008 Taos County sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, National 
Nuclear Security Administration requesting that public hearings be held in Taos County regarding 
the proposal that Los Alamos National Laboratory serve as the nation’s center for plutonium 
manufacturing for the united States’ nuclear arsenal as hearing had been held in Albuquerque, Santa 
Fe, Los Alamos, and Espanola, attached hereto as Exhibit A; and 
WHEREAS, public hearings in Taos County are necessary to inform the public to allow proponents and 
opponents of the proposal to make presentations to the Department of Energy prior to any decision 
being made; and 
WHEREAS, a letter was received by Taos County on March 17, 2008 from The National Nuclear 
Security Administration stating that no additional hearings were to be conducted, attached hereto as 
Exhibit B; and
WHEREAS, because the National Nuclear Security Administration was unwilling to hold additional 
public hearings to address the concerns of Taos County and its citizens, the respective governing 
bodies therefore felt it was necessary to pass this Resolution.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY the Town of Taos and Taos County that the governing bodies 
do hereby state their objection to NNSA’s draft Complex Transformation Supplement Programmatic 
Environmental Impact Statement and resolve that it be withdrawn until after the 2009 Nuclear 
Posture Review.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the governing bodies do hereby state their objection to the expansion 
of nuclear weapons activities at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, including further increased 
plutonium pit production.