Nuclear Issues in New Mexico Documentary Progress Update
I worked on mining for good information in the resources I previously found. I also used some images and wording from Citizen Action New Mexico, which had a useful amount of photographs and documents during the 90s when this issue was being addressed. I remembered what I learned in class, that there was a similar landfill (in Beatty Nevada) which had blown up recently. So I looked into that issue and found that Citizen Action also made an article with the necessary information I required. I cited David B McCoy for his article “Albuquerque’s Endangered Aquifer -- Sandia National Laboratories Mixed Waste Landfill” since that has much-needed info and graphic representations. That same class period showed off the previous students' work, on the spread of nuclear fallout and contaminants if there was indeed an explosion like the one at Beatty Nevada within the mixed waste landfill.
With the information I gained, I went ahead and made a cohesive storyline of the MWL. From the start of it to the closure on the MWL and then to the repercussions and lasting effects. I also delved into the potentially catastrophic damage incurred by the slow leakage of radioactive waste into the groundwater. I made sure to detail exactly what alpha radioactive decay does to a body and how it gets into humans. I also detailed that there are federal laws protecting the Sandia National Labs from being held responsible for anything to happen to the MWL as well as being protected from being forced to clean it up. Then I intend to end my piece of the documentary by stating that there’s been an explosion at a site very similar to the MWL that has blown up recently because of a mere 2 inches of rain that seeped into the stored metallic sodium. I will then end it with a quote “ [due to the explosion] it will spread large volumes of radiation into Albuquerque’s air, soil, and water - the equivalent of a dirty bomb” - Citizen Action New Mexico
Since I now have my piece of the storyboard, I intend to get B-footage of the MWL. If I'm unable to then I'll make some infographics about the MWL and potential for harm, to use for my section. I also plan on helping edit, especially for the beginning and conclusion to the documentary. I can definitely help teach my group some basics about editing, importing video, formatting and exporting in Adobe Premiere Pro.
Trinity Site: I collected research from various sites about the history of the bomb and the impacts the test has left on the residents of New Mexico still to this day. I am going to lay out a timeline of events pretty much starting with the test itself, including when, where, how, and why the test was done. After that brief timeline of history, I want to include information about the Tularosa Downwinders, whom I learned much about when listening to Tina Cordova speak in the Nuclear NM class. This group formed in response to a lack of compensation and acknowledgement from the government regarding the test for the residents in the area who were affected. A large population has experienced terrible health impacts from radiation that resulted from the explosion, many of which were generational. These illnesses were a huge inconvenience and caused strife across the state. I want to make sure this is highlighted in the documentary, along with other health impacts. This nuclear test was the first in history so I really want the audience to understand that importance, and how it's affected the state as a whole. Along with each transition, I have pictures and videos I want to be shown during the narration of my section that is pertinent to keep the audience engaged. I wanted to include a possible interview, but I’m unsure when I’ll get a chance to visit the Alamogordo area, let alone find someone who is able to remember the events. I have found quite a few videos online of the trinity site and interviews other people have done, so I may use that video footage, and cite it, in our film.
Some pictures I plan on using:
Along with video clips of the detonation from https://www.atomicheritage.org/tour-stop/trinity-test-1#.Xbjx8FVKiUk
From the extent of research I have done, I have learned that first and foremost, the implementation of Holtec is illegal, along with the company itself pushing false claims that the company's who are in direct correlation with the landmass Holtec has it’s eyes on, have agreed to allow Holtec to settle on their land. Along with this they’re a lack of funds for the infrastructure or jobs that must be put into place for the new site, and to transport materials from around the country to the area. Along with this, we can look back to the WIPP mishap in which, the facility was shut down for a time on end, as the lid of a barrel had exploded. With this, it is only common sense to look to the idea of a new implementation in radiative waste, and the simple truth that humans are prone to accident. The Holtec site, however, is supposed to hold 80,000 tons of radiative waste, more so fuel cell rods which are terribly radiative. With this, given it is supposed to be located 37 miles south of Carlsbad, human accident is not impossible, and when dealing with radiative entities such as spent fuel rods, the idea becomes exponentially scarier.
With the compilation of this information, I have also gained information on the aspect as simple as infrastructure wise, and the amount of jobs that are relatively understaffed right now, as there aren't enough working people in the Carlsbad area to sustain the Holtec site. Along with this, new railways would need to be implemented, in order to efficiently transfer the radioactive waste to the site itself. Yet this then pushes back into Holtecs falsified claims, as the company does not hold the rights, more so mineral rights in order to build rail systems that would bring the waste as close to the site as possible. This then doesn’t even begin to investigate the economic and infrastructure effect it would have on the society of Carlsbad. Due to lack of jobs, more people would need to move to Carlsbad in which, before the oil boom, was a town of roughly 30,000 people, in which the boom caused it to average 60-80,000 people. The implementation of such a site would cause more people to come in, in which it could essentially affect the economy in a worse direction, as Carlsbad's infrastructure wasn’t originally made to hold thousands of people nearing the 100 thousand. We can then also look to the idea of years down the line, saying the jobs begin to dry up in Carlsbad, it will essentially become a massive ghost town, as there won’t be any true infrastructure to keep Carlsbad's economy afloat.
Then even looking further past this, back to the idea of accident being prone to happen as humans aren’t perfect, the rail system resides right along a major highway, more so the Hobbs highway in which, if a barrel full of the nuclear rods were to open up or bust in some way mid-travel, then due to the rail line or one rail line residing amongst a major highway, the vehicles passing by will be prone to unintentionally aiding in the expanse of radioactive waste. The WIPP site is not terrible overall, yet the implementation of another major waste site would, or more so could be terribly detrimental in the long, or even short term. Past this abundance of information I have gained, I'm hoping to bring a guest speaker into the class, one whom would know the gist of Holtec and WIPP in which they could probably go into much more extensive details, and how it is essentially linked across the board of waste throughout the US. I’ve also gained video footage of the landscape, and the railway along wide the Hobbs highway in which it will give a more so real feel as to how it could truly be detrimental in the aspect of waste leaking and being spread further than originally intended. Ultimately I hope to have more interviews and possibly bring in multiple knowledgeable sources on the system of nuclear waste at hand.
Laguna- Pagaute Jackpile mine: I have gathered information on water resources in the laguna-paguate area after the mining and plan on attending a tour put on through the sustainability minor degree program on November 17th and the corresponding nuclear new mexico class. Filming will take place when allowed and questions will be asked to further the understanding of the environmental, social and societal impacts and changes since the mining was halted in 1982(after 29 years). This photo is of the superfund site currently and is located on the laguna pueblo land, consisting of 3 former tribal leases. The raw uranium ore was transported via the Santa Fe railroad and brought detriment to people on highways and those living in Grants. The storyline will follow a narrative of long term suffering and regrowth as a changed society. Beginning with the superfund site and quick background, transitioning to a “‘ceremony’ by Leslie Silko” perspective of people and their connection to land and ending with Christine talking about her personal experience with the mining adjacent to her family home, giving an inside look to the impacts the mining had on surface water, agriculture and social culture.
Group goals:Storyboard work has begun, including pictures/videos and narration text, for the documentary which we are keeping track of in a shared google slide presentation. Research has been completed, and site access has been planned. We aim to compile this in one document to begin the editing, narration, and overall organization of the documentary. What we have to do now, as a group, is to come together to create the final storyboard. Once that’s done, I can get to work on narrating everything with the audio equipment that Terry Horger will lend us. Then finally we can get together to create the rough edit of the documentary, in which I plan to get Eileen Shaugnessy to give feedback so as to make a polished final version of our Student Made Nuclear Issues in New Mexico Documentary. Filming and editing will take place in the month of November.
Jahro, Zhanna, Kyla and Josh
