Cost of the Greater Good: The Environmental Stalemate at New Mexico’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
by Andres Velez
Site Description:
My location is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) situated near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The relevant parties to my topic are the Federal Government that implemented the facility, and the residents of Carlsbad New Mexico affected by its operation. I will be primarily focusing on the 2000s, as that’s when most of the environmental issues caused by the WIPP started coming to light and drawing attention. Despite this, I will reach a little further back in order to explore the origins of the facility, and some of the early opposition surrounding it. The actual issue at my site involves the WIPP’s flippant handling of regulatory guidelines, and how this reckless behavior has led to issues such as waste leaks, negatively impacting the Carlsbad community: an issue made worse by the fact that the WIPP is the only facility in the US that can dispose of nuclear waste in a clean manner. My historical question is this: How did both the Federal Government’s desire to prioritize national interest and the Carlsbad community’s lower socioeconomic status impact the WIPP’s accountability? In terms of project significance, I hope my project will shed light into situations where a facility holds national importance, and how the government may sometimes hold this national importance over the importance of the communities more directly impacted by the facility. Even beyond nuclear waste, the government may choose other locations to be ‘sacrificial lambs’ for broader interests, implementing things such as landfills in areas that will be harmed by them. I hope my paper will be able to shed light on this practice, and demonstrate the importance of not forgetting the people who may suffer in the name of the ‘greater good’.
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Primary Sources:
Source 1
Title: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant aims to expand underground facility to hold nuclear waste
Location: Nuke Watch Website
Description: This is a web page on Nukewatch.org, a website run by a New Mexican advocacy group. This particular page is a record of an article from a Carlsbad newspaper calling out issues with a recently proposed expansion to the facility. This source gives us the perspective of the common person, demonstes an example of the WIPP seemingly sidestepping regulation, and also provides insight into the continuing battle in Carlsbad over the facility.
Source 2
Title: Project Gnome
Link: https://archive.org/details/ProjectGnome
Location: Internet Archive
Description: This is the only source I have currently listed here which is an actual video, hence it has unique utility by providing me with visual aid. In addition, it goes into detail into the Gnome test, the environment surrounding it, and provides historical context. While it may not deal directly with the WIPP, it may still be useful if I use it in my hook to provide some historical context.
Source 3
Title: Evaluation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Public Outreach Program during the Certification Process at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico
Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/wipp_cert_eval_0401_execsum.pdf
Location: Environmental Protection Agency Documents
Description: This source is an overview by a consultant team which criticized an outreach program executed by the EPA alongside the initial certification of the WIPP. This document may be useful, as it demonstrates the attempted interaction between government agencies and the general public, while also making clear some of the shortcomings of the government’s strategy. This may provide insight into the way that certain government actions may have contributed to both the positive and negative opinions the common folk held of the facility.
Source 4
Title: Public Comment on Certification of Waste Isolation Pilot Project
Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-05/documents/epajan6.pdf
Location: Environmental Protection Agency Digital Document Collection
Description: This is a lengthy transcript of a 1998 hearing on the certification of the WIPP for operation. Many people representing different groups speak here, including people representing the citizen population of Carlsbad. I believe this source will be useful, as it provides a positive view of the WIPP seemingly coming from New Mexico’s populace in addition to the negative one, illustrating disagreement that existed amongst the Carlsbad population.
Source 5
Title: US Seeks waste-research revival
Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/507015a
Location: Nature Journal
Description: This source is a modern news article discussing the WIPP in Carlsbad briefly, while also providing insight into activities similar to those in Carlsbad which occur in other parts of the world. I might be able to use this source towards the end of my paper to try illustrating the broader impact of the situation in New Mexico, as ultimately there are many places in other countries where some of these same issues may also be relevant.
Chosen Source for Analysis: Public Comment on Certification of Waste Isolation Pilot Project
This source is a transcript of an EPA hearing held in 1998, a year before the WIPP began operation, which sought to gather feedback from the public. It offers an in-depth look into the perspectives of both the Carlsbad public, but of representatives of companies investing in the WIPP as well. I believe this source will prove to be immensely useful in shedding light on both the government and common person’s opinions surrounding the WIPP, as well as the hope’s they had for it. My argument using this source would be this: While many of my other sources indicate skepticism of the WIPP, this hearing demonstrates that support for the WIPP did exist amongst the Carlsbad public on the grounds that the facility was a necessary risk which would ultimately help both the nation, and the economic standing of the people living near it.
The first bit of evidence for my argument is the explanation that Jeff Neal, a resident of Carlsbad gave in regard to the WIPP. Neal states that “Carlsbad stepped forward to help the nation, to help the nation solve its low-level transuranic waste problem” (EPA, 3). He asserts this notion that Carlsbad stepping forward was a risk they were taking to help the nation at large, painting a picture of why some residents may have had a more positive view of the WIPP. Looking into the economic side of things, Vicky Black comments that “taxpayers have paid almost $2 billion to get the WIPP to the point it is today, and it’s time to quit spending our taxes marking time, maintaining a ready repository, and time to use our tax dollars to get on with it to help solve a national problem” (EPA, 10). She asserts that the WIPP has already cost taxpayers such as herself a sizable quantity of money, implying that further delaying the WIPP’s operation would cost them even more, reflecting the part of my argument dealing with economics. The last piece of evidence is the statement by Dr. Rip Anderson, a representative of Sandia, which was an organization contracted to evaluate the WIPP’s compliance with EPA regulation. He explains that “the evidence for safe disposal of the contact-handled TRU military waste in bedded salts in Southern New Mexico is overwhelming” (EPA, 38), supporting the EPA’s decision to certify the WIPP on the grounds of it “solving the DOE military nuclear waste problem in a reasonable and cost-effective manner (EPA, 37). Anderson emphasizes both the cost and effectiveness of the facility, echoing both the previous two speakers, and my argument once again.
Secondary Sources:
Source 1:
Citation – Burgess III, Arthur Harry. The Nuclear Waste Dilemma: An Assessment of Economic Development Opportunities for Carlsbad, New Mexico. Las Cruces, New Mexico: New Mexico State University, 2011. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/nuclear-waste-dilemma-assessment-economic/docview/894759188/se-2?accountid=35725.
Explanation – This source is going to be extremely useful. It is an approved university thesis, meaning it should be a reliable source. It sticks out to me, as it specifically looks at the financial position of Carlsbad, and also illustrates some of the more positive perspectives people had on the WIPP predominantly based on that financial aspect. It also sheds light on the notion shared amongst some people that Carlsbad accepting the risks of the WIPP could enable them to become a key state in the US. I believe this sense of national honor and financial benefit that members of the Carlsbad public attributed to the WIPP is perfectly characteristic of the positive perspective surrounding the facility. As such, I should find use in this source in not only illustrating that mindset, but also comparing it to some of the more negative perspectives floating around Carlsbad. It may also be useful for me to compare it to the government perspective, showing how both these positive angles could have drowned out concerns.
Source 2
Citation – Richter, Jennifer. “New Mexico’s Nuclear Enchantment: Local Politics, National Imperatives, and Radioactive Waste Disposal in the Desert.” Las Cruces, New Mexico: New Mexico State University, 2013. https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds/36
URL – https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/amst_etds/36
Explanation – This is another thesis about the situation in Carlsbad. While on the same topic, this thesis refers to a few other issues than the one previously cited, with it tackling more political concepts. While that source discusses the economic and influential perspective of the Carlsbad public, this one more so focuses on the broader political position of this whole situation, even if those other topics do still come up. One important aspect of this thesis is its assertion that the situation in Carlsbad was the result of an overall national effort to paint nuclear technology in an extremely positive light: an important development that would benefit everyone in the long term. This will be useful to my paper, as I can use to not only provide a little bit of additional historical context, but I can also use it to illustrate the government’s tendency to place priority on national interest, in addition to some of the actions they took to forward this national interest at the expense of the individuals living in Carlsbad. I also believe this source and the next one I have listed will compliment each other nicely, as the next source tackles a similar issue, albeit with more of a modern, numerical spin, emphasizing surveys and statistics alongside a less thorough historical analysis.
Source 3
Citation – Jenkins‐Smith, Hank C., Carol L. Silva, Matthew C. Nowlin, and Grant deLozier. “Reversing Nuclear Opposition: Evolving Public Acceptance of a Permanent Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility.” Risk Analysis 31, no. 4 (December 22, 2010): 629–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01543.x.
Explanation – This source is a 2010 study about the general public acceptance of nuclear disposal facilities, with it particularly focusing on the WIPP facility in New Mexico. The study made use of things such as surveys in order to get a reading on the overall citizen perspective directly from their own mouth. I believe this study will prove beneficial, as it will help provide insight into the civilian perspective, albeit from a more distanced vantage point than what my primary sources may provide. It also discusses the political angle surrounding the plant, and some of the factors which may have contributed to or undermined people’s acceptance of it, which may be useful if I look at the factors from this study, and analyze how they developed in relation to the WIPP.
Source 4
Citation – Howard, B. A., M. B. Crawford, D. A. Galson, and M. G. Marietta. “Regulatory Basis for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Assessment.” Reliability Engineering & System Safety 69, no. 1–3 (August 2000): 109–127. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832000000284.
URL – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832000000284
Explanation – This source examines the EPA’s role in the development of certain aspects of the WIPP’s regulation. One major thing it analyzes is the WIPP’s performance assessment, and how the EPA’s regulatory influence contributed to the facility’s eventual certification. I believe this source will be useful thanks to the insight it provides into the EPA’s exceedingly major role in the development of the WIPP. The EPA is an important agency which played a major role in calming concerns over the potential environmental impact of the WIPP, so looking into how significant the agency’s influence over the facility actually was will likely be useful to me. In addition, the fact that the EPA was so influential indicates that most of the regulation the WIPP was subjected to happened on the federal level: a fact which may provide important context into the framework that allowed the WIPP to bypass some regulations, as is detailed further in some of my primary sources.
Source 5:
Citation – Killingsworth, M. Jimmie, Jacqueline S. Palmer, and James E. Frost. Nuclear New Mexico: A Historical, Natural, and Virtual Tour. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University, 2018.
URL – https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vDBpDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=carlsbad+new+mexico+nuclear&ots=z9VOfEhoaA&sig=PIaVlTrgnb74lXa-hEnWSCB9ljk#v=onepage&q&f=false (This link only leads to a preview of the book, not the whole thing)
Explanation – This source is a relatively recent book talking about nuclear testing in New Mexico at large. While much of this source won’t be particularly useful to me in terms of my main topic, I believe I can get a great deal of information out of it in terms of the history of nuclear testing in New Mexico. This will be important to me as not only will it help me out with historical context, but I will be able to use it in my hook. I want my hook to use the broader history of nuclear testing in New Mexico as a jumping-off point for me to talk about the WIPP, so the information present in this book may be very handy in pulling that part of my paper together.
Image Analysis:
Image 1:
Multiple Representatives of both Carlsbad, and New Mexico state all gathering to speak at the 1999 grand opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.
Image 2:
The front of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, as it stands in 2023.
This first image was taken on behalf of the federal government, directly at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site near Carlsbad, New Mexico. It would have been snapped during the facility’s grand opening on March 26th, 1999. The image depicts U.S. Senator Pete Domenici of New Mexico, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, EM Carlsbad Field Office Manager Keith Klein, U.S. Representative Joe Skeen of New Mexico, U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, and Carlsbad Mayor Gary Perkowski all standing together at a podium in front of the WIPP site, seemingly expressing support for the facility’s opening. The second is simply an image of the front of the WIPP, with its identifying sign at the forefront. The image can be found on google maps as the main thumbnail image for the WIPP, and was seemingly taken by Google in August of 2023. My argument using these two images is that the government overstated both national and public interest in an attempt to draw attention away from underlying issues of the WIPP: a mask which would slip in the decades to follow.
The first piece of evidence is the contrast between the American imagery in the 1999 image, and what that imagery is covering up, as revealed by the 2023 image. American flags are everywhere in the first image. Many of the pictured representatives are proudly wearing small American flags on their suits, and there is a larger American flag on the left behind all of them. Though these aren’t the only examples. Even the stage they’re positioned on seems to resemble the American flag, with red and white material being spread both in front of and behind it, in addition to the top of the stage being grey with a possible mild blue tint. This imagery gives the WIPP a noble vibe, which isn’t a surprise. After all, the WIPP was the only transuranic waste disposal site in the country, and was painted by the government as a key facility solving an important environmental issue. In spite of this, this same imagery seems to be masking certain aspects of the image. Looking behind the man standing to the right, a little bit of what appears to be barbed wire fencing is visible. This is more obvious in the 2023 image, with similar fencing appearing on the left. Multiple warning signs are also visible in the 2023 image, which are not visible in its 1999 counterpart. The fencing, in addition to the warning signs, are suspicious. If the WIPP was as safe as the government claimed, then these security methods probably wouldn’t be necessary. While this is clear in the 2023 image, the colorful, America-themed stage and decorations of the 1999 image actively make these details less noticeable. This would seem to suggest that the emphasis on the celebration of national interest wasn’t just an attempt to make the Carlsbad residents feel good. On the contrary, it was also an effort to undermine potentially valid concerns over the WIPP by drawing attention away from the details, instead aiming it towards the proposed positives.
The second evidence to support my argument is the presence of a school bus in the background of the 1999 image, and how that contrasts the complete lack of public presence in the 2023 image. The presence of this school bus, visible on the left of the two men all the way to the right of the 1999 image, suggests that students were brought to the grand opening of the WIPP. This is an unusual development, but it could be significant in providing good optics for the government. It creates the impression of a united community standing up for something that benefits them. The men on the stage are older, representing past generations, and bringing school children to the facility would enable the ‘new’ generation to be represented as well. The presence of these two generations posit the WIPP as a facility being proposed by previous generations in order to secure the future. Of course, it’s unlikely that those school children were bussed to the WIPP’s opening because they wanted to be there. That trip would’ve likely been organized by the government and the school system. This indicates the performative nature of the WIPP’s opening, and of an attempt to make support look more ubiquitous than it really was. Referring back to the 2023 image, the pictured lot is almost entirely empty aside from a truck carrying waste. There are no cars or school buses signifying public support, or any involvement at all. It could be said that this emptier lot is a more accurate representation of the common person’s more distant relationship with the facility, rather than the enthusiastic support the government was attempting to sell.
The last piece of evidence is the abscence of employees in the 2023 image, and how that contrasts the implied national significance depicted in the 1999 image. The 1999 image depicts the WIPP as a huge federal facility, solving the country’s issues and soaked in national pride. The 2023 image tells a very different story. There aren’t any American flags. There isn’t a stage, or even people standing around. The WIPP facility looks completely barren, with no people in sight. There’s only a single truck carrying what appears to be rusted waste barrels, sitting outside the facility with no one tending to it. This image contrasts heavily with its 1999 counterpart, as it would seem to tell a tale of neglect. I would imagine that such an important government facility would have employees everywhere, dealing with any received waste as soon as possible in order to mitigate risk. Instead, the lack of any pictured employees in combination with the rusted barrels creates an image of the WIPP as an afterthought to the people overseeing it. This is a massive contrast, strongly implying that the significance placed on the WIPP by the federal government at the time of it’s opening was disingenuous, not truly reflecting the lukewarm treatment the facility would actually receive in later years.
Ultimately, my argument is relevant to environmental issues on a broader scale because this sort of situation happens in plenty of other contexts. The WIPP, like many other facilities, wasn’t entirely negative. The WIPP did bring new business to Carlsbad, expanding the economy and resulting in the area seeing more investment. Despite this, the government was shady in the way it handled the WIPP, downplaying concerns and sidelining the facility when it was convenient, in spite of initially portraying it with such importance. Just because the facility had its benefits, that doesn’t justify this kind of behavior from the government. There are many other facilities just like this, with their positives completely supplanting the negatives in the eye of the public. It’s important that people be aware of this issue so that the people living in these communities don’t get so swept up in the initial hype that they lose sight of long term concerns.
