‘They need to be doing more work that solves human problems.’
On last week’s episode of New Mexico in Focus, I hosted two conversations about the proposed new transmission line to Los Alamos. If you’ve been paying any attention to the news, you know that the U.S. Forest Service announced earlier this month that the project would have “no significant impact” on cultural or natural resources.
Tens of thousands of New Mexicans have opposed the project, including some of the sovereign tribal governments in northern New Mexico. I spoke with Mark Mitchell, the former governor of the Pueblo of Tesuque (who was speaking on behalf of Gov. Milton Herrera, as his designee) about the proposed project and the nuclear weapons laboratory. We also talked about something I can be a little obsessed with — tribal consultation*.
Under federal law, federal agencies are required to have government-to-government consultation with tribes about projects that impact their lands, waters, people, and sacred sites. You can watch the full conversation with former governor Mark Mitchell on YouTube and a short clip on Instagram.
As part of the same show, historian Hilario Romero and Santa Fe County Commissioner Anna Hansen also voiced opposition to the new transmission line. They spoke about the National Environmental Policy Act process, the public comment process, the lab’s impact on communities, and more. Again, you can watch the full conversation on YouTube, or a snippet on Instagram.
And we can all ponder something that Hilario Romero said. “They need to be doing more work that solves human problems. …to me, the human condition is more important than anything.”
Then, coming up this week, you can watch a conversation with Edith Hood and Teracita Keyanna from the Red Water Pond Road Community Association. They talk about the impacts of uranium mining on their community, and their hopes for the future. Watch the broadcast show on Friday night at 7 p.m. or stream anytime on the PBS App.
Some of the news:
• “‘Respect tribal sovereignty’: The new Navajo law regulating radioactive material transportation” (Shondiin Silversmith, Arizona Mirror)
• “Judge to hear update on Rio Grande SCOTUS case in October” (Danielle Prokop, Source NM)
• “Bracing for another warmer, drier winter in New Mexico” (Danielle Prokop, Source NM)
• “Study Finds High Levels of Hydrogen Sulfide in Central Texas Oilfield” (Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News)
• “Winds of Change: Change is inevitable, but Santa Fe author Rebecca Borland Reynolds says it need not be so difficult” (Alex DeVore, Santa Fe Reporter)
• “National Forest announces meeting to discuss Santa Fe-area controlled burns” (André Salkin, Santa Fe New Mexican)
• “Rocky Mountain Youth Corps crew clears 2,000 trees from trails in Santa Fe National Forest” (Matt Dahlseid, Santa Fe New Mexican)
• “New Mexico water authorities underwater: Too-low rates prevent needed repairs, report says” (Alaina Mencinger and Carina Julig, Santa Fe New Mexican)
• “Our digital lives need massive data centers. What goes on inside them?” (Antonio Olivo and William Neff, The Washington Post)
• “Why ‘chaos wheat’ may be the future of bread” (Michael J. Coren, The Washington Post)
• “Three Mile Island Plans to Reopen as Demand for Nuclear Power Grows” (Brad Plumer, The Washington Post)
• “RFK Jr.’s ‘Sad’ Slide From Environmental Hero to Outcast” (Phil McKenna, Inside Climate News)
• “Our Adaptation to Global Warming Is Largely Fictional” (David Foster-Wallace, The New York Times)
• “Gov. signs executive order to build renewable energy, climate-ready workforce” (Alaina Mercinger, Santa Fe New Mexican)
*This isn’t the first time I’ve talked with folks about meaningful tribal consultation. You can also watch past conversations on the topic with the Pueblo of Acoma’s Theresa Pasqual and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
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