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Virtual Workshops
On the Nationwide Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on the Expanded Production of Plutonium “Pit” Bomb Cores
Public comments help increase transparency and safety.
It is crucial that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and US Department of Energy hear from scientists, experts, and community members like you.
Date: Monday, June 16
Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET, 2:00–3:00 p.m. MT
Date: Thursday, June 26
Time: 6:00–7:00 p.m. ET, 4:00–5:00 p.m. MT
Click on your preferred workshop to register now!
These workshops will feature:
Background: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Savannah River Site Watch and Tri-Valley CAREs successfully sued the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) over its failure to complete a required nationwide “programmatic environmental impact statement” (PEIS) for its most costly program ever, the expanded production of plutonium “pit” bomb cores. Their production is the current chokepoint to resumed industrial-scale of nuclear weapons by the United States. Ironically, no future pit production is to maintain the safety and reliability of the existing nuclear stockpile. Instead, all future pit production is for new design nuclear weapons for the new nuclear arms race.
To meet its enforced legal obligation, the NNSA must consider written comments submitted by July 14 on what the scope of the PEIS should be. NNSA wants to keep its scope narrowly confined to discussion of alternative levels of pit production rather than questioning the need for production to begin with. A few examples of needed scope include compliance with the NonProliferation Treaty, reusing existing pits, ensuring nuclear safety, the lack of credible cost estimates and where radioactive wastes will go. For more see suggested scoping comments at https://nukewatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Pit-PEIS-suggested-scoping-comments-5-27-25.pdf
Scoping comments due by July 14 can be emailed to PitPEIS@nnsa.doe.gov or mailed to:
Ms. Kristen M. Dors, NEPA Compliance Officer
NNSA Los Alamos Field Office
3747 W. Jemez Road, Los Alamos, NM 87544
For additional background, see NNSA’s formal Notice of Intent at https://www.energy.gov/nepa/articles/doeeis-0573-notice-intent-may-2025 for the PEIS Following publication of a draft PEIS (expected in a year), in person public hearings will be held in Livermore, CA; Santa Fe, NM; Kansas City, MO; Aiken; SC, and Washington, DC.
Let’s transform this Pit Production Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement into a public referendum on the new nuclear arms race!
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Union of Concerned Scientists | ucs.org
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