From our friends at Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety:
The independent Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has been dwindling from a five-member board to one member and may disappear if we, the People, do not raise our voices to support its essential nuclear safety work. The Safety Board needs at least two new members. And that needs to get done by Saturday, October 18th. https://www.dnfsb.gov/about
New Mexico U.S. Senators Heinrich and Lujan have key roles to play to ensure the Safety Board’s work continues unimpeded. https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/ and https://www.lujan.senate.gov/ Our voices of support are essential to ensure communities continue to receive the essential services of the Safety Board and its staff.
Right now members of the Safety Board’s staff are monitoring the venting of radioactive tritium from Area G at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Their expertise in the field of nuclear safety and their demonstrated competence and knowledge relevant to their independent investigative and oversight functions are an essential part of the process. They will be part of the follow-up once the venting of the four flanged tritium waste containers is completed. https://tewawomenunited.org/?s=tritium, https://www.ccwnewmexico.org/tritium, https://nuclearactive.org/
Not only does the Safety Board have staff at LANL, but also at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque and at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the burial site for plutonium contaminated nuclear weapons waste, near Carlsbad. https://ananuclear.org/facilities/
Contact Senator Martin Heinrich and Senator Ben Ray Lujan and tell them that the Safety Board is essential to keeping New Mexicans safe, especially in light of the DOE’s plans to expand plutonium pit, or trigger, production at LANL. The Safety Board’s expertise provides the public with the confidence that informed experts are watching and commenting on the nuclear weapons complex in New Mexico.
A little history is relevant here. In the late 1980’s astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn was instrumental in the formation of the Board. DOE’s mismanagement of the Fernald Plant in Ohio, the on-going safety problems at the Rocky Flats Plant near Denver and the 1989 raid of the plant, are but a few examples of why the Board was formed. https://ananuclear.org/facilities/
The weapons contractors have unsuccessfully tried to dismantle the Safety Board ever since. https://nuclearactive.org/safety-board-holds-nov-28-live-streamed-public-hearing/, https://nuclearactive.org/santa-fe-county-commissioners-call-for-suspension-of-doe-order-140-1/, https://nuclearactive.org/doe-must-hold-hearings-in-new-mexico-about-order-140-1/, https://nuclearactive.org/dnfsb-public-hearing-about-doe-interface-on-august-28th
Two new members must be installed by October 18th. That means we must put pressure on the New Mexico senators to encourage Senator Lindsay Graham (South Carolina) and Senator Ted Cruz (Texas), both with DOE sites in their states, to nominate qualified candidates to the Safety Board now so that the process may begin. https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/ and https://www.cruz.senate.gov/
The Alliance for Nuclear Accountability (ANA) issued a letter about the urgent need for nominations to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, which is set to lose its quorum and therefore its ability to issue recommendations to DOE on October 18, 2025. Before then, Republicans on the Senate Armed Services committee must recommend a Presidential nomination of at least one new board member that the Senate approves. Here is the list of key Senators who have received the letter:
List of U.S. Senators to Contact to Submit DNFSB Board Member Nominations, September 18, 2025
Jim Banks (IN) – https://www.banks.senate.gov/
Marsha Blackburn (TN) – https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/
Ted Budd (NC) – https://www.budd.senate.gov/
Susan Collins (ME) – https://www.collins.senate.gov/
Tom Cotton (AR) – https://www.cotton.senate.gov/
Kevin Cramer (ND) – https://www.cramer.senate.gov/
Mike Crapo (ID) – https://www.crapo.senate.gov/
Joni Ernst (IA) – https://www.ernst.senate.gov/
Deb Fischer (NE) – https://www.fischer.senate.gov
Bill Hagerty (TN) – https://www.hagerty.senate.gov/
Josh Hawley (MO) – https://www.hawley.senate.gov/
John Kennedy (LA) – https://www.kennedy.senate.gov
Jerry Moran (KS) – https://www.moran.senate.gov
Markwayne Mullin (OK) – https://www.mullin.senate.gov/
Mike Rounds (SD) – https://www.rounds.senate.gov/
Eric Schmitt (MO) – https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/
Rick Scott (FL) – www.rickscott.senate.gov
Tim Sheehy (MT) – https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/
Dan Sullivan (AK) – https://www.sullivan.senate.gov/
Tommy Tuberville (AL) – https://www.tuberville.senate.gov/
Roger Wicker (MS) – https://www.wicker.senate.gov/
If you are a constituent of any of these Senators please reach out to your community, follow up with them and re-send the letter.