Public commenter urges action on nuclear-weapons risks, cites Los Alamos ties
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Summary
A Taos County resident urged commissioners to support abolition of nuclear weapons and referenced evacuation fears during the 2011 Los Conchas fire; the commentor also said she represented a U.S. group that attended a United Nations event.
During public comment on July 29, Jean Stevens, who identified herself as a Taos resident, urged the Board of Commissioners to consider the risks posed by nuclear weapons and referenced her participation in related advocacy.
Stevens said she helped organize a Nagasaki commemoration in Los Alamos that would be livestreamed, that she had been to the United Nations in March as a representative of nuclearban.us, and that she left the commission material about a municipal pledge related to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
She told the board she was concerned about possible contamination in past disasters and referenced evacuations during the 2011 Las Conchas fire, adding that some residents had evacuated amid fears of radioactive contamination from activities at Los Alamos National Laboratory. "I've had to think about leaving Taos because I'm fearful of my safety," Stevens said.
The comment was received during the public-comment portion of the meeting; commissioners did not take any formal action in response during the session.
Why it matters: Public comment raised community health, safety and policy concerns associated with the region's proximity to national laboratory activities. The comment was advocacy-oriented and asked commissioners to review information and consider supporting related municipal pledges.
The county clerk will include the comment in the meeting record.
